CN109898311B

CN109898311B - Dryer and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN109898311B
Application number: CN201811467396.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 徐一晚; 郑德俊; 张敏浩
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2017-12-01
Filing date: 2018-12-03
Publication date: 2022-07-01
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-03
Also published as: CN109898311A; KR102694108B1; TW201934839A; TWI697602B; KR20190065150A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dryer and a control method thereof, which can quickly and accurately judge the amount of washings put into the dryer, set the drying time according to the amount of the washings, thereby controlling the operation, measure the supplied current for rotating a drum, measure the amount of the washings by extracting the force acting on the washings in the drum, thereby minimizing the error of the amount of the washings, improving the accuracy and shortening the drying time, set the drying time by considering the amount of the washings and the types of the washings, thereby preventing the damage of the washings, eliminating the problem of the excessive drying or the incomplete drying of the washings, and according to the amount of the washings, changing the drying time or the rotating speed in the drying operation, thereby saving the drying time and the energy use and effectively drying the washings.

Description

Dryer and control method thereof

Technical Field

The invention relates to a clothes dryer and a control method thereof.

Background

In general, laundry treatment facilities are generally called washing machines, dryers and dryers as devices for treating laundry by various actions such as washing, dehydration and/or drying. The dryer is a device that dries laundry by rotating a drum and blowing hot air into the drum into which wet laundry is put.

Dryers may be classified into an exhaust type dryer and a condensation type dryer according to a method of treating humid air discharged from a drum after drying laundry. In addition, the dryer uses heat energy discharged in the exhaust or condensation process for heating air using a heat pump, thereby reducing energy consumption.

Such a dryer is configured to dry laundry for a fixed time by setting a drying time according to the kind of laundry in comparison with the amount of laundry by drying the laundry with hot air.

The mode is set by distinguishing the thermolabile washings from the heatproof washings, so that the thermolabile washings are dried for a short time and the heatproof washings are dried for a long time to completely dry the thermolabile washings in order to prevent the thermolabile washings from being damaged by heat.

In addition, in the prior art JP2017-108870, a method of changing the drying time or the like on the basis of the temperature compared to the amount of laundry is selected.

In US patent No. 1414624, it is disclosed that when the drying time is reset and displayed as the drying is performed, the remaining time is accurately calculated and displayed by sensing the amount of the laundry in order to solve the problem that the user erroneously recognizes the drying time.

Therefore, although the sensed laundry amount is described, it is disclosed centering on the display of the remaining time, and only the sensed laundry amount is described, and no specific scheme is proposed, and thus, no specific scheme is proposed for determining the laundry amount using the measured value and for improving the accuracy of the laundry amount.

In addition, the sensing of the amount of laundry using the current flowing through the motor is described in korean patent No. KR 1505189. The present invention is directed to accelerating a motor for accurate batch induction, and a section for maintaining a constant speed is described, and a method for calculating an amount of laundry using current values in the acceleration section and the constant speed section is disclosed.

However, this has a limitation in application to a dryer in terms of a method applied to a washing machine. In addition, a method of setting an operation time according to the amount of laundry is also applied to a conventional washing machine.

However, unlike the washing machine, since the dryer is charged with the wet laundry, there is a difference between the weight in the dry state and the weight in the wet state, and there is a difference between the dryer and the dryer in terms of a small change in the rotation speed during the drying operation, and the washing machine aiming to remove foreign matter by friction, dropping, or the like of the laundry is different from the dryer aiming to dry, and therefore, there is a limitation in the method of applying the washing machine.

In particular, since the laundry in a wet state is heavier than the laundry in a dry state, a large amount of current is required for the initial driving, and there is a problem that the amount of the measured laundry displayed is different depending on the position of the initial laundry and the movement of the laundry by the driving of the motor. Unlike a washing machine, a dryer dries laundry by hot air and rotation of a drum, not by a method of discharging moisture of wet laundry by a centrifugal force, but by rotating the drum at a high speed, the laundry is dried without being attached to the drum, and by rotating the drum at a low speed, the laundry is less moved in the drum, thereby causing a problem that only a part of the laundry is dried.

Unlike a washing machine in which a drum rotates together with the drum, a dryer in which laundry is drawn to the upper portion and then dropped to dry the laundry has a problem in that the drying performance is greatly deteriorated when the laundry adheres to the wall surface of the drum.

Therefore, unlike the washing machine, there is a point where consideration needs to be given to the difference in rotation of the drum which can make the wet laundry easily drawn and dropped.

In addition, there is a problem in that the amount of laundry sensed according to a driving method of the drum of the rotary dryer, the speed of the rotary drum, and time varies.

The motor and the drum are connected, whereby different problems are generated according to driving methods of the rotating drum, respectively, and a solution to the problem needs to be found together.

In particular, when a belt-and-pulley type driving method is applied, there is a problem that a slip occurs between the belt and the drum. The pulley type is a method in which a connected belt moves when a motor is operated, and a drum connected to the belt is rotated by the movement of the belt. When the motor rotates at a high speed, a slip (slip) occurs between the belt and the drum, and thus the drum does not rotate at a set rotation speed.

In addition, when the amount of laundry accommodated in the dryer is increased, a greater power is required for rotation as the weight is increased, but the load is also greatly increased in the method of pulling by the belt, and thus, the possibility of generating slip is increased.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a dryer and a control method thereof, in which the amount of laundry put into the dryer is quickly and accurately determined, and the drying operation is controlled according to the amount of laundry.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dryer in which laundry repeatedly moves in a drum by rotating the drum according to an operation mode including an acceleration section in which a rotation speed of the drum is accelerated and a holding section in which the speed is held, and a method for controlling the same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a dryer and a method for controlling the same, in which wet laundry is moved to a predetermined height and then dropped without being attached to a drum by controlling a rotation speed of the drum.

The dryer of the present invention comprises: a drum for accommodating laundry; a motor connected to the drum by a driving belt to rotate the drum; a blower fan that circulates air passing through the drum by driving of the motor; a drive control unit that applies a running power to the motor to run or stop the motor and controls a rotation speed of the motor; a current sensing unit for measuring a current of the motor during operation; and a control unit for controlling the driving control unit to operate the drum according to an operation mode including an acceleration section for accelerating a rotation speed of the drum and a holding section for holding the rotation speed of the drum for a fixed time in order to sense an amount of the laundry stored in the drum, thereby calculating the amount of the laundry from current values sensed in the acceleration section and the holding section, and controlling the rotation speed of the drum to be held in a range of 39rpm to 63rpm in order to lift and drop the laundry by the rotation of the drum during the holding section.

The control part sets the rotation speed of the drum in the range of 39rpm to 63rpm, and the drive control part controls the rotation speed of the motor at 2000rpm to 3200 rpm.

Further, the dryer of the present invention includes: a blower fan that circulates air passing through the drum by driving of the motor; a drive control unit that applies a running power to the motor to run or stop the motor and controls a rotation speed of the motor; a heat pump module removing moisture from the air flowing into the drum and heating the air; a current sensing unit for measuring a current of the motor during operation; and a control part which is divided into a sensing section for sensing the amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum and a drying section for drying the laundry, wherein the control part accelerates the rotation speed of the drum to a set rotation speed in the drying section, controls the driving control part to stop the drum after keeping the rotation speed of the drum at the rotation speed for a predetermined time, determines the amount of the laundry by a current value sensed by the current sensing part during the rotation of the drum, and sets the rotation speed of the drum according to the amount of the laundry in the drying section, thereby performing a drying operation.

The dryer of the present invention includes: a drum for accommodating laundry; a motor connected with the drum through a driving belt to rotate the drum; a blower fan that circulates air passing through the drum by driving of the motor; a drive control unit that applies a running power to the motor to run or stop the motor and controls a rotation speed of the motor; a current sensing unit for measuring a current of the motor during operation; and a control part which is divided into a sensing section for sensing the amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum and a drying section for drying the laundry, controls the driving control part to rotate the drum according to an operation mode including an acceleration section for accelerating the rotation speed of the drum and a holding section for holding the rotation speed of the drum for a predetermined time, determines the amount of the laundry by a current value sensed from the current sensing part during the rotation of the drum in the sensing section, and operates the drum in the drying section according to the amount of the laundry, thereby drying the laundry, wherein the control part maintains the rotation speed of the drum in the holding section within a range of 39rpm to 63 rpm.

Further, a method for controlling a dryer according to the present invention includes: a step of putting washings into the drum; rotating the drum at a rotation speed accelerated to a state where the laundry in the drum is lifted up and dropped down by the drum; a step of storing a current value of the motor induced by the current induction part during the rotation of the drum; sensing the amount of the laundry according to the current value; setting a drying time of a drying operation and a rotation speed of the drum corresponding to the amount of the laundry; and a step of operating the drum and the blowing fan during the drying time, thereby performing a drying operation.

