KR101285399B1 - Home appliance inclduing a steam generator and the controlling method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry machine, and more particularly, to a laundry machine having a steam generator and a control method thereof. The present invention also relates to a household appliance having a steam generator in a more expanded form and a control method thereof.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the cabinet; An accommodation part located inside the cabinet to accommodate an object; Located outside the object receiving portion, comprising a steam generator for generating steam for supply to the receiving portion, the steam generator, the housing for receiving the water supply; A heater that generates steam by heating the housing to heat the housing; And a heater which cuts off the power of the heater when the temperature of the housing is a first preset temperature exceeding the boiling point of water so that power is applied to the heater until all the received water is substantially converted into steam. A home appliance including a control unit may be provided.

Description

Home appliance inclduing a steam generator and the controlling method of the same}

The present invention relates to a laundry machine, and more particularly, to a laundry machine having a steam generator and a control method thereof.

The present invention also relates to a household appliance having a steam generator in a more expanded form and a control method thereof.

A washing machine is typically a washing machine for washing clothes, and a dryer for drying clothes may also be called a washing machine. Of course, a washing and drying machine capable of washing and drying clothes may also be called a washing machine.

Recently, a refresher for refreshing clothes using hot air or steam, rather than washing with water, has been released. This may also be referred to as a washing machine.

In addition, a dishwasher for washing dishes but not clothing may also be referred to as a washing machine in a broad sense, and the washing machine in the present specification includes all of the aforementioned various devices.

Here, the steam generator is a device for generating steam and supplying it to an object such as clothes or tableware. The steam serves as a heating source for heating the object and a moisture supply source for supplying moisture to the object. Therefore, this function can be extended to various household appliances as well as the washing machine.

In the present specification, a representative example of a washing machine will be described based on a washing machine, and may be applied to other washing machines and home appliances unless they are exclusive and contradictory with other devices.

The steam generator may be provided in the washing machine to generate hot steam and provide steam during the laundry administration of the laundry to increase the washing effect. In addition, a washing machine having a drying function, that is, a washing machine such as a dryer or a refresher may also be provided, and may perform a refreshing role of giving a feeling of new clothes by providing steam to remove wrinkles or odors.

Hereinafter, a steam generator for a washing machine according to the prior art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view briefly showing a structure of a conventional drum washing machine, FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a steam generator according to the prior art, and FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view of the steam generator of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a drum washing machine equipped with a conventional steam generator includes a case 10 forming an appearance, a cylindrical tub 12 supported horizontally in the case 10, and storing wash water; And a drum (14) rotatably installed in the tub (12) and a steam generator (16) for supplying steam into the drum (14).

Here, the drum is an accommodation portion for receiving an object, and accommodates clothes, etc., which are to be washed. And a dryer accommodates clothing etc. which are drying objects. Similarly, for refreshing, dry clothing can be accommodated in the object receiving portion. Therefore, the accommodation portion may be extended to various configurations according to its shape, the type of the object, the function and shape of the home appliance. That is, it may be expanded in various ways, such as an accommodating part in which tableware is accommodated, an accommodating part in which clothing for refreshing is accommodated, and an inner tank of a vertical washing machine.

In the case 10, an opening 18 is formed in communication with the inside of the drum 14 so that the laundry can be put into and taken out from the front, the door 20 is pivoted forward to open and close the opening (18). It is possible to install.

On the other hand, one side of the case 10 is provided with a water supply valve 22 and a water supply hose 24 for supplying water to the steam generator 16.

In addition, one side of the steam generator 16, the steam supply pipe 26 which is a passage for guiding and injecting the steam generated by the steam generator 16 into the drum 14 is connected.

Referring to Figure 2 and 3 will be described in more detail with respect to the steam generator 16 as follows.

The steam generator 16 has a lower case 28 forming a space for storing water, an upper case 30 coupled to an upper portion of the lower case 28, and stored in the steam generator 16. And a heater 32 for heating the water.

The upper case 28 is provided with a water supply port 34 for supplying water from the water supply hose 24 and a steam discharge port 36 for discharging steam generated in the steam generator 16 to the steam supply pipe 26. do.

On the other hand, the heater 32 is installed at the bottom of the lower case 28 in parallel with the bottom surface of the lower case (28). When the heater 32 is supplied with water to the steam generator 16, the heater 32 is operated to heat water in a state completely immersed in water.

Referring to the mounting structure of the heater in more detail as follows.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heater 32 is inserted into the case in parallel with the bottom of the lower case in a longitudinal direction through one narrow side surface of the sides of the cases 28 and 30 having a rectangular shape. Of course, the side in which the heater is inserted will be sealed to prevent leakage, etc., the power will be supplied to the heater through the terminal (35).

On the other hand, the bottom surface of the lower case 28 is provided with a bracket, the heater is inserted into the bracket is fixed.

Thus, the heater 32 is fixed to one side of the bracket 33 and the other side is fixed to one side of the case.

One side of the upper case 28 is provided with a water level sensor 40 for detecting the water level stored in the steam generator 16, water in the center of the upper case 28 is heated by the heater 32 And a temperature sensor 42 for measuring the temperature of the steam.

The level sensor 40 may include a high level electrode 40c, a low level electrode 40b, and a common electrode 40a to sense the high level and the low level. In addition, partition walls 45 and 46 surrounding the level sensor 40 may be provided, and these functions to stably maintain the level of the sensed water, thereby reducing the error in detecting the level.

The conventional steam generator configured as described above is operated as follows.

First, when the washing stroke of the washing machine is started, water is introduced into the steam generator 16 through the water inlet 34.

The water introduced into the steam generator 16 is heated by the heater 32 is converted into steam, the steam is introduced into the drum (14) containing the laundry through the steam discharge port (36) to wash the laundry And soaking action to improve the washing efficiency.

Here, the steam discharged to the steam discharge port 36 is hot steam. Of course, if the discharge valve which is opened or closed by the pressure of the steam before or after the steam discharge port is provided, the steam discharged to the steam discharge port may be a high temperature and high pressure steam. In either case, however, steam can be supplied to the drum by its own pressure.

On the other hand, after completing the washing and the soaking action of the laundry as described above, the operation of the steam generator 16 is stopped, and the series of the main laundry administration is performed to complete the washing of the laundry.

By the way, the conventional steam generator 16 for a washing machine has a problem that the volume is larger than necessary. This is because the wide surface of the heater 32 is installed to be parallel to the bottom surface of the lower case 28, so that the width of the steam generator 16 is inevitably long.

As a result, the volume of the steam generator 16 as a whole increases the appearance of the washing machine increases, the cost increases in the production process, there is a problem that is difficult to apply to various product specifications. That is, there is a problem that is difficult to apply to other washing machines or home appliances as well as a washing machine.

In addition, the conventional steam generator 16 having the arrangement of the heater 32 has a problem that the appearance of the entire apparatus should be larger than necessary for the installation of the steam generator 16 in the washing machine or dryer of low capacity. In addition, there is also a problem that the efficiency is reduced by installing a steam generator having a larger capacity than necessary.

On the other hand, as a whole, the surface of the steam generator is formed in a wide water surface, as well as the steam generated hot water is splashed and supplied to the laundry inside the drum 14 through the steam discharge port 36, may cause the fabric to be damaged do.

In addition, bubbles generated by heating water cause interference with the electrodes of the water level sensor 40, and noise is generated in the detection signal when the water level is detected, and the water level sensor 40 may malfunction.

In addition, the steam generator 16 structurally includes the following problems.

As shown in Figure 3, in order to protect the steam generator due to overheating of the heater, the water level sensor 40 detects a high water level (A) and a low water level (B). Here, the heater starts heating at the high water level (A), and stops heating at the low water level (B). Therefore, it can be said that the water filled in the space C between the high water level A and the low water level B is converted into steam. However, the water heated for steam generation includes water filled in the space D up to the low water level (B). Thus, the water filled in the D space is heated but not converted to steam. This can result in waste of energy and water. In other words, all of the water inside the steam generator is heated to protect the heater, but since both are not converted to steam, waste of energy and water may be generated.

In addition, the heater should be installed at a distance from the lower surface of the lower case. This is to reduce the amount of heat transferred from the heater to the lower case in case of overheating. Therefore, a large amount of water can be wasted unnecessary to satisfy the heater protection level.

This heater protection level means that the steam generation takes longer as well as the excessive capacity problem of the above-described steam generator. That is, it means that the time required to generate steam after the heating is started, which means that the time required for the steam stroke is long.

For example, in recent years, the washing efficiency is increasing, but the time for washing is gradually shortened. For example, a washing course is proposed that starts washing in 50 minutes and proceeds to final dehydration. In these courses, the laundry administration can run around 10 to 15 minutes. However, the above-described steam generator has a problem that can not be applied to such a washing course because it takes a lot of time to generate steam. This is because the washing stroke can be terminated when steam just begins to be supplied after starting heating.

 Of course, it is possible to apply the steam stroke during the washing stroke of the washing course. However, in this case, the overall washing administration is long due to the steam administration, and thus, the time required for the washing course becomes longer. Therefore, the user is forced to take longer to spend the washing course by adding a steam stroke.

On the other hand, the steam generator 16 must accurately sense the low water level (B) or the heater protection level in order to prevent overheating of the heater, through which resupply and heater control should be performed.

However, the algorithm for level sensing can be complex, and the structure of the partition walls 45 and 46 for precise control is required. And, due to the water level sensor, the heater bracket 45 for fixing the heater and the structure for sealing the heater, the plastic injection case (28, 30) to withstand high temperature, the capacity of the steam generator, etc. There is a problem that is raised.

In addition, the heater 32 is installed close to the bottom surface of the steam generator, there is a limit to the expansion of the heat generation area. Therefore, the use may cause a decrease in thermal efficiency due to the scale, and in particular, as the water level is approached, water may be generated near the heater, and thus heated water may be supplied into the drum instead of steam.

In addition, since the heater 32 is directly exposed to water, there is a risk of preventing corrosion of the heater, and in order to solve this problem, the material of the heater 32 is formed of stainless steel, thereby increasing the unit cost.

The present invention has been made to overcome the problems of the prior art, and through the embodiment of the present invention to improve the efficiency of the steam generator and at the same time to enable a compact design, it can be applied to various product specifications and this It is to provide a home appliance containing.

The present invention provides a steam generator that prevents a high temperature of water from being supplied into a drum through a steam generator and prevents a malfunction of the water level sensor. To this end, an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a steam generating device omitting the water level sensor, or at least omitted the low water level sensor. In addition, it is to provide a steam generator that can control the heater more precisely and stably by omitting the heater control algorithm associated with the water level sensor.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the bracket to which the heater is fixed in the steam generator, the sealing structure of the heater, the material of the steam generator, the heating area of the heater, improve or change or omit the heater control unit to reduce cost and increase efficiency To provide a steam generator, and to provide a home appliance that is easy to use and reduced costs.

Through an embodiment of the present invention, to provide a steam generator and a home appliance including the same to minimize the damage of the object due to the heated water by varying the pattern of the initial driving of the steam generator according to the selected course.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, to effectively reduce the steam generation time to reduce the time required for the steam stroke to prevent the operation time of the entire home appliance due to the steam stroke as a whole.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, to provide a more stable and safe steam generator and home appliances including the same.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, even if the low water pressure to provide a home appliance that can effectively perform the steam stroke.

One embodiment of the present invention to solve the above problems, cabinet; An accommodation part located inside the cabinet to accommodate an object; Located outside the object receiving portion, comprising a steam generator for generating steam for supply to the receiving portion, the steam generator, the housing for receiving the water supply; A heater that generates steam by heating the housing to heat the housing; And a heater which cuts off the power of the heater when the temperature of the housing is a first preset temperature exceeding the boiling point of water so that power is applied to the heater until all the received water is substantially converted into steam. It provides a home appliance including a control unit. The household appliance may typically be a laundry machine.

The heater controller may include a thermostat for generating a power off signal of the heater at the first preset temperature.

The thermostat may generate a power-on signal for the heater after the heater is turned off when the temperature of the housing is lower than the first preset temperature and exceeds a boiling point of water.

The heater controller may include a controller to cut off or apply power to the heater based on a power cutoff signal and a power application signal of the heater.

The controller may control water to be supplied to the housing based on the power cutoff signal. The controller may control the water to be supplied for a predetermined time. That is, the water supply is basically controlled based on the water supply time.

The housing may be formed of aluminum die casting. The cover may be coupled to an upper portion of the housing to form a closed space.

The cover may be formed by plastic injection, and the material may be an engineering plastic capable of withstanding high temperature and high pressure. Specifically, the material of the cover may be SPS or PPS.

The housing includes a rectangular base; Longitudinal sidewalls; And it comprises a side wall in the width direction, a space for receiving water therein can be formed. In addition, the heater is preferably embedded in the base by insert molding.

The inner surface of the base may be substantially planar, and the outer surface of the base may include a heater counterpart protruding downward to correspond to the shape of the heater.

The heater may include a heater terminal provided in the longitudinal thickness portion of the base and connected to a commercial power source. The heater terminal may include an outer heater terminal provided near a specific sidewall of the width sidewalls; And an inner heater terminal provided near the outer heater terminal and biased toward the specific side wall rather than the other side wall.

The heater may include: an outer heater extending from the outer heater terminal and provided at three outer sides of the base; An inner heater extending from the inner heater terminal and provided inside the outer heater and provided in parallel with the outer heater; And a loop heater in which the outer heater and the inner heater are connected in a curved shape.