The step of performing the drying operation further comprises: a step of drying the laundry by rotating the drum at a first rotation speed when the amount of the laundry is a very small load or a small load; and a step of rotating the drum at a second rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed when the amount of the laundry is a medium load or a large load, thereby drying the laundry.

In the dryer and the control method thereof according to the present invention configured as described above, the amount of laundry is measured by measuring the current supplied to rotate the drum with respect to the laundry put into the dryer and extracting the force acting on the laundry in the drum, thereby minimizing the error in the amount of laundry, improving the accuracy, and shortening the drying time.

The invention can control the rotating speed to prevent the wet washings from adhering to the drum, and the washings move along with the rotation of the drum and then fall down.

The invention can sense the amount of the washings during the swimming of the washings in the drum.

The present invention sets the accelerating interval for accelerating the rotating speed of the drum to be longer than the maintaining interval, thereby effectively transmitting the driving force of the motor to the drum.

The invention can eliminate the slip between the belt connecting the motor and the roller. The present invention sets the drying time by considering the calculated amount of the washings and the types of the washings, thereby preventing the damage of the washings, eliminating the problem that the washings are over-dried or not completely dried and effectively drying the washings.

The invention changes the setting corresponding to the state of the washing sensed during the drying operation to complete the drying in the set drying time, thereby improving the convenience of the user and greatly improving the reliability of the product.

In addition, the present invention can set the rotation speed during the drying time or the drying operation according to the amount of the laundry.

The invention changes the drying time or the rotating speed according to the amount of the washings, thereby shortening the drying time and effectively drying the washings.

In addition, the present invention changes the setting according to the dryness in drying, thereby shortening the drying time.

The present invention can save energy by shortening the drying time.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the inside of the dryer of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram referred to for explaining an air circulation of the dryer of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagram referred to for explaining an air cycle and a refrigerant cycle of the dryer of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a passage of air collected from the drum and a structure of collecting foreign matters in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a control structure of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a control structure of a heat pump of the dryer of the present invention.

Fig. 8A and 8B are views showing the structure and explaining the operation of the drum and the blowing fan for driving the dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an operation mode for sensing the amount of laundry of the dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating reference of the operation mode of fig. 9A and 9B.

Fig. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating induced current waveforms according to the operation modes of fig. 9A and 9B.

Fig. 12A, 12B, and 12C are diagrams for explaining the movement reference of the laundry based on the rotation speed of the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D are diagrams for explaining the movement of the laundry in the drum according to the operation mode of fig. 9A and 9B.

Fig. 14A and 14B are diagrams illustrating a laundry amount sensing characteristic reference of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15A to 17C are graphs showing the result of sensing the amount of laundry in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a sequence diagram illustrating a control method of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling the amount of laundry in the dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Description of reference numerals

1: the dryer 10: outer casing

30: roller 50: compressor with a compressor housing having a plurality of compressor blades

52: condenser 53: evaporator with a heat exchanger

60. 160: the drive section 64: air supply fan

69: heating device

110: the control unit 120: heat pump module

132: laundry sensing portion 135: current sensing part

161: drive control unit

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment

The advantages and features of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and instrumentalities particularly pointed out in the appended drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and may be embodied in various forms, and the embodiments are provided only for making the disclosure complete, informing those skilled in the art of the present invention of the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. Note that the control unit and the external configuration thereof according to the present invention may be implemented as one or more processors (Micro processors), and may be implemented as a hardware device.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the dryer of fig. 1, and fig. 3 is a view referred to for explaining an air circulation of the dryer of fig. 1.

The structure of the dryer 1 of the present invention is shown in fig. 1, 2, and 3.

The dryer 1 of the present invention includes: a housing 10; a drum 30 disposed inside the housing, and rotating while accommodating laundry (a bag) therein; a drive unit 60 that rotates the drum 30;

heat pump modules

50, 52, 53, 54, 58 for drying the laundry by heating the air circulated from the drum 30 and heating the circulated air; a blower fan 64 for circulating air of the drum 30; a suction duct 68 sucking air circulated from the drum 30; a heater 69 for heating the air introduced into the drum 30; and a circulation flow path 66 for guiding the flow of air.

The casing 10 forms an external appearance of the dryer and provides a space for disposing the drum 30 and other structures. The housing 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole.

The housing 10 has a door 20 disposed on the front surface, and the door 20 is rotated in the left-right direction to open and close the inside of the housing 10.

The housing 10 includes a front cover 11, a top plate 16, side covers 12, 13, a rear cover 15, and a base 14.

An inlet (not shown) is formed in the front cover 11, and a door 20 for opening and closing the inlet is provided. The inlet is connected to the drum 30.

The door 20 is rotatably coupled to the front cover 11 and may include a door glass 22. The door glass 22 is composed of a transparent member so that a user can see the inside of the drum 30, and is in a form of being protruded toward the inside of the drum 30.

A control panel 17 may be disposed on an upper portion of the front cover 11. The control panel 17 includes: a display (e.g., LCD, LED panel, etc.) for displaying an operation state of the dryer; an operation unit (e.g., a button, a dial, a touch screen, etc.) for inputting an operation command for the dryer by a user; and a speaker (not shown) for outputting a voice guidance, an effect sound, or a warning sound for the operation state.

The drum 30 is disposed inside the casing 10, and the blower fan 64 and the heat pump module are disposed under the drum 30 in order to maximize the capacity of the drum 30.

The drum 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape with front and rear surfaces opened, and the front surface communicates with the inlet. The drum 30 has an inlet (not shown) for allowing air to flow into the rear surface thereof, and the inlet is connected to a circulation flow path for circulating the air.

The drum 30 is provided therein with a lifter 31, and the lifter 31 lifts the laundry therein while rotating, and then allows the laundry to freely fall. The drum is supported by a support member (not shown) provided in the casing.

The driving part 60 includes a motor fixed to the base 14 of the housing 10. The motor provides power for rotating the drum, and is connected to a blower fan 64 to rotate the blower fan. The motor is a two-axis motor, and the drum 30 and the blower fan 64 are connected to the drive shaft, respectively.

The motor includes a driving pulley on which a driving belt 164 wound around the drum 30 is hung on a driving shaft to which the drum is connected. The drum 30 can be rotated in a forward direction or a reverse direction by the rotation of the motor. An idler pulley (not shown) for adjusting the tension of the drive belt may be provided. The drive belt may be wound around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 30 in a state of being caught by the drive pulley and the idle pulley. When the motor rotates, the drive belt is transferred by the drive pulley, and the drum 30 rotates by a frictional force acting on the drive belt.

The blower fan 64 can be rotated by the motor of the driving unit 60. The rotation of the blower fan 64 causes the air in the drum 30 to flow into the suction duct 68. A suction pipe 68 may be included in the circulation flow path 66.

When the blower fan 64 is rotated, the air discharged from the drum 30 is guided to the intake duct 68 and supplied to the blower fan 64. The suction pipe 68 is coupled to the front of the front supporter and communicates with the suction port of the blower fan 64. The blower fan 64 circulates air sucked from the drum by passing the air through the circulation flow path 66, passing through the heat pump module, and flowing into the drum again.

When the drum 30 rotates in the forward direction, air flows into the interior from the rear side and is discharged toward the front side. In addition, when the drum rotates in the reverse direction, air can be introduced from the front side and discharged to the back side.

The circulation flow path 66 may be variously configured according to the embodiment. The circulation flow path 66 guides air discharged from the blower fan to flow into the heat pump module, and guides air discharged from the heat pump module to flow into the drum through the heater. The circulation flow path 66 is also provided on the rear surface side of the drum to guide the heated air to flow into the drum 30.

The circulation flow path through the drum 30 may be variously formed. The circulation flow path 66 is connected to the drum so that a closed loop for air circulation can be formed. The circulation flow path may be connected to an exhaust pipe (not shown) for exhausting air and an intake pipe (not shown) into which outside air flows.

The filter unit 19 is provided at the inlet port, and collects lint (lint) contained in the air discharged from the drum 30 and flowing into the suction pipe.

The heat pump module operates in a heat pump cycle by circulating a refrigerant.

The laundry accommodated in the inside of the drum is dried by the heated air supplied to the drum. The air discharged from the drum is supplied to the drum again after being heated by the heat pump module while carrying moisture evaporated from the laundry into the circulation flow path during the drying process.

The heat pump module includes a compressor 50, a condenser 52, an evaporator 53, and an expansion valve.

The heat pump module has a compressor 50, a condenser 52, and an evaporator 53 connected by refrigerant pipes and supplies air heated by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air at the condenser and the evaporator to the drum by circulation of the refrigerant. According to circumstances, the heat pump module may perform heat exchange by other media than the refrigerant.

The evaporator 53 recovers heat of air discharged by heat exchange between the air flowing in from the drum 30 by the blower fan 64 and the refrigerant. In addition, the evaporator 53 condenses moisture carried in the inflowing air.

The condenser 52 discharges heated air to the drum by exchanging heat between the air passing through the evaporator 53 and the refrigerant. The air having a low temperature and a low humidity passing through the evaporator flows into the condenser and is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant, thereby being supplied to the drum in a high-temperature and low-humidity state.

The refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through the evaporator and is collected in the compressor, the compressor 50 compresses the evaporated refrigerant and discharges the compressed refrigerant to the condenser, and the expansion valve expands the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 52 in the evaporator.

The condenser 52 and the evaporator 53 are heat exchangers.

The high-temperature humid air discharged from the drum 30 has a temperature higher than that of the refrigerant of the evaporator 53, and thus, while passing through the evaporator, the heat of the air exchanges heat with the refrigerant, thereby being condensed and cooled. Thereby, the high-temperature and humid air is dehumidified and cooled by the evaporator. Condensed water generated during the process of condensing the air may be collected in an additional condensed water housing (not shown) and drained.

In addition, the heat pump module may further include an auxiliary heat exchanger 54 and a cooling fan 58. The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 is constituted by a separate type condensing module separated from the condenser 52. The auxiliary heat exchanger and the cooling fan may be constructed as one module, and may be constructed separately from each other.

The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 is provided in a refrigerant pipe extending from the condenser to the expansion valve with reference to the flow direction of the refrigerant, and cools the refrigerant discharged from the condenser.

The cooling fan blows the case outside air or inside air to the auxiliary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the auxiliary heat exchanger.

Fig. 4 is a diagram referred to for explaining an air cycle and a refrigerant cycle of the dryer of fig. 1. As shown in fig. 4, the air supplied to the drum 30 heats the laundry, carries moisture evaporated from the laundry, and discharges the moisture.

The air is circulated by the blower fan 64.

The air passes through the drum by the blower fan, flows into the evaporator 53, is condensed in the evaporator, and flows into the condenser 52 in a low-temperature and low-humidity state. The air exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the condenser 52, is heated, and then flows into the drum 30 again. The air can be additionally heated by a heater 69 provided on the circulation flow path.

The heat pump module and the heater 69 may be selectively operated either one of them or may be simultaneously operated.

The air moves in the order of the drum 30, the evaporator 53, and the condenser 52.

The refrigerant is discharged to the condenser 52 in a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the compressor 50, exchanges heat with air in the condenser, and then flows into the evaporator 53 to be evaporated. An expansion valve 59 is provided between the condenser and the evaporator. The expansion valve expands the low-temperature and high-pressure condensed refrigerant and transfers the refrigerant to the evaporator. The expanded refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator 53, flows into the compressor 50 in a low-temperature and low-pressure state, and is then discharged to the condenser 52 in a high-temperature and high-pressure state.

As shown in fig. 5, a filter module 19 is provided on the front surface of the drum, which is connected to the drum through the front panel, on the inner side of the inlet in the drum direction. The air discharged from the drum passes through the filter assembly 19, and thus, flows into the evaporator along the circulation flow path by the blower fan.

The air passing through the drum is separated from the laundry while passing through the filter assembly 19 of the drum in the process of flowing from the drum 30 to the evaporator 53 by the blower fan 64, thereby removing lint contained in the air.

The filter assembly 19 may include: a filter cover 182 fixed to the front support; and a lint filter 183 attachable to or detachable from the filter cover 182. The filter cover 182 forms a space to accommodate the lint filter 183, and a filter insertion port is formed thereon to insert the lint filter 183 into the accommodation space. The lint filter 183 can be inserted into the receiving space through the filter insertion port or be drawn out from the receiving space.

The front of the drum includes electrodes 18 of a laundry sensing part for sensing the state of the laundry in the drum. The washing sensing part is composed of two electrode sensors. The two electrode sensors are provided at a predetermined distance from each other, include an anode and a cathode, and are exposed to the drum.

The electrode sensor senses the state of the laundry, particularly the moisture level of the laundry by contacting the laundry while the laundry is moved by the rotation of the drum. The control unit (not shown) determines the dry state of the laundry based on the degree of wetness of the laundry sensed by the electrode sensor.

When the laundry contacts the electrode sensor, the anode is turned on by the moisture contained in the laundry, thereby forming a closed circuit, and the current value flowing to the circuit is variable according to the moisture level of the laundry, so that the dryness of the laundry can be determined based on the current value. The laundry acts as resistance against the electrodes, and the resistance value varies depending on the moisture content of the laundry, and therefore the current flowing to the circuit also varies.

The control unit can determine not only the dryness but also various electric components constituting the dryer 1. The control part may include: a Central Processing Unit (CPU); and a memory (memory) that stores data in a form that can be read by the central processing device. The control section may be constituted by one processor or a plurality of processors.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a control structure of the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 6, the dryer 1 is configured as described above, and includes a control operation unit 170, an output unit 175, a communication unit 190, a driving unit 160, a power supply unit 150, a heat pump module 120, a water pump 185, a heater 69, a sensor unit 130, a memory 140, and a control unit 110 for controlling the operation of the dryer 1 as a whole.

The operation section 170 includes at least one input means such as a button, a switch, and a touch panel provided on the control panel 17. The operation unit 170 inputs operation settings including a power input, an operation mode, and a type of laundry. The operation unit 170 selects the type of laundry, and when a power key is input, data of operation setting is input to the control unit.

The output section 175 includes: a display for displaying the operation setting information inputted from the operation unit 170 and outputting the operation state of the dryer; and a speaker or buzzer for outputting voice guidance, prescribed effect sound or warning sound. The display may include a menu screen for operation setting and operation control of the dryer, and guide information or a warning composed of at least one combination of characters, numbers, and images is output for the operation setting or the operation state.

The memory 140 stores control data for controlling the operation of the dryer, input operation setting data, data regarding the operation mode, and reference data for determining a failure of the dryer. In addition, data sensed or measured during the operation of the dryer and data transmitted and received through the communication part are stored in the memory 140. The memory 140 may be a storage device in hardware such as a ROM, RAM, EPROM, flash drive, hard drive, etc.

The communication section 190 transmits and receives data by wire or wirelessly. The communication unit 190 may be connected to a network formed in a building or a predetermined distance, for example, a home network, to transmit or receive data, and may be connected to an external server such as the internet to communicate with a terminal having a control function. The communication unit 190 transmits an operation state or a drying progress state of the dryer, and receives a command to the dryer. The communication unit 190 transmits or receives data by including not only short-range wireless communication such as ZigBee (ZigBee) and bluetooth, but also communication modes such as wireless network and wireless broadband.

The power supply part 150 changes the supplied commercial power and supplies the operation power. The power supply unit blocks overcurrent, rectifies and smoothes supplied power, and thereby supplies operating power of a predetermined magnitude.

The sensor unit 130 includes a plurality of sensors, and measures a voltage or a current of the dryer, senses a rotation speed, a temperature, and a humidity of the motor, and inputs the sensed values to the control unit 110.

The sensor unit 130 includes a door sensing unit 131, a laundry sensing unit 132, a temperature sensing unit 133, a humidity sensing unit 134, and a current sensing unit 135. The sensor portion 130 may further include: a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure of the refrigerant of the heat pump module 120; a temperature sensor; and a speed sensing part for sensing a rotation speed of the motor or the drum of the driving part.

The temperature sensing part 133 may sense the temperature inside the drum, as well as the refrigerant temperature of the heat pump module 120 or the temperature of the heat exchanger, the temperature of the heater 69, the temperature inside the control circuit. In addition, the temperature sensing part is provided with a plurality of sensors which are respectively arranged at different positions and sense the temperature.

The humidity sensing part 134 senses the internal humidity of the drum or the humidity of the circulated air.

The laundry sensing part 132 senses the moisture content of the laundry by contacting the laundry accommodated in the drum. The washing sensing part may be included in the humidity sensing part and may be separately provided from the humidity sensing part.

The current sensing unit 135 senses a current applied to the motor of the driving unit 160, and inputs the sensed current value to the control unit 110.

The door sensing part 131 senses whether the door 20 is opened or closed. The door sensing unit 131 senses the open/close state of the door before performing the operation according to the setting, and inputs a sensing signal to the control unit. In addition, the door sensing part 131 senses whether the laundry is jammed.

The heater 69 heats the air supplied to the drum to a prescribed temperature.

The heater driving unit (not shown) supplies operating power to the heater 69, thereby controlling the heater to operate or stop operating, and controlling the heating temperature of the heater. The heater driving part may control the heaters differently with respect to the case where the heater 69 is operated alone and the case where it is operated simultaneously with the heat pump module 120, respectively.

The water pump 185 is operated by a water pump driving unit (not shown), and thus condensed water is discharged to the outside. The water pump 185 condenses moisture contained in the air collected from the drum in the evaporator and discharges condensed water contained in the condensed water casing to the outside.

The driving unit 160 controls driving of the motor to rotate the motor. The motor is connected to the drum 30 and provides power to rotate the drum. Further, the motor is connected to the blower fan 64 and rotates the blower fan.