The heater control unit may include a heater switch selectively applying commercial power to the heater; And a controller for generating steam at the start of the steam stroke and controlling the heater switch to stop steam generation at the end of the steam stroke.

The heater controller may include an overheat prevention thermostat connected in series with the heater switch to cut off power of the heater at a third preset temperature exceeding the first preset temperature.

At least two thermostatic prevention thermostats are provided, and the third preset temperature may be set differently from each other.

The controller may turn on the heater switch at the start of the steam stroke, and then control the heater switch based on a power off signal and a power application signal of the heater until the end of the steam stroke.

In order to solve the above problems, an embodiment of the present invention is a steam generator for generating steam to be supplied to the receiving portion located in the cabinet and receiving the object, and located outside the object receiving portion. A control method of a home appliance, comprising: starting a heater by first turning on a heater switch to apply commercial power to a heater of the steam generator in a steam stroke; A sensing step of generating a power-on signal and a power-off signal of the heater based on the temperature of the steam generator after the heating start step; A water supply step of turning off the heater switch and supplying water to the steam generator based on the power off signal; And it provides a control method for home appliances comprising the step of restarting the heating by turning on the heater switch based on the power application signal.

Water may be supplied to the steam generator for a set time in the water supply step.

The steam generator is provided to receive the water supplied, and comprises a housing formed of aluminum die casting, the heater is preferably embedded in the housing by insert molding.

The temperature of the steam generator is preferably a temperature sensed near the corner formed by the inner bottom surface and the inner side surface of the housing.

In the sensing step, it is preferable that the heater controller is configured such that a power off signal of the heater is generated at a first preset temperature at which the temperature of the housing exceeds the boiling point of water.

Through the embodiment of the present invention to improve the efficiency of the steam generator and at the same time enable a compact design, it is possible to provide a steam generator and home appliances including the same applicable to various product specifications.

In addition, while preventing the hot water from being supplied into the drum through the steam generator, it is possible to provide a steam generator that prevents a malfunction in the water level sensor. To this end, an embodiment of the present invention may provide a steam generator that omits the water level sensor or at least omits the low water level sensor. In addition, it is possible to provide a steam generator that can control the heater more precisely and stably by omitting the heater control algorithm associated with the water level sensor.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, the structure of the bracket in which the heater is fixed in the steam generator, the sealing structure of the heater, the mounting structure of the heater, the material of the steam generator, the heat generating area of the heater, the heater control unit, stability at abnormal overpressure, steam By improving, changing, or omitting the generator's mounting structure, water detection means and algorithm, etc. to provide a steam generator with improved cost reduction and efficiency, it is possible to provide a home appliance that is convenient to use and reduces costs.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a steam generator capable of minimizing damage to an object caused by heated water by varying the pattern of the initial driving of the steam generator according to the selected course, and a home appliance including the same.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to effectively reduce the steam generation time to reduce the time required for the steam stroke to prevent the operation time of the entire home appliance due to the steam stroke as a whole.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a more stable and safe steam generator and home appliances including the same.

Through the embodiment of the present invention, even in the case of low water pressure can provide a home appliance that can effectively perform the steam stroke.

1 is a perspective view briefly showing the structure of a conventional drum washing machine;
2 is a perspective view schematically showing a steam generator according to the prior art;
3 is a cutaway perspective view of the steam generator of FIG. 2 viewed from another angle;
4 is a perspective view of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal side view of the housing shown in FIG. 4; FIG.
6 is a perspective view of the housing shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 7 is a rear view of the housing shown in FIG. 4; FIG.
8 is a perspective view of the bracket shown in FIG. 4;
9 is a rear view of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1;
10 is a side view of the steam generator shown in FIG. 4;
11 is a schematic view showing a heater control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
12 is a graph showing a correlation between the amount of water supplied to a steam generator and water pressure;
13 is a flowchart briefly showing a water supply control according to an embodiment of the present invention;
14 and 15 are flowcharts illustrating end driving patterns of a course and a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
16 and 17 are flowcharts showing initial driving patterns of a steam generator according to one embodiment of the present invention;
18 is a flowchart illustrating heater control according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Basically, the steam generator and its control method will be described in detail below. Such an embodiment may be applied to various home appliances including a laundry machine. In addition, the home appliance may include a cabinet, as shown in FIG. 1, and an accommodation unit (eg, a drum) that is located inside the cabinet and accommodates an object. In addition, the steam generator is located outside the object receiving portion, it may be provided to generate steam for supply to the receiving portion. The steam generator may also be located inside the cabinet.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the steam generator will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10.

Steam generator 100 comprises a housing 120 for receiving the water supplied. Therefore, the housing 120 will be described first with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

The housing 120 may be formed of a base and sidewalls. The internal space can be formed through these.

In addition, the housing 120 may be formed in a rectangular shape. That is, it may be composed of a rectangular base 120e and sidewalls. Since it is rectangular, it can be defined that the longitudinal direction is longer than the width direction. Accordingly, the sidewalls 120a and 120b in the longitudinal direction and the sidewalls 120c and 120d in the width direction may be formed to extend upward from the base 120e. Therefore, a space in which water is received is formed through the base 120e and the sidewalls 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d. Of course, the housing 120 may receive steam from the top or the whole as the water is heated. Accordingly, the housing 120 may be provided to form a space 120f for generating steam. The space 120f may be referred to as a heating space 120f.

As shown, unlike the conventional steam generator described above, the heating space 120f is not provided with a heater. In other words, the housing 120 may be a heating source for heating water inside the heating target. That is, the housing 120 performs the function of an extended heater, thereby significantly increasing the heating area.

To this end, the housing 120 may be formed of a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity. Specifically, it may be formed of an aluminum material. This is because it is excellent in corrosion and corrosion resistance, and is lighter than other metals and is easy to process. And, because the aluminum die casting can easily implement the desired shape and dimensions.

As shown in FIG. 4, the steam generator 100 may include a cover 110. The cover is provided to cover the heating space 120f to form a substantially sealed heating space. Therefore, the cover 110 may be coupled to the upper portion of the housing 120 to form the steam generator 100.

The cover 110 includes various configurations as described below. In addition, the shape may be complicated and may be connected to various components such as a tube, a pipe, a control or a power line. Therefore, it is desirable to be injection molded into engineering plastic that can withstand high temperatures. The engineering plastics are less thermally conductive than metal materials. Therefore, a lower temperature than the housing 120 may be maintained. Due to this it is possible to minimize the thermal damage of the other components connected to the cover 110. As described below, the bracket for the thermal cutoff may not be provided in the cover 110.

Specifically, the housing 120 may be formed of aluminum die casting, and the cover 110 may be formed of engineering plastic. The engineering plastics may be either SPS (Syn Geotactic Polystyrene) or PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide).