The drum and the blowing fan are connected to one motor, and thus the driving part 160 controls the drum and the blowing fan at the same time by motor control. The drum is connected to a motor via a drive belt and a pulley, and the number of revolutions of the motor has a predetermined ratio with respect to one revolution of the drum. The rotation speed of the motor is different from that of the drum. For example, the motor may be provided with a driving pulley to rotate 40 to 60 during one rotation of the drum. The blower fan may be rotated at the same speed as the rotational speed of the motor according to a connection structure with the driving shaft of the motor.

The blower fan 64 controls the flow of air inside the dryer. The blower fan 64 supplies the heated air to the drum 30, and sucks air containing moisture from the drum to flow into the heat pump module 120.

The heat pump module 120 includes a compressor 50 and a heat exchanger, thereby removing moisture from air circulating through heat exchange with refrigerant and heating the air.

The control part 110 stores the operation setting inputted from the operation part 170 in the memory 140, processes the transmitted and received data through the communication part 190, and controls the operation setting and the operation state of the dryer to be outputted through the output part 175. When there is a terminal (not shown) on which a dryer control application is mounted and which is wirelessly connected to the dryer, the control unit may control the communication unit to transmit data of the dryer to the terminal.

The control unit 110 controls the operation of the drum and the blower fan through the driving unit 160 according to the operation setting input from the operation unit 170, and variably controls the operation according to the sensing of the sensor unit 130. The control part 110 controls the heat pump module 120 in operation, thereby causing the circulated air to be heated, and controls the temperature of the air supplied to the drum by operating any one of the heater and the heat pump module or operating all of the heater and the heat pump module.

The control unit 110 controls a series of processes for drying laundry put into the drum.

The control part 110 senses the amount of laundry (amount of laundry) put into the drum and sets the drying time according to the amount of laundry. When the motor is operated, the control part 110 determines the state of the motor by storing and analyzing the current value sensed from the current sensing part 135, and determines the amount of laundry accommodated in the drum.

When sensing the amount of laundry (the amount of laundry), the control unit 110 applies a control command to the driving unit 160 to stop after keeping the set rotation speed for a predetermined time after the motor reaches the set rotation speed when the driving unit 160 rotates and operates the motor. The control unit 110 may analyze the sensed current value through the current sensing unit 135 in an acceleration section where the rotation speed set by the motor is reached and a holding section where the rotation speed is held, and determine the amount of laundry.

When sensing the amount of laundry (pocket amount), the control unit 110 controls the driving unit to rotate the drum in one direction repeatedly, then in the opposite direction, and then in the one direction again.

The controller 110 stops the operation of the heat pump module 120 while sensing the amount of laundry (bag amount), and operates the heat pump module according to the setting when sensing the amount of laundry.

The control unit 110 sets the rotation speed of the motor so that the drum rotates at a predetermined rotation speed. The control part sets the rotation speed of the drum, so that the washings in the drum move along with the drum due to the rotation of the drum and then fall down. When the drum is rotated by the motor, the blower fan 64 is rotated while the drum 30 is rotated, thereby allowing air to flow through the circulation flow path.

The control unit 110 determines whether the laundry is normally dried based on data sensed and input from the plurality of sensors of the sensor unit 130 during the drying operation. The control part 110 changes the drying time or changes the rotation speed of the drum according to the drying state of the laundry sensed by the laundry sensing part. In addition, in case an abnormality occurs during the drying operation, the control part 110 outputs a failure through the output part 175, and controls the dryer to stop its operation according to the occurred abnormality.

As shown in fig. 7, the heat pump module 120 includes a heat pump controller 121, a heat pump driver 122, a compressor 50, a valve 59, a cooling fan 58, a pressure sensor 128, a temperature sensor 129, a condenser 52, and an evaporator 53. In addition, the heat pump module 120 further includes an auxiliary heat exchanger.

The heat pump controller 121 controls the operation of the compressor 50 according to a control command from the controller 110. The operating frequency of the compressor of the heat pump controller 121 is set, and the compressor is variably controlled based on data sensed by the pressure sensor 128 and the temperature sensor 129, and the rotation speed of the cooling fan 58 is controlled.

The heat pump drive unit 122 controls the drive so that the compressor 50, the valve 59, and the cooling fan 58 are operated. The heat pump driving unit 122 may be separately provided by being divided into a compressor driving unit, a valve driving unit, and a fan driving unit.

The heat pump driving unit 122 supplies operating power to operate the compressor 50 according to the setting of the heat pump control unit 121. The heat pump driving part 122 may include an inverter (not shown). The heat pump driving unit 122 controls opening and closing of a valve 59, and the valve 59 controls flow of the refrigerant. For example, the heat pump driving unit 122 changes the flow path of the refrigerant by controlling the four-way valve, and expands the refrigerant discharged from the condenser by opening and closing the control valve 59 to evaporate the refrigerant from the evaporator 53.

The heat pump driving unit 122 supplies an operation power to the fan motor to rotate the cooling fan 58. The cooling fan 58 is driven by a fan motor to rotate at a fixed rotational speed. A cooling fan 58 may be provided to the auxiliary heat exchanger 54. The auxiliary heat exchanger 54 is formed of a separate type condensation module separated from the condenser 52, and is provided in a refrigerant pipe connected from the condenser to an expansion valve with reference to a flow direction of the refrigerant, thereby cooling the refrigerant discharged from the condenser. The cooling fan 58 blows the case outside air or the inside air to the auxiliary heat exchanger, thereby cooling the auxiliary heat exchanger.

The refrigerants of the condenser 52 and the evaporator 53 exchange heat with the air of the circulating drum. The condenser and the evaporator portion are not provided with an additional fan but heat-exchanged by air circulated by the blowing fan 64.

The refrigerant flows in the order of the compressor 50, the condenser 52, and the evaporator 53, and the air circulates in the order of the drum, the evaporator, and the condenser. The air may pass through the heater 69 before being supplied from the condenser to the drum.

The compressor 50 discharges a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the condenser 52 condenses and discharges the refrigerant. At this time, in the condenser, as heat is radiated in the process of the refrigerant being condensed, the air passing through the condenser is heated by the heat radiated from the condenser.

The refrigerant discharged from the condenser 52 passes through an expansion valve and is evaporated from the evaporator. In the evaporator, an endothermic reaction is generated to absorb heat in the periphery during the vaporization of the refrigerant, and therefore, the air passing through the evaporator is cooled and the contained moisture is condensed to generate condensed water.

As the moisture cooled and humidified at the evaporator 53 is generated as condensed water, the air is dehumidified and supplied to the condenser. The air passing through the condenser is heated to be supplied to the drum.

Fig. 8A and 8B are views illustrating the structure and operation of a drum and a blowing fan for driving a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 8A, the driving section 160 includes a driving control section 161 and a motor 162. The drive control unit 161 applies operating power to the motor 162, thereby rotationally operating the motor at a set rotational speed.

The drive control section 161 controls the motor to operate or stop in accordance with a control command of the control section 110, and controls the rotational speed of the motor to operate at a set rotational speed.

The drive control section 161 controls the rotation direction, rotation angle, and rotation speed of the motor 162 according to the control command. As the motor 162 is operated, the drum 30 and the blowing fan 64 connected to the motor 162 are operated.

As shown in fig. 8B, the drum 30 is surrounded by the drive belt 164, and the drive belt 164 is moved by the rotation of the motor 162, whereby the drum is rotated together with the drive belt due to the frictional force between the drive belt and the drum.

The blower fan 64 is connected to the other shaft of the motor 162, and thus rotates together with the drum when the motor is rotated.

When the motor rotates in the positive direction, the drum also rotates in the positive direction. When the motor rotates positively, air flows into the drum from the rear of the drum by the blower fan, and the air is sucked into the circulating flow path provided in front of the drum, flows into the drum again through the evaporator and the condenser, and circulates.

When the motor 162 rotates reversely, the drum 30 and the blower fan 64 also rotate reversely. The air is supplied to the front of the drum by the reverse rotation of the blowing fan, and flows into the rear of the drum and passes through the condenser and the evaporator. When the blowing fan rotates reversely, the air passing through the evaporator is supplied to the drum, and thus the unheated air flows into the drum.

The drive controller 161 controls the motor to rotate in the forward direction during the drying operation, thereby rotating the drum and the blower fan in the forward direction, and to rotate in the reverse direction a predetermined number of times during the drying operation in order to prevent the laundry from being entangled.

The drum 30 is rotated by the drive belt 164, and when the motor is rapidly accelerated and rotated, a slip (slip) phenomenon occurs between the drum and the drive belt. That is, even if the motor rotates, a slip phenomenon occurs between the drive belt and the drum, and thus the drum cannot rotate according to the rotation speed of the motor.

Thus, the drive control unit 161 controls the motor 162 to accelerate a predetermined time to reach the target rotational speed, without accelerating the motor to the target speed immediately from the start. In the acceleration section, the degree of accelerating the rotation speed of the motor is described as an acceleration gradient.

The control unit 110 sets the degree of acceleration of the motor to a target rotation speed at an acceleration gradient according to the characteristic that the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the drum by the belt, thereby rotating the drum without causing a slip phenomenon.

Fig. 9A and 9B are diagrams illustrating an operation mode for sensing an amount of laundry of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation mode of fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 9A, the control part 110 controls the rotation speed of the motor in order to determine the amount of laundry.

The control part 110 divides the operation of the dryer into a sensing section for sensing the amount of the laundry and a drying section for performing a drying operation for drying the laundry.

The control part 110 repeats the operation mode to sense the laundry amount during the sensing section.

The control unit 110 controls the driving unit 60 to repeatedly rotate the drum in one direction and then stop the drum, and after a predetermined time, rotate the drum in the opposite direction. The control unit 110 determines the amount of laundry by storing the current values measured by the current sensing unit 135 for each section while the drum is rotating.

Hereinafter, the operation of the drum for sensing the amount of laundry will be described with reference to the drum 30 rotating in any one direction for a set time as one operation mode.

The control part 110 senses the amount of the laundry during the 11 th time T11. The sensing interval may be set to time 11. When the amount of the laundry is sensed, the control part 110 controls the driving part to perform the drying operation in the drying zone. The drying interval may be set to the 12 th time T12 and is a time until the operation of the dryer is terminated.

The control part 110 senses the laundry amount five or six times during the 11 th time T11.

The control part 110 controls the driving part to change the rotation direction and repeat the operation mode during the 11 th time T11.

The control part 110 performs one operation mode during the 13 th time T13, and senses one laundry amount during the 13 th time T13. In the operation mode during the 13 th time T13, the drum makes five or six revolutions. The same run time and sensing time is applied regardless of the direction of rotation of the forward and reverse rotations.

The operation mode includes an acceleration section in which the speed is accelerated to a target rotation speed, a holding section in which the rotation speed is held, and a stop section in which the rotation is stopped.

In the operation mode executed while sensing the amount of laundry, the rotation speed R1 is set to a target rotation speed, which is a speed at which the laundry is lifted and dropped by the rotation of the drum. For example, when the amount of laundry is measured, the rotation speed R1 of the drum may be set to 39rpm to 63 rpm. The rotation speed of the motor corresponding to the rotation speed of the drum may be set at 2000rpm to 3200rpm, but may be different according to a pulley ratio.

As shown in fig. 9B, the control unit 110 may control the driving unit 60 to repeatedly rotate the drum 30 in one direction, and then stop the rotation and immediately rotate the drum in the opposite direction.

At this time, as described above, the time required for the primary operation mode is the 13 th time T13, but since the rotation is performed immediately after the stop, the time for sensing the laundry amount may be the 14 th time T11' shorter than the 11 th time T11.

The control unit 110 senses the amount of laundry by rotating the drum 30 in reverse, forward, and reverse directions, and controls the driving unit 160 to perform the drying operation T12 while maintaining the forward rotation. The control part 110 senses the amount of the laundry and then performs the set drying operation. In this case, the clockwise rotation of the drum is referred to as a forward rotation, and the counterclockwise rotation is referred to as a reverse rotation.

In addition, the control part 110 may sense the amount of laundry six times when the amount of laundry is sensed from the positive rotation. For example, the drum 30 is rotated in a forward direction, a reverse direction, a forward rotation, a reverse rotation, a forward rotation, and a reverse rotation, and the drying operation may be performed while rotating in the forward direction. The drum 30 may be rotated in the positive rotation after sensing the amount of the laundry five times from the positive rotation, or after the drum is suspended, to perform the drying operation.

The controller 110 repeats the reverse rotation and the forward rotation during the 11 th time T11 or the 14 th time T11', thereby sensing the laundry amount five or six times. In sensing the amount of laundry according to circumstances, the drying operation may be performed after five consecutive times in any direction, or the drying operation may be repeated twice in any direction, followed by rotation in one direction while changing the direction. When sensing the amount of laundry, the rotation direction of the drum may be variously set, and the control part 110 controls the driving part to operate the drum 30 according to an operation mode consisting of an acceleration section, a holding section, and a stop section.

In the case where the drum 30 is rotated in the forward direction, as the heated air is supplied to the drum, the drum is operated in the forward rotation in the drying operation. The drum is reversibly rotated a predetermined number of times in order to prevent the laundry from being entangled during the drying operation.

As shown in fig. 10, the control part 110 applies a control command to the driving part 160 to rotate the drum according to the operation mode when sensing the amount of laundry.

The control part 110 includes, for the operation mode, when sensing the amount of laundry: an acceleration section D1 in which the rotation speed is accelerated to the target rotation speed R1, and a holding section D2 in which the target rotation speed is held. Further, the control unit 110 may control the holding section and the subsequent section to include a stop section D3 for deceleration and stop.

The control unit 110 sets the acceleration section D1 and the holding section D2 such that the length of the acceleration section D1 is longer than the holding section. The stop interval D3 may be set to be shorter than the holding interval D2. At this time, the length of each section is time, and thus, the length of the acceleration section longer than the length of the holding section means that the rotational speed of the drum is accelerated for a longer time than the holding time.

For example, the lengths of the acceleration section D1 and the holding section D2 may be set to a ratio of 5: 3.

In addition, in the case where the stop section D3 is included, the ratio of the acceleration section D1, the holding section D2, and the stop section D3 may be set to 5:3: 2.

For example, when the 13 th time T13 required for the one-time operation mode is assumed to be 10 seconds, the acceleration section may be set to 5 seconds, the hold section may be set to 3 seconds, and the stop section may be set to 2 seconds.

Although the ratio of the length of the section is variable, the belt connecting the motor and the drive pulley of the drum may cause a slip phenomenon, and thus it is preferable to set the length so as not to cause a slip phenomenon.

When the driving Torque (Torque) of the motor is fixed, the Torque due to friction is reduced at the increased speed, and thus, Slip (Slip) may occur. Therefore, the acceleration can be set within a range in which no slip occurs.

In order to prevent the slip phenomenon, the rotational speed of the drum cannot be rapidly accelerated, and therefore, an acceleration interval may be set so that the rotational speed is accelerated at a set acceleration gradient. Thus, the acceleration section is preferably set to be longer than the holding section. The acceleration gradient refers to a change in acceleration.

The time until the target rotation speed is reached is variable according to the acceleration gradient in the acceleration section, but the control unit 110 determines the amount of laundry by applying the current value at the same rate for each section.

When the drum 30 performs the acceleration, maintaining, and stopping operation mode during the 13 th time T13, the drum rotates five to six times. During the primary operation mode, the control part senses the amount of laundry by the current value sensed by the current sensing part 135. The control part divides the acceleration section, the holding section and the stopping section at the same set time interval regardless of the rotation direction of the drum, thereby sensing the amount of the washings by the sensed current value.

When sensing the amount of laundry, control unit 110 divides the current value sensed by current sensing unit 135 into acceleration section D1, holding section D2, and stop section D3 at a predetermined ratio. The control unit 110 changes the rotation direction of the drum by forward rotation and reverse rotation and repeats the operation mode for a set number of times.

The control unit 110 accumulates and stores the currents lq1 and lq2 measured by the current sensing unit 135 by dividing the currents into sections during the primary operation mode in which the drum is rotated in three sections, i.e., an acceleration section, a holding section, and a stop section. The control unit 110 determines the amount of laundry by calculating the average of the current values in the acceleration section D1 and the average of the current values in the holding section D2.

The controller 110 repeats the operation mode five or six times, including the stop time, and senses the laundry amount during the 11 th time T11 or the 14 th time T11'. For example, the 13 th time T13 required for one operation mode is 10 seconds, and the time for sensing the amount of laundry may be set to about 50 seconds to 60 seconds when the operation mode is repeated five times.

The control unit 110 calculates an average of the current values sensed in the respective operation modes for each section, and determines the amount of laundry based on a value obtained by subtracting the current value in the holding section from the acceleration section. The control unit 110 calculates the amount of laundry by subtracting the average value 1/2 of the current value in the holding section from the average value of the current value in the acceleration section.

The control unit 110 subtracts 1/2, which is the current value (average value) of the holding section, from the laundry type and the error caused by the frictional force between the drum and the drive belt.

In the case of averaging the current values summed up in the acceleration section, the current consumed from the stopped state to the target rotation speed is summed up and averaged, and the influence of the current component due to friction acts 50%. In addition, when the average current value is maintained in the section, the friction coefficient between the drive belt 164 and the drum 30 is 100%, and therefore 100% is affected by the friction force.

Thus, in order to remove the influence of the frictional force of the drive belt 164, the control unit 110 determines the amount of laundry from which the frictional force component is subtracted by subtracting the value of 1/2, which is the average of the current values in the acceleration section and the frictional force in the acceleration section, from the average of the current values in the holding section, and by subtracting the average of the current values in the acceleration section from the average of the current values in the holding section, the influence of the frictional force in the holding section is 50% and vice versa, the influence of the frictional force in the holding section is 100%.