These different materials mean that the coefficient of thermal expansion is different. In addition, it means that the properties deformed at the time of abnormal overpressure are different. Specifically, when abnormal overpressure is generated in the steam generator, since the materials of the housing 120 and the cover 110 are different from each other, deformation may occur first in any one, and the overpressure may be initially resolved.

If both the housing 120 and the cover 110 are formed of a metal material, an abnormal overpressure may be formed. However, since the present embodiment is formed of a heterogeneous material, the overpressure may be eliminated by deformation of the cover 110 before the abnormal overpressure is formed, thereby making it safer.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 110 has a flat portion, that is, a flange portion 116, on an outer surface thereof for coupling with the housing 120. A fastening hole 117 for screwing, bolting, or riveting may be formed in the flange portion 116. The flange portion 116 may include a portion that is further extended to the outer portion of the fastening hole 117.

As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 120 may have a flange portion 126 formed on an outer surface thereof for coupling with the cover 110. A fastening hole 127 may be formed in the flange portion 126 as well. In addition, a groove 128 may be formed in the flange portion 126. A sealing member (not shown) may be seated on the groove 128.

The sealing member may be formed of a material such as silicon. It is provided between the housing 120 and the cover 110 serves to seal the steam generator. On the other hand, the sealing member serves to prevent the housing 120 is in direct contact with the cover 110. Therefore, the heat conduction from the housing 120 directly to the cover 110 is effectively prevented. That is, the heat through the sealing member can be used to heat the water inside as much as possible.

As shown in FIG. 4, a steam concentrator 111 is formed on the cover 110. The steam concentrator 111 protrudes upward from an upper surface of the cover 110 to form an expanded space. That is, it may be referred to as an expanded space formed above the heating space 120f. Therefore, the steam generated in the heating space 120f is concentrated in the steam concentrator 111.

The steam concentrator 111 may be formed in a rectangular shape. And, the longitudinal direction may be formed to be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the steam generator. The steam concentrator 111 includes an inlet port 113 through which water is introduced and a discharge port 112 through which steam is discharged. Discharge port 112 is provided in the steam concentrator 111, it is possible to discharge only the steam as much as possible. In addition, it is possible to raise the position of the inlet 113 as much as possible compared to the internal water level of the water supplied to effectively prevent the water flow back through the inlet (113).

On the other hand, the cover 110 may be formed with a variety of hook structure 115, fastening boss 116, tube fixing structure 114 and the like. These structures can be said to be formed to secure the steam generator inside the cabinet of various products. In addition, the hook structure 121 may be formed in the housing 120.

As described above, the cover 110 has a lower temperature than the housing 120. Therefore, the structures for fixing to various products are preferably formed in the cover as much as possible.

The upper portion of the cover 110 is provided with a temperature sensor 160 is inserted into the housing 120 and fixed. The temperature sensor 160 may have the same structure as the conventional temperature sensor 42 shown in FIG. 3. That is, it may be provided to sense the ambient temperature or the temperature of the water in the housing 120. However, the control method of the steam generator through this may be different from the conventional. This will be described later.

Hereinafter, the heater 130 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

The heater 130 may be provided in the base 120e. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the heater 130 may be provided so as not to be exposed to the inner surface of the base 120e. Therefore, as a result, the heater 130 is not exposed to the heating space 120f and thus does not directly contact water.

The conventional heater 32 is directly exposed to water. Therefore, there is a problem in that the cost is excessively increased by being made of stainless steel or the like in consideration of corrosion. In contrast, the heater 130 of the present embodiment is not directly exposed to water. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture the heater 130 through a relatively inexpensive iron or copper alloy.

The heater 130 may be embedded in the housing 120, in particular, the base 120e. Here, the heater is preferably formed in which many parts are completely embedded in the base 120 except for the portion for the power connection. This is because heat generated from the heater 130 is transferred to the housing 120 as much as possible, and consequently, further improves thermal efficiency.

Specifically, the heater 130 may be formed is embedded in the thickness portion of the longitudinal side of the base 120. The embedding method can be implemented through insert molding. That is, the housing 120 may be formed by aluminum die casting while the heater is placed in a mold. Therefore, the heater may be embedded in the housing very firmly, and heat generated by minimizing the gap between the housing 120 and the heater 130 may be transmitted to the housing 120 very efficiently.

In addition, the structure does not require a separate sealing structure for the heater 130 installation. Therefore, the heater configuration can be made very simple. And a separate heater fixing structure is not necessary.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, a heater counterpart 170 protruding downward may correspond to the shape of the heater 130. The heater counterpart 170 may protrude downward from the bottom surface of the base 120e. Through this, the thickness of the base is prevented from being thickened as a whole, so that lighter, most heat generated can be induced to be conducted to the inner surface of the housing 120 as much as possible. That is, the heat loss due to the thickness of the base can be minimized.

The heater 130 preferably extends the surface in contact with the base 120e to maximize heat transfer. To this end, the heater 130 may be formed in the following form. That is, the heater line may be formed as follows.

First, the heater 130 includes heater terminals 131 and 132 provided outside the housing 120 and connected to commercial power. Commercial power sources may vary by region, and may have various specifications such as 110V, 120V, and 220V. Accordingly, the capacity of the heater 130 may be determined.

The heater terminals 131 and 132 include an outer heater terminal 131 provided near a specific side wall 120d among the width side walls of the housing 120. The heater terminal includes an inner heater terminal 132 provided in the vicinity of the outer heater terminal 131.

The inner heater terminal 132 may be disposed to face the specific side wall 120d rather than the other side wall side wall 120c. Therefore, the outer heater terminal 131 and the inner heater terminal 132 is preferably provided to be biased to one side based on the middle portion of the longitudinal side wall of the housing 120. Accordingly, the distance between the heater terminals 131 and 132 is reduced to facilitate the connection of commercial power.

The heater 130 extends from the outer heater terminal 131 to the inner terminal 132 to configure one heater 130. That is, one heater line is formed as a whole. In addition, the heater 120 is formed to be parallel to the inner surface of the base 120e as a whole.

Specifically, the heater 130 includes an outer heater 133 extending from the outer heater terminal 131 and provided at three outer sides of the base. That is, it includes an outer heater 133 sequentially extending in the width direction outer side, the longitudinal direction angle, and again in the opposite width direction.

In addition, the heater 130 includes an inner heater 134 extending from the inner heater terminal 132 and provided inside the outer heater. The inner heater 134 may be formed in parallel with the outer heater 133.

In addition, the heater 130 includes a loop heater 135 in which the outer heater 133 and the inner heater 134 are connected in a curved shape. Thus, the heater 130 may have the form shown in FIG. 7. This can effectively increase the length of the heater in the planar area of the given base as a result, it is possible to increase the heat transfer area between the heater 130 and the base 120e.

On the other hand, since the heater 130 is formed integrally with the base 120e, the gap between the two is minimized to allow effective heat transfer. The base 120e is integrally formed with the sidewalls described above. That is, the housing 120 is integrally formed. Therefore, it can be said that the entire housing 120 is extended to the heater. Therefore, it becomes possible to enlarge the area which is connected with water very effectively.

Hereinafter, the heater controller 140 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11. The heater controller 140 performs a function of applying or blocking commercial power 143 to the heater 130. The commercial power source may be, for example, AC 120V or AC 220V.

Specifically, the heater control unit 140 may be provided to cut off the power of the heater when the temperature of the housing is the first preset temperature exceeds the boiling point of water. The housing 120 performs a heater function as a whole. Therefore, when water remains in the housing 120, there is a limit to the increase in temperature. When the temperature of the housing is a boiling point of water, for example, a first preset temperature exceeding 100 ° C., all of the water in the housing 120 may be converted into steam. In other words, it can be said that substantially all of the water supplied is converted into steam.

In this case, the heater controller 140 may control that the power is applied to the heater 130 until substantially all of the water contained in the housing 120 is converted into steam. Therefore, all the water in the housing 120 is converted into steam, so that it is possible to minimize the water to be simply heated and the waste of energy thereof. In addition, the water left in the housing 120 may be removed to protect the heater, thereby significantly reducing the time required for steam generation. In addition, it is possible to omit the water level sensor configuration for the heater protection level sensing is very economical.

The heater controller 140 may include a thermostat 145 for generating a power off signal of the heater 130 at the first preset temperature. The thermostat 145 may be disconnected when the set temperature is reached due to its characteristics. That is, it reacts immediately to temperature, thereby reducing the reaction error.

Similarly, the thermostat is configured to reconnect as the temperature drops after disconnecting. That is, it is configured to be connected again when the temperature of the housing is a second preset temperature which is lower than the first preset temperature and exceeds the boiling point of water.

The function of the thermostat 145 will be described in more detail.

When power is applied to the heater 130 and the heater starts heating, the water is heated to change into steam. If water remains, there is a limit to the housing temperature rise. However, when all of the water turns to steam, the temperature of the housing is continuously raised. Therefore, when the temperature of the housing 120 is the first preset temperature exceeding the boiling point of the water, it can be said that all the water in the housing is changed to steam. Therefore, in this case, it is preferable that the power of the heater 120 is controlled to be cut off.

When the power of the heater 120 is cut off, the temperature of the housing 120 will gradually decrease. Therefore, the thermostat 145 is preferably connected again so that power can be applied to the heater. If it is necessary to continue to generate steam afterwards it is preferable that the water is supplied into the housing. That is, it is preferable that water supply is performed when the steam stroke is not finished.

Here, the second preset temperature is preferably higher than the boiling point of water. This is because the residual heat of the housing can be used again to generate steam after the heater is turned off. That is, because the time to generate steam again can be effectively reduced.

Specifically, the first preset temperature may be set between 115 ° C and 125 ° C. This first preset temperature reaching ensures that the heat is transferred in order to the heater 120, the housing 130, and the water therein, and that the water inside is all converted to steam because the water is boiled at approximately 100 ° C.

When the power of the heater 130 is cut off and water is supplied, the temperature of the housing drops rapidly. Here, the determination of when to apply power to the heater again is very important. This is because the longer the time required to apply power again after the heater is shut off, the longer the time required for the entire steam stroke. This is because the time for the remaining heat of the housing to be dissipated to the outside of the steam generator becomes long.

Therefore, the second preset temperature is preferably lower than the first preset temperature but higher than the boiling point of water. Specifically, the temperature may be set between 105 ° C and 115 ° C. Through this, power can be applied to the heater 130 immediately after the start of water supply, thereby enabling rapid steam generation.

That is, the thermostat 145 does not need to consider the residual water design or the heater protection level by replacing the water level sensor. In addition, since the heater functions as the entire housing, it is possible to increase the power density of the heater 130. Therefore, it is possible to provide a more compact steam generator, and it is possible to provide a steam generator capable of fast steam supply by increasing the thermal efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 11, the thermostat 145 performs a sensor function of detecting water inside through connection and blocking. That is, it is preferable that the switch function of directly shutting off the power of the heater 130 is not performed. Therefore, the thermostat 145 may be connected to a control power source. Specifically, DC 5V may be connected.

Here, the thermostat 145 generates different control signals when connected and when disconnected. That is, when connected, it means that there is water inside the housing to generate a power supply signal of the heater, and when shut off, it means that there is no water inside the housing to generate a power off signal of the heater.

This signal is transmitted to the controller 141. Thus, the heater controller 140 includes the controller 141. That is, the controller cuts or applies the power of the heater 130, specifically, commercial power, based on the power cutoff signal and the power application signal of the heater.

On the other hand, the controller 141 determines that there is no water in the housing 130 based on the power off signal of the heater. Accordingly, the controller 141 controls the water supply to the housing based on the power cutoff signal of the heater 130. That is, it controls the water supply valve or the water supply pump so that water is supplied into the housing.

Here, the controller 141 preferably controls the water supply based on the water supply time. This is because the water level sensor can be omitted in this embodiment. Details of the water supply control will be described later.

The heater controller 140 includes a heater switch 142 for selectively applying commercial power to the heater 130. In addition, the heater switch 142 may be connected in series with the heater 130. Accordingly, power is applied to the heater when the switch is in the ON state, and power is cut off to the heater when the switch is in the OFF state. The heater switch may be formed, for example, as a relay switch, and the heater switch 142 may be selectively controlled through a control signal of the controller 141.

The controller basically generates steam at the start of the steam stroke and controls the heater switch 142 to stop steam generation at the end of the steam stroke. Here, the steam stroke means a process for generating steam and supplying it to the object receiving portion. Therefore, when the steam stroke is started, the controller 141 basically turns on the heater switch 142 to start heating. When the steam stroke is basically completed, the controller 141 turns off the heater switch 142 to terminate the heating.

The controller turns on the heater switch when the steam stroke starts. Thereafter, the controller may control the heater switch 142 until the end of the steam stroke based on a power off signal and a power application signal of the heater. Details of the steam stroke and the heater control during the steam stroke will be described later.

The aforementioned thermostat 145 may be referred to as a means for sensing whether or not there is water in the housing 130. Separately, the heater control unit 140 may include an overheat prevention thermostat for preventing overheating of the heater 130. Since the overheat prevention thermostat is configured to prevent overheating of the heater, it is preferably connected in series with the heater switch 142. The overheat prevention thermostat may be provided to cut off power of the heater 130 at a third preset temperature which is higher than the first preset temperature.

The overheat prevention thermostat may be referred to as a configuration for directly cutting off or connecting the power of the heater based on the temperature of the housing 120. Therefore, in order to more safely perform the overheat prevention of the heater 130, the overheat prevention thermostat may be provided at least two. When two are provided, one may be an overheat prevention thermostat 146 connected in series with the outer heater terminal 131 and the other may be an overheat prevention thermostat 147 connected in series with the inner heater terminal 132.