Fig. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating induced current waveforms according to the operation mode of fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 11A and 11B, the current value measured at the motor is measured differently according to the amount of laundry.

When the amount of laundry is small, the measured current value is low except for the initial driving current as shown in fig. 11A, and when the amount of laundry is large, the measured current value is higher than that in fig. 11A.

Therefore, the amount of the laundry can be determined based on the current value used to rotate the drum in the state where the laundry is put in.

The current sensing unit 135 measures the current by dividing it into an initial driving interval a, an acceleration interval B, and a holding interval C. In the initial driving section, the error of the position of the laundry or the position arrangement of the motor at the time of initial driving, and the error of the current value by the initial driving of the motor are large, and therefore, the current value in the initial driving section a can be excluded. The initial driving section may be included in the acceleration section as needed.

The control unit 110 controls the driving unit to increase the rotational speed of the drum 30 to reach the target rotational speed. While the drum 30 is rotating, the laundry in the drum 30 is initially rotated in the drum and is in a rolling state (tumbling), and as the speed increases, the swimming speed increases due to the centrifugal force in the drum. When the rotation speed of the drum 30 reaches the target rotation speed, the laundry is lifted and dropped by the rotation of the drum.

The control unit 110 controls the laundry to be accelerated by the rotation of the drum to a state where the laundry is lifted and dropped, and then, controls the laundry to keep the rotation speed.

When the dryer is operated, a plurality of forces act on the drum into which laundry is put when the drum is rotated. When the roller rotates, a motor torque, an inertia torque, a friction torque and a load torque act on the roller.

The motor torque is a force applied to rotate a motor connected to a drum, the inertia torque is a force which is prevented by inertia in an attempt to maintain a conventional motion state (rotation) during acceleration or deceleration during rotation, the friction torque is a force which is prevented from rotating by friction between the drum and laundry, between a door and the laundry or the laundry, and between a driving belt and the drum, and the load torque is a force which is prevented from rotating by the weight of the laundry.

While the drum is rotating, the force acting on the laundry in the state of the angle θ m is as follows. The force is applied in a state of moving by an angle θ m in a stopped state of the drum.

The motor torque is a force required when the motor is operated, and is therefore represented as a total value of the inertia torque, the friction torque, and the load torque. The motor torque is a value of the force to lift the laundry multiplied by the radius of the drum. When the inertial torque is accelerated or decelerated during the rotation operation, a force that interferes with the rotation operation is caused by a force based on the inertia acting on the drum or the inertia acting on the basis of the distribution of the laundry. At this time, the inertial torque force is proportional to the mass and the square of the radius of the drum. The frictional torque is a frictional force acting between the laundry and the tub, between the laundry and the door, and between the driving belt and the drum, and thus is proportional to the rotational speed. The friction torque can be calculated by multiplying the friction coefficient by the rotational speed. The load torque is the gravity acting according to the distribution of the washings when the washing machine is started, and can be calculated by the weight of the washings, the gravity acceleration, the radius of the roller and the angle.

At the predetermined angle (θ m), although the force acting on the laundry is exerted by the force of gravity, the drum is rotated, and thus, the value can be calculated by multiplying the gravity by sin (θ m). The force due to gravity is determined by the gravitational acceleration, the radius of the drum and the mass.

Since the motor torque, the inertia torque, the friction torque, and the load torque are simultaneously applied while the drum is rotating as described above and the components of such forces are reflected to the current value of the motor, the control unit 110 calculates the amount of laundry using the current value sensed by the current sensing unit 135 during the operation of the motor.

The motor torque is greatly affected by the gravity due to the weight, and when the weight is more than a fixed weight, the resolution is reduced. That is, when the amount of laundry is increased to a fixed size or more, the discrimination of weight is decreased as the amount of laundry is increased.

The friction torque increases the spread (dispersion) because the change of the value of the friction torque increases when the laundry is rubbed against the door and the laundry is caught by the door. Especially, as the amount of laundry increases, the spread of the frictional torque is greatly increased.

The load torque varies with the movement of the laundry. In addition, in the load torque, when the weight of the laundry is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the movement of the laundry is reduced, and therefore, a reverse phenomenon occurs in which the load torque is reduced.

On the other hand, although the inertial torque is influenced by the flow of the laundry, the inertial torque is linearly expressed with respect to the amount (weight) of the laundry, and therefore, the amount of the laundry can be measured more accurately.

At this time, the inertial torque force is a force to be held, and therefore acts during acceleration or deceleration. That is, although the inertial torque acts in the acceleration section and the deceleration section, the motor torque, the friction torque, and the load torque due to the gravity act on the rotational speed of the motor while the inertial torque does not act on the rotational speed of the motor.

Therefore, the characteristics of the inertia torque force can be calculated by subtracting the data of the holding interval from the data of the acceleration interval. The inertia can be calculated by dividing the current value in the acceleration section and the current value in the deceleration section by the current value in the holding section into an amount of change in speed per hour, that is, acceleration, and multiplying the amount of change by the back electromotive force.

Therefore, the dryer analyzes the force acting on the acceleration section and the holding section, determines the amount of the laundry based on the inertial torque, and calculates the force of gravity based on the amount of the laundry from the holding section. The holding section minimizes the inertia characteristic, and the inertia action is large in the acceleration section and the deceleration section, so that the laundry amount sensing values are calculated and compared with each other based on different data, thereby determining the final laundry amount.

In addition, the dryer measures the current value and calculates the amount of the laundry during the motor rotation operation, so that the error caused by the position arrangement of the motor can be eliminated when the dryer is started, and the load state can be changed through the holding section, even if the laundry does not flow irregularly, and the dryer moves in a fixed state, thereby minimizing the error caused by the load variation.

As shown in fig. 12A, 12B, and 12C, when sensing the amount of laundry 9, control unit 110 rotates drum 30 in any one direction and accelerates for a predetermined time in a stopped state, thereby reaching a target rotation speed, and stops after maintaining the target rotation speed for a fixed time.

When the rotation of the drum is started, as shown in fig. 12A, the laundry 9 is rotated and rolled in the drum at a low speed, and is lifted by the drum as the rotation speed increases, thereby increasing the play.

As shown in fig. 12B, when the rotation speed of the drum 30 is increased, the laundry 9 is lifted up by the centrifugal force of the drum and then falls.

When the rotation speed of drum 30 is further increased, laundry 9 adheres to drum 30 and rotates together with the drum, as shown in fig. 12C.

As shown in fig. 12B, the control unit 110 sets the rotation speed of the laundry 9 falling from the upper side of the drum to the target rotation speed by moving the drum with the rotation of the drum 30.

As shown in the drawing, when the rotational speed of the drum is low, the movement of the laundry is small, and when the speed increases, the laundry adheres to the drum due to the centrifugal force and rotates together with the drum. Since it is necessary to circulate air to the laundry for drying, the control unit 110 sets a rotation speed at which the laundry flows together with the drum and then falls due to gravity greater than a centrifugal force as a target rotation speed when sensing the amount of the laundry. The target rotation speed may be set to be the same as the basic rotation speed of the dry running.

The rotation speed of the drum (target rotation speed) may be set in the range of 39rpm to 63 rpm. When measuring the amount of laundry, the drum may be rotated at 57 rpm. At this time, when the motor is provided with a pulley of a 51:1 ratio, the rotation speed of the motor is 2000rpm to 3200 rpm.

The control part 110 changes the rotation speed according to the amount of the laundry and sets the rotation speed. The control part 110 may divide the amount of the laundry into a plurality of steps.

As the rotational speed of the motor changes, the rotational speed of the drum also changes. However, the rotation speed of the motor may be changed according to the size, radius, and circumference of the pulley of the motor and the drum to which the driving belt of the drum is connected.

In addition, the control part 110 may change the rotation speed during the drying operation according to the sensed laundry amount.

The control part 110 performs the drying operation according to the amount of the laundry, performs the control at the first rotation speed of the basic rotation speed, and when the amount of the laundry is large, the falling time point of the laundry may be different depending on the weight, and the rotation speed may be set to the second rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed since the drying speed is slow. The second rotation speed may be equal to or higher than the first rotation speed, and may be set within a range of rotation speeds at which a part of the laundry falls and a part of the laundry rotates with the drum.

In addition, the control unit 110 varies the rotation speed or the drying time based on the dryness of the laundry measured by the laundry sensing unit 132 during the drying operation. For example, when the amount of laundry sensed at the beginning is an extremely small amount, the rotation speed may be changed to a third rotation speed slower than the first rotation speed when the dryness satisfies a set value after the drying execution set time or more. In addition, after the drying is performed for the set time or more, when the sensed dryness of the laundry is lower than the set value, the rotation speed may be changed to the second rotation speed.

For example, the control part 110 sets the rotation speed of the motor to 2900rpm to 3000rpm when the amount of laundry is a minute load or a small load, and may set to 3000rpm to 3200rpm when the amount of laundry is a middle load or a large load. According to circumstances, the small and medium loads may be set as the normal loads. In addition, the rotation speed of the motor may be differently set according to the amount of laundry, respectively.

In addition, the control part 110 may change the rotation speed or the drying time according to the amount of the laundry during the drying operation. When the amount of the laundry is a very small load, the rotation speed is changed according to the dryness sensed by the laundry sensing part 132 when the drying time is more than a set time, and thus, the rotation speed is changed to 2500rpm to 2600 rpm.

Fig. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D are diagrams for explaining the movement of laundry in the drum according to the operation mode of fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D, when sensing the amount of laundry (pocket amount), drum 30 repeats forward rotation or reverse rotation, and control unit 110 senses the amount of laundry based on the current value sensed by current sensing unit 135.

During the start, acceleration, rotation speed maintenance, and stop of drum 30, control unit 110 senses the amount of laundry by measuring the current values in the acceleration interval and the maintenance interval.

When the 1 operation mode is executed while rotating in the forward direction, the laundry in the drum is rotated and rolled during acceleration as shown in fig. 13A and 13C.

As the rotation speed increases, the laundry in the drum is lifted up and dropped down by the drum as shown in fig. 13B and 13D.

However, since the laundry is usually operated during the drying operation, the controller 110 can measure the amount of the laundry in the same falling state of the laundry when sensing the laundry.

Fig. 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining the sensing characteristic reference of the laundry amount in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

When measuring the amount of laundry, the dryer 1 repeatedly increases the rotation speed of the drum and then maintains the operation mode of stopping for a predetermined number of times. The dryer 1 is divided into an acceleration section, a holding section, and a stop section in which the drum 30 is accelerated to a target rotation speed, and measures a current value. In the acceleration section, the degree of acceleration, that is, the acceleration gradient, varies the measured laundry.

As shown in fig. 14A and 14B, when measuring the amount of laundry, the control unit 110 can calculate the amount of laundry by considering the linearity and resolution of the value calculated for each acceleration gradient as the amount of laundry increases.

As shown in fig. 14A, as the acceleration gradient increases, the linearity increases. However, since a slip phenomenon may occur between the drum 30 and the drive belt when the acceleration gradient increases, it is preferable to accelerate the rotation of the drum to a predetermined acceleration gradient or less.

In sensing the amount of laundry, the linearity is a degree of distinguishing a value calculated from the amount of laundry, and indicates a degree of increasing the calculated value in proportion to an increase in the amount of laundry. For example, the difference between the measurement value of 1kg of laundry and the measurement value of 2kg of laundry is clearly shown.

When the linearity is 0.8 or more, the amount of laundry can be discriminated, and therefore, in order to judge the amount of laundry, it is preferable to accelerate the rotation speed of the drum to an acceleration gradient having a linearity of 0.8 or more. In order to more clearly determine the amount of laundry, it is preferable to control the rotation speed of the drum with an acceleration gradient having a linearity of 0.82 or more.

As shown in fig. 16 described later, it is preferable that the calculated value is generated to be distinguishable as the amount of laundry increases.

When the linearity is 0.8 or more, the acceleration gradient is about 300 rpm/s.

When the linearity is 0.82 or more, the acceleration gradient is about 450rpm/s (P1) or more.

As shown in fig. 14B, as the acceleration gradient increases, the resolution may vary. The resolution is a deviation of a value measured for the same amount (weight) of laundry, and is a range of values for measuring the amount of laundry alone, as shown in fig. 16 described later. When the range of the measured value is wide for the same amount of laundry, the range may overlap with other intervals, and thus, the amount of laundry is not easily discriminated. On the other hand, when the range of the measured value is narrow (when the deviation is small) for the same amount of laundry, the amount of laundry in each section can be easily distinguished.

Therefore, when sensing the amount of laundry, the resolution is preferably 1.5 or less.

When the resolution is 1.5 or less, the acceleration gradient for accelerating the rotation speed of the drum is 300rpm/s (P2) to 1700rpm/s (P3).

When the linearity and resolution are all taken into consideration, the acceleration gradient in the acceleration zone is preferably 300rpm/s (P2) to 1700rpm/s (P3) when determining the amount of laundry. When the case where the linearity is 0.82 or more is considered, the acceleration gradient is preferably 500rpm/s to 1700rpm/s (P3).

When the acceleration gradient is increased, the linearity is improved, but the resolution is lowered (the value is increased), and therefore, it is preferably set at 300rpm/s (P2) to 1700rpm/s (P3).

From the resolution chart, it was confirmed that the acceleration gradient was good at 500rpm/s to 1000rpm/s and 1250rpm/s to 1500 rpm/s. In addition, when the acceleration gradient is 1000rpm/s to 1250rpm/s, a phenomenon of performance degradation may occur due to resonance of the motor, etc., but the phenomenon is a performance change within a range satisfying values set for linearity and resolution, and thus, the acceleration gradient may be applied. The linearity based on the acceleration gradient may be variously expressed according to a connection structure of the drum and the motor, characteristics of the motor, and the like.

The result of calculating the amount of laundry with an acceleration gradient is as follows. The graph shows the results of measurements on the basis of the same laundry under the condition that the moisture content of the laundry was 66.6%.

As shown in figure 15A, the accelerated gradient of 250rpm/s when the determination of the amount of washings, 15B is accelerated gradient 1750rpm/s when the determination of the amount of washings.

As shown in fig. 15A, when the acceleration gradient is 250rpm/s, the difference in the measured value for each step based on the amount of laundry is small, and thus the linearity is low, and the range of the measured value for the same amount of laundry is wide (the deviation is large), and thus the resolution is indicated to be low. For example, in the case of the interval (92) of 1kg or more and 2kg or less and the interval (91) of 5kg or more, since the measured values are repeated for each weight, there is a problem that the amount of laundry is not easily discriminated.

As shown in fig. 15B, when the acceleration gradient is 1750rpm/s, linearity in a small amount is good, but in the case of 3Kg or more (93), linearity and resolution are all expressed to be low.

FIG. 16A shows the amount of laundry when the acceleration gradient is 500rpm/s, and FIG. 16B shows the acceleration gradient is 750 rpm/s. Fig. 17A shows the case where the acceleration gradient is 1000rpm/s, fig. 17B shows the amount of laundry when the acceleration gradient is 1250rpm/s, and fig. 17C shows the case where the acceleration gradient is 1500 rpm/s.

As shown in fig. 16A, 16B, and 17A to 17C, when the acceleration gradient is 500rpm/s, 750rpm/s, 1000rpm/s, 1250rpm/s, and 1500rpm/s, linearity and resolution respectively satisfy the set ranges.

For example, when the acceleration gradient is 750rpm/s, the difference of the measured value based on the amount of laundry is large, and thus, linearity is excellent, and the range of the measured value for the same amount of laundry is narrow, and thus, resolution is expressed as excellent.

Therefore, the control unit 110 can set the acceleration gradient in the acceleration section within the range of 500rpm/s to 1500rpm/s when measuring the amount of the laundry. In particular, the control unit 110 may control the acceleration section with an acceleration gradient of 750 rpm/s.

As shown in fig. 18, the dryer 1 puts laundry into the drum 30, and sets a mode based on the drying operation by the operation unit 170 (S310). For example, the mode is set by classifying silk, cotton, and the like according to the kind of laundry, particularly, the material.

The controller 110 controls the driving unit 160 to sense the amount of laundry (amount of laundry in bags) (S320). The driving unit 160 rotates the drum according to the control command, and the current sensing unit 135 measures a current value of the motor when the drum is rotated according to the mode.

The control unit 110 stores the current value induced from the current induction unit in each of the acceleration section and the holding section in a divided manner, and stores the current value in each of the frequency patterns.

The control part 110 sets a drying time corresponding to the amount of laundry (a pocket amount) (S330). The set drying time is displayed on the display of the output unit 175.

The control part 110 divides the measured amount of the laundry into a plurality of steps, determines the amount of the laundry, and thus sets a preset drying time.

The driving part 160 drives the motor according to the control command of the control part, rotates the drum, and operates the blowing fan, thereby performing the drying operation (S340).

In the drying operation, the drum lifts and drops the repeatedly washed laundry through the drum. While the drum is rotating, air circulated by the blowing fan 64 is heated by the condenser 52 or the heater 69 of the heat pump module 120 and supplied to the drum, and moisture evaporated from laundry is contained in the air, and flows into the evaporator through the circulation flow path by the blowing fan. In the evaporator, the air is cooled by the heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air having a high moisture content, and the moisture contained in the air is condensed to generate condensed water. The dehumidified air flows into the condenser, and is heated to be supplied to the drum again.