Since the overheating prevention function, the third preset temperature may be set differently. One is a reversible type in which power is supplied again as the temperature decreases after the power is cut off, and the other is a non-reversable type in which the power is not applied again even when the temperature is reduced after the power is turned off. Can be. In the latter case, power can be applied again when the reset button is pressed.

On the other hand, the thermostats 145, 146, 147 are common in that the water sensing and the function of the overheating protection, but directly reacts to the temperature of the housing. And, the closer the heater 130 in the housing 120, the higher the temperature. Therefore, the installation position and installation structure of these thermostats are very important.

The installation position and structure of the thermostats will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7.

First, the installation position and structure of the thermostat 145 for water detection will be described.

Basically, the inner surface of the housing base 120e is formed in a substantially horizontal plane. Thus, the water surface of the inner water may also form a horizontal plane in parallel thereto. Therefore, the position which can most certainly grasp that all the water turns into steam may be a corner portion where the inner surface of the base 120e and the inner surface of any one side wall meet. Thus, the thermostat 145 is preferably positioned to sense the temperature of this corner portion.

On the other hand, a control power is applied to the thermostat 145. Therefore, it is preferable to be configured to be installed outside the side wall or the base of the thermostat. To this end, bosses 123 and 124 extending into the housing may be formed. The bosses 123 and 124 may be configured to form a fastening hole from the outside of the housing. By forming such bosses on both sides, it is possible to couple and fix the thermostat 145 outside the housing.

The steam generator 100 may be formed in a rectangular shape as described above. The steam generator is installed in the home appliance, the horizontal error may occur during installation. In addition, the horizontal error may occur in the installation of home appliances. This means that the inner surface of the base is not horizontal. If not horizontal, the height difference at both ends in the longitudinal direction is greater than the height difference at both ends in the width direction. Therefore, the water sensing thermostat 145 is provided on the side wall in the longitudinal direction in consideration of this, and specifically, is provided adjacent to the loop heater 135. Therefore, it is possible to be provided near the heater 130 to further increase the temperature reactivity.

In addition, the housing 120 in which the thermostat 145 is installed may have a structure that protrudes inwardly from other parts. This allows for faster thermal reactions due to evaporation of water than at other locations. That is, the temperature reactivity can be further enhanced.

Specifically, a compensation protrusion 145b protruding upward from the inner surface of the base 120e may be formed at a corner portion where the thermostat 145 is positioned. In addition, a protrusion 145a protruding therein may be formed to sense the temperature inside the housing. Here, the compensation protrusion 145b also serves to increase the surface area corresponding to the thermostat 145. Similarly, the protrusion 145a also serves to increase the surface area corresponding to the thermostat 145. Specifically, in the case where the water gradually disappears, the area not in contact with the water is made larger than that of other parts to further increase the temperature reactivity of the thermostat 145.

The compensation protrusion 145b may also be formed to effectively reduce the error of water detection due to the horizontal error. In other words, if only a little water is left, the temperature error may occur particularly largely due to the horizontal error.

For example, in FIG. 3, when the height of the left side is higher than the height of the right side, there may be no water on the left side but only water on the right side. The compensation protrusion 145b causes the temperature to rise faster than the other opposite portion. Therefore, it is possible to quickly determine that there is no water by correcting the horizontal error.

Conversely, if the height of the right side is higher than the height of the left side, there may be no water on the right side but only water on the left side. Similarly, the compensation protrusion 145b prevents the temperature rising from being sensed more slowly than the other opposite portion by sensing the temperature at a higher position. Therefore, it is possible to quickly determine that there is no water by correcting the horizontal error.

That is, the compensation protrusion 145b can effectively detect the water by reducing the temperature deviation when there is no water due to the horizontal error.

In addition, the compensation protrusion 145b or the protrusion 145a is positioned higher than the inner surface of the base 120e. Given that the scale accumulates from the bottom, it can also be seen that it effectively reduces the error of temperature sensing due to the scale.

On the other hand, the overheat prevention thermostat (146, 147) is preferably installed in a position that can represent the temperature of the entire steam generator in a configuration in consideration of safety. Therefore, it is preferable that the heater is provided between the heater lines rather than the heater lines that extend. That is, as shown in Figure 7, it may be provided between the outer heater terminal 131 and the inner heater terminal 132. In addition, the other may be provided in the center portion. These thermostats may likewise be installed outside the steam generator via bosses 123 and 124.

An inner surface of the base 120b may have a recessed portion 122a recessed downward to communicate with the outside of the housing. The depression 122a may communicate with the drain 122 to drain the water therein.

The drain unit 122 may be configured to drain the water inside to the outside after the product test. In this case, the drain part becomes clogged when sold as a real product.

As shown in Figure 4, it is possible to sequentially install three thermostats on any one of the longitudinal side wall (120a). The inlet 113, the outlet 112, and the drain 122 may also be formed on the same sidewall 120a. In addition, the terminals 131 and 132 of the heater may also be formed as the same sidewall portion 120a. Through this, most of the connection of the tube, pipe, power line or control line is made in one side wall portion, making it more compact and easier to manufacture. This may be to wrap the housing 120 through the bracket as much as possible as will be described later.

Hereinafter, the bracket 150 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.

As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the housing 120 may be referred to as a single heater. And, it may be formed of an aluminum material having excellent thermal conductivity. Therefore, the temperature of the housing 120 may be very high. Thus, it is desirable to effectively prevent transfer to other configurations outside of the heat of the housing. To this end, the bracket 150 shown in FIG. 8 may be provided.

The bracket 150 is formed to basically surround the lower surface and side surfaces of the housing. This forms an air layer between the bracket and the housing. Therefore, since this air layer is relatively narrow, heat transfer can be minimized. That is, heat transfer due to convection can be minimized. Of course, this can minimize heat loss. In addition, due to the air layer it is possible to minimize the heat loss transmitted to the outside of the bracket.

It has already been described that the components in which the steam generator is connected to the outside are concentrated in a specific part of the housing, that is, a specific side wall 120a. Therefore, the bracket is not surrounded by the specific side wall 120a. This configuration can be said to prevent the heat of the housing to be transmitted to the outside as much as possible.

In detail, the bracket 150 includes a bracket base 151 corresponding to the bottom surface of the housing and a housing sidewall 152 corresponding to the side surfaces of the housing. Here, as described above, one side is not provided with a side wall, it is possible to connect various components to the steam generator. And that's where we can focus these connections.

On the other hand, the bracket base 151 may be formed with an opening 156 to prevent the bracket from overheating.

As described above, the temperature of the steam generator housing 120 is higher than the temperature of the cover 110. Therefore, it is not preferable that the housing 120 is directly fixed to the home appliance. Accordingly, components for fixing the steam generator to the cover 110 may be formed. In addition, separately or together, the bracket 150 may form various components for fixing the steam generator to the home appliance.

Specifically, it is possible to form various fastening portions 157 and 158 on the bracket sidewall 152. This is because the bracket has a lower temperature than the housing 120. That is, as described above, the bracket 150 forms the air layer with the housing 120.

As is well known, heat transfer by conduction is stronger than heat transfer by convection. In addition, the bracket 150 should be coupled to the housing 120. On the premise of this, it will be desirable to make the coupling area of the bracket 150 and the housing 120 as small as possible.

Bosses 171, 172, and 175 may be formed on the bottom surface of the housing 120 to couple them. Here, the boss is preferably formed to protrude further lower than the heater counterpart 170 described above. In addition, the boss is preferably provided at a position away from the heater line. That is, bosses 171 and 172 may be provided at both sides between the outer heater 133 and the inner heater 134, respectively. In addition, the boss 175 may be further provided at a position between the bosses 171 and 172 while leaving the heater line.

In addition, positioning protrusions 173 and 174 may be provided near two or more bosses among the bosses 171, 172, and 175.

Components corresponding to the bosses and the protrusions may be formed on the bracket 150. Specifically, fastening holes 153 and 155 corresponding to the bosses 171, 172, and 175 may be formed in the bracket. In addition, a position fixing hole 154 corresponding to the protrusions 173 and 174 may be formed in the bracket.

First, the positioning protrusions 173 and 174 are respectively inserted into the positioning holes 154 to fix the position of the bracket 150 coupled to the housing. Thereafter, the bosses and the fastening holes are coupled to each other using screws.

As mentioned above, the bosses are formed to avoid the heater line. In addition, the boss and the positioning projections form an air layer between the housing lower surface and the bracket. This makes it possible to combine the bracket and the housing more easily and firmly while minimizing the contact area between the housing and the bracket.

These air layers prevent excessive temperature rise of the bracket. Therefore, the steam generator 100 can be fixedly installed in the home appliance through the bracket 150.

Therefore, the steam generator in the present embodiment can be formed in a variety of fixing structure of the steam generator on the cover 120 or bracket 150, it is possible to install universally in various home appliances.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the water supply control will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 to 13.

In this embodiment, the steam generator may be connected to an external water supply source, for example, a water supply facility. That is, it may be configured to receive water through the faucet in the building. In this case, the water pressure of the tap water may vary depending on the case. In addition, the water pressure may vary depending on the current use of water in the building.

As described above, the steam generator according to the present embodiment may omit the water level sensor. Therefore, the water supply control can be made based on the water supply time.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the water supply time increases, the water supply amount naturally increases. However, it can be seen that when the water pressure is above a certain level, the water supply amount does not increase compared to the same water supply time. This is because the external water pressure is reduced to some extent due to the water supply valve of the home appliance connected to the faucet. In addition, since the diameter of the water supply line from the water supply valve to the inlet of the steam generator is relatively small, it may be said to be due to the pressure reduction effect due to the water supply line. In addition, the water supply line may be provided with a check valve to prevent backflow of steam or water from the steam generator. Such a check valve is also a cause of pressure reduction.

The amount of water supplied increases as the external water pressure increases due to the above-described structural pressure reduction. On the contrary, when the external water pressure is smaller than the specific water pressure, it can be seen that the water supply amount according to the water pressure is significantly different due to this decompression effect.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the proper water supply amount is 250cc, when water is supplied for about 12 seconds, it can be seen that water is supplied in a proper amount regardless of external water pressure. However, it can be seen that when the external water pressure is 1 bar or less, especially 0.5 bar or more, the water supply amount is significantly smaller.

As described above, the presence or absence of water in the housing of the steam generator in the embodiment of the present invention is sensed based on the temperature of the housing. Considering the capacity of the heater, it is possible to experimentally grasp the correlation between the amount of water supplied and the time when the power-off signal of the heater is generated after the heater is applied.

For example, a small amount of water will shorten the time it takes for all the water to turn into steam, while a large amount of water will be very long. On the other hand, the amount of steam supplied by the steam stroke will vary depending on the purpose. However, in some cases it is necessary to convert a large amount of water into steam and supply it.

As described above, the steam generator according to the embodiment of the present invention can significantly reduce the time required for steam generation instead of significantly reducing the capacity to receive water compared to the conventional steam generator. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when a large amount of steam is supplied, the number of times of refueling and heating may be repeated compared to the prior art.

Here, as shown in FIG. 12, when the external water pressure is normal, it can be seen that the number of times of repeating water supply and heating is not excessive. However, when the external water pressure is very low, a very small amount of water flows in than the proper amount, so that the number of times of repeated refueling and heating may be excessively increased. As a result, there is a possibility of being judged as a heating or water supply error.

Therefore, in order to prevent such a problem, a water supply control method for compensating for low water pressure may be proposed.

As shown in FIG. 13, first, the power is applied to the heater, and then a time (TS Off time) required to generate the heater power off signal is counted in the thermostat 145 and compared with the preset time T1. . The predetermined time T1 is a time set based on the normal water pressure and the water supply time based thereon. Therefore, when the time required for generating the heater power cutoff signal is less than or equal to the preset time T1, the external water pressure is basically determined to be very low, thereby compensating for the water supply time. That is, the water supply time is increased by adding the compensation time T2 to the preset water supply time (S120).

On the other hand, if the time required to generate the heater power off signal is greater than the predetermined time (T1) is determined to be normal does not compensate for the water supply time (S130).

As will be described later, steam administration in particular in the washing machine can be carried out in a variety of courses. The steam stroke may be performed during the washing stroke, or may be performed during the drying stroke, before or after the drying stroke. Therefore, the purpose of the steam administration may be different depending on the course, the state of the object may be different. That is, the clothes may be completely wet or clothes having a very low moisture content. Due to the difference in the course and the structure of the steam generator, the initial driving pattern of the steam generator may vary from course to course.

Therefore, in the step for detecting the low water pressure (S100), the time required for generating the first heater power off signal in the steam stroke is counted after the time required. This is because the amount of water at which the initial heating starts may vary depending on the course. This will be described later.

As a result, regardless of the course where the steam stroke is performed, it is desirable to detect the low water pressure from the second heating.

Meanwhile, the number N of low water pressures detected by the low water pressure detection S100 may be counted for water supply time compensation S120 (S110). That is, water supply and heating can be compensated by detecting low water pressure only when the low water pressure detection frequency is continuously generated as the water supply and heating are repeated. This is because the instantaneous usage is high and the water pressure is lowered and can return to normal water pressure again.

Therefore, it is preferable that the water supply time compensation is performed when the number of low water pressure detections is at least two consecutive times or more.

In one embodiment of the above-described water supply control method, it is basically controlled to supply water for a predetermined time T in order to supply an appropriate amount of water to the steam generator. However, depending on the course to be performed, the initial driving pattern of the steam generator in which water supply and heating starts may vary. That is, the steam generator driving pattern at the beginning of the steam stroke may vary depending on the course to be performed. However, the steam stroke termination patterns may be the same regardless of the course.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the course including the steam stroke will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 15.

First, with reference to Figure 14 will be described with respect to the washing course, especially the steam washing course including the steam stroke to wash using the wash water.

When the laundry is put in the object receiving unit and the laundry preparation is completed, one washing course of the plurality of washing courses is selected, and the washing course starts.

After the start of the washing course, the amount of laundry to be washed, that is, the quantity of the laundry is sensed (S200). Washing water for washing based on the amount of water is supplied to the tub or drum (S211). A sieve is performed simultaneously with watering or for a period of time after watering. Then, after the completion of the coating core washing (S215) or main washing is performed. After the main wash, the drainage takes place and the washing administration ends. After the end of the washing administration proceeds in the order of rinsing stroke (S220) and dehydration stroke or main dehydration (S230) to end the washing course.

The washing course is a general washing course in which washing is performed using only washing water, and a steam washing course in which a steam administration is added to the washing course may be selected.

As described in the above-described embodiment of the steam generator, it is possible to supply steam by generating steam in a very fast time. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the course execution time due to the steam stroke is lengthened.

More specifically, the steam stroke (S212, S213) may be performed between the water supply 211 and the post-washing (S214). That is, it can be performed at the stage where the foaming is performed. This steam stroke may be performed before the post-washing (S215) performed in a state in which washing water is no longer added.

The steam washing course is a course that performs washing using washing water and steam. Therefore, the water supply 211 may be supplied to the steam generator. On the other hand, the steam washing course may require a large amount of steam. For example, the steam stroke may be performed to supply steam to the drum to supply steam until the temperature inside the drum reaches a set temperature. Of course, the steam stroke may be performed for a set time. In either case, when a large amount of steam is required, water supply and heating to the steam generator may be repeated.

After that, when the steam stroke ends, the heating does not proceed anymore. However, when the steam stroke is completed, it is preferable that the additional water supply to the steam generator is performed. This is because the end of the steam stroke may be the time when all the water in the steam generator is converted to steam. In this case, it is necessary to eliminate overheating of the steam generator. Therefore, it is preferable to feed water to the steam generator for a time smaller than the predetermined time T1, for example, for 1 second.

Therefore, the steam stroke in the steam washing course may include a water supply step for generating steam, and may include a water supply step (S214) by overheating after the steam stroke ends.

Detailed description of the steam administration in the steam washing course will be described later.

The refresh course will be described with reference to FIG. 15. The refresh course is a course that excludes the use of wash water. In other words, it is basically a course for refreshing dry clothing or clothing with low moisture content. Therefore, it can be said that the clothing is not sufficiently wet in the refresh course.

The steam stroke in the refresh course may be performed until a predetermined condition is satisfied. That is, it generates steam (S312) and determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied (S313) to end the steam administration.

Here, the steam stroke may include an additional water supply (S313) after the heating ends.

The refresh course may include a hot air supply step performed before the steam stroke (S312, S313), may include a variety of post-stroke (S315) after the steam stroke. The rear stroke may be a stroke for driving the drum for a set time. The rear stroke may be a stroke for supplying hot air, cold air, or a combination thereof during the set time.

Therefore, all of these after-strokes are complete | finished and a refresh course is complete | finished.

Meanwhile, the end pattern of the steam stroke in the refresh course may be the same as the end pattern of the steam stroke in the steam washing course. Likewise, in some cases, it is necessary to prevent overheating of the steam generator.

Details of the steam stroke in the refresh course will be described later.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the heater control in the steam stroke will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 18.

First, power is applied to the heater of the steam generator after water supply or before water supply according to the course (S600). This may be said that the controller 141 described in FIG. 11 turns on the heater switch 142 to apply power to the heater.

When all the water inside the steam generator is converted to steam, the temperature of the steam generator, in particular the temperature of the housing rises rapidly. The heater controller 140 may be configured to generate a heater shutoff signal when the temperature of the housing reaches the first preset temperature. The heater shutoff signal may be implemented through the thermostat 145.

Accordingly, the controller 141 determines whether a heater power cutoff signal is generated (S601), and when the heater power cutoff signal is generated, cuts off the power of the heater (S602). Of course, the controller 141 cuts off the power of the heater by controlling the heater switch 142.

When the power of the heater is cut off, the controller 141 controls the water supply to proceed for a preset time T1. When water supply starts, the temperature of the housing decreases, so the heater power off signal is changed to a heater power supply signal. Therefore, the controller applies the power of the heater once again (S600) to control the heating and water supply to be repeated. Of course, this heating and water repetition is performed until the end of the steam stroke.

The end of the steam stroke may be determined as a set time or a target temperature. In the case of a refresh course, it may be possible to determine the dryness or the amount of wetness through a dryness sensor (S603).

Therefore, when it is determined that the steam stroke is terminated (S603), it is finally controlled to cut off the power of the heater (S604).

Here, the heating (S600), the heating stop (S602) and the water supply (S605) is continuously repeated until the steam stroke is finished. The water supply control is performed based on the water supply time. Thus, this repetition can be basically performed in the same manner in the steam administration irrespective of the course.

When the steam stroke is completed, additional water supply for overheating of the steam generator may be commonly performed. In addition, the above-described steps for the low water pressure sensing may be performed during this iteration process. These steps will prevent excessive repetition of heating and watering.

Hereinafter, a steam stroke in the steam washing course will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 16. Figure 16 shows in more detail the detailed steps of the steam stroke.

Steam administration in the steam washing course is started from the supercharged water (S400). That is, it starts with water supply, not heating.

The water supply is basically controlled to be made during the preset time T1. However, the supercharged water (S400) is made for a longer time than this, the water supplied is more than the capacity of the steam generator can be introduced into the object receiving portion. In addition, the supercharged water (S400) may proceed simultaneously with the water supply (S211) shown in Figure 14, or may proceed until the water supply (S211) is finished. That is, it can be said that the steam is generated by supplying the washing water for washing through the steam generator and heating the water remaining after the supercharged water.

Here, the supercharged water (S400) performs the following role. The steam washing administration requires a large amount of steam. Thus, a large amount of water is heated to produce steam. This means repeating water supply and heating. Therefore, there is a possibility that foreign matter such as scale accumulates inside the steam generator. The supercharged water (S400) serves to clean the inside of the steam generator.

On the other hand, if the heating 402 is started after the supercharged water (S400) there is a fear that the heated water flows into the object receiving portion. However, as described above, since the laundry is already wet to some extent in the wash water, damage to the object is prevented.

Once the heating 402 is started, a water supply or a heating error is detected (S403). When a water supply or a heating error is detected, the steam stroke ends. However, when the water supply or the heating error is not detected, it is determined whether the steam administration condition is satisfied (S404), and