The laundry sensing part 132 provided at the inner lower end of the input port senses the dryness of the laundry according to the current flowing when the two electrodes 18 contact the laundry, thereby inputting a predetermined signal to the control part (S350).

The control unit determines whether the dryness of the laundry is equal to or higher than a set value, that is, whether the moisture content of the laundry is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (S360).

When the dryness is less than the set value at a time point when the drying time has elapsed by the set time or more, the control unit 110 changes the operation setting (S370) and continues the drying (S340). The control part 110 may increase the drying time or change the rotation speed of the drum.

When the dryness is equal to or higher than the set value at the time point when the drying time has elapsed by the set time or higher, the control unit 110 maintains the current operation state.

When the drying time is reached (S380), the control unit 110 outputs a drying termination notification through the output unit 175 (S390). The control unit 110 outputs a termination notification through the display, and outputs a notification sound of termination of drying through the speaker. According to circumstances, the control part 110 may transmit notification information to the connected terminal.

Fig. 19 is a diagram illustrating a method of controlling the amount of laundry in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 19, the amount of laundry in the drum is sensed (S410).

The control part 110 determines whether the laundry amount is a large amount of load (S420). When the weight of the washings is more than a predetermined value, the washings are divided into a small load and a medium load, when the weight of the washings is less than the predetermined value, and when the weight of the washings is less, the small load is also independently judged.

The control part 110 applies a control command to the driving part 160, and performs the drying operation at a first rotation speed when a small amount of load or a very small amount of load (S430), and performs the drying operation at a second rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed when a medium amount of load or a large amount of load (S440). The second rotation speed may be set to a speed at which the laundry is lifted and dropped, based on a general load, and a rotation speed at which a part of the laundry is lifted and dropped while a part of the laundry is rotated by the drum and a part of the laundry is dropped. The general load is a reference that the laundry is dropped by the weight even at the same rotation speed because the amount of the laundry is large when a large amount of the load is applied.

The driving part 160 rotates the drum at a set rotation speed according to a control command of the control part, and circulates air by the blowing fan, thereby performing a drying operation. The heat pump module 120 or the heater 69 heats the air supplied to the drum 30.

The laundry sensing part contacts the laundry moving in the drum to sense the dryness of the laundry (S460). The laundry sensing part measures the dryness by using different points of a current value measured according to the moisture content of the laundry contacted with the electrode sensor, and the measured dryness is input to the control part.

After the drying operation is performed for the set time or more (S470), the control unit 110 determines whether or not the measured dryness is equal to or more than the set value (S480).

The drying operation is maintained until the set time is reached even if the dryness is less than the set value.

After the set time, the control part 110 increases the rotation speed of the drum when the dryness of the laundry is less than the set value. The control section accelerates the rotation speed of the drum to a second rotation speed. When the control unit 110 is operated at the second rotation speed even in a large load, the partial acceleration is performed within the range of the rotation speed as described above, and thereby the rotation speed can be increased or the drying time can be increased.

After the set time has elapsed, if the dryness of the laundry is equal to or higher than the set value, the control unit 110 performs the drying operation while maintaining the current setting under a large load of a small load or higher (S510).

After the set time has elapsed, if the dryness of the laundry is equal to or greater than the set value and the amount of the laundry is a very small load, the control unit 110 changes the rotation speed of the drum to a third rotation speed slower than the first rotation speed in order to prevent the over-drying of the laundry or save energy (S500). According to the changed setting, the drying operation is performed until the drying time (S510).

Accordingly, the present invention can determine the amount of laundry by measuring the current in the acceleration section where the rotation speed is accelerated and the holding section where the rotation speed is held, for the motor which rotates while the drum rotates, and can more accurately determine the amount of laundry by using the inertia characteristic while minimizing the influence of the friction.

In addition, the present invention changes the drying time or the rotating speed in the drying operation according to the amount of the laundry, thereby further saving the drying time or the energy usage and effectively drying the laundry.

It is not necessary that the present invention be limited to the embodiments described above because it operates by combining all the elements constituting the embodiments of the present invention into one. All the elements may be selectively combined to operate as one or more elements according to the embodiment as long as they are within the object of the present invention.

The above description is only an exemplary illustration of the technical idea of the present invention, and a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications or variations within a range not exceeding the essential characteristics of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dryer, comprising:

a housing including a feed port in a front surface thereof;

a drum positioned inside the housing, the laundry being received in the drum through the input port;

a lifter provided on an inner circumferential surface of the drum to lift the laundry when the drum rotates;

a motor connected to an outer circumferential surface of the drum by a driving belt to rotate the drum;

a blower fan for circulating air passing through the drum by driving of the motor;

a heat pump module that heats the circulated air;

a current sensing unit for measuring a current of the motor during operation; and

a control part for controlling the rotation speed of the motor in a mode of rotating the drum, controlling the operation of the air supply fan and the heat pump module, sensing the amount of the washings according to the current value sensed by the current sensing part during the rotation of the drum,

The control part performs a sensing section before performing a drying section for drying the laundry using air heated by the heat pump module, the sensing section being a section for sensing an amount of the laundry received in the drum by rotating the drum according to an operation mode including an acceleration section for accelerating a rotation speed of the drum to increase and a holding section for holding the rotation speed of the drum for a predetermined time,

in the acceleration section, the control part controls the rotation speed of the drum to increase at an acceleration gradient of the motor set in a range of 500rpm/s to 1500rpm/s,

controlling the rotation speed of the drum to be maintained within a range of 39rpm to 63rpm during the maintaining interval so that the laundry is lifted and then dropped by the lifter.

2. The drying machine according to claim 1,

the control part sets the operation mode to further include a stop section in which the rotation speed of the drum is reduced after the holding section.

3. The drying machine according to claim 1,

the control part enables the operation mode to be repeated for a preset number of times in the induction zone.

4. The drying machine according to claim 1,

the control part controls a rotation speed of the motor corresponding to a size of a pulley of the driving belt connected to the motor and the drum according to a control command to accelerate the drum to a set rotation speed and maintain the rotation speed.

5. The drying machine according to claim 4,

the control unit controls the rotation speed of the motor to 2000rpm to 3200 rpm.

6. The drying machine according to claim 1,

the control part sets the drying time corresponding to the amount of the washings.

7. The dryer of claim 1,

the control part sets the rotating speed of the drum in the drying section corresponding to the amount of the washings.

8. The dryer of claim 1,

the control part operates the drum according to the operation mode in the drying section,

and changing the operation mode of the drying interval according to the amount of the washings.

9. The dryer of claim 1,

The drum is rotated five to six times during one operation according to the operation mode.

10. The drying machine according to claim 1,

the control part changes the rotation direction of the drum after the holding section.

11. A dryer is characterized in that the dryer is provided with a drying chamber,

the method comprises the following steps:

a housing including a feed port in a front surface thereof;

a heat pump module that heats the circulated air;

a control part for dividing the drum into an induction section for inducing the amount of the laundry accommodated in the drum by rotating the drum and a drying section for drying the laundry by using the air heated by the heat pump module, wherein the drum is rotated in the induction section according to an operation mode including an acceleration section for accelerating by increasing the rotation speed of the drum and a holding section for holding the rotation speed of the drum for a predetermined time,

Before the drying section is executed, the amount of the laundry is judged according to the current value sensed by the current sensing part in the sensing section,

the control unit controls the drum to maintain the rotation speed of the drum in the range of 39rpm to 63rpm in the maintaining section so that the laundry is lifted by the lifter and then dropped, and sets the drying time of the drying section or the rotation speed of the drum to be variable according to the amount of the laundry calculated in the sensing section.

12. The drying machine according to claim 11,

the control unit rotates the drum in the drying section according to the operation mode.

13. The drying machine according to claim 11,

the control part divides the amount of the laundry into a plurality of levels,

controlling the drum to rotate at a preset first rotation speed in the drying interval when the amount of the laundry is a very small load or a small load,

And controlling the drum to rotate at a preset second rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed when the amount of the laundry is a medium load or a large load.

14. The dryer of claim 13,

the control unit sets the rotational speed of the drum to the first rotational speed in the holding section,

the second rotation speed is set within a range of a speed at which a part of the laundry falls and a part of the laundry rotates with the rotation of the drum in a state in which the laundry in the drum falls.

15. The dryer of claim 14,

the control unit controls the rotation speed of the drum by setting the rotation speed of the motor to 2900rpm to 3000rpm in the case of a very small load or a small load, and to 3000rpm to 3200rpm in the case of a medium load or a large load.

16. The dryer of claim 11,

further comprises a washings induction part which is contacted with the washings to induce the dryness of the washings,

The control part may vary a drying time or a rotation speed of the drum corresponding to the dryness sensed by the laundry sensing part when a set time elapses while the drying section is executed.

17. The drying machine according to claim 16,

when the dryness is more than the set value and the amount of the washings is a little load, the control part reduces the rotating speed to a preset third rotating speed which is slower than the preset first rotating speed, and when the dryness is less than the set value, the rotating speed is increased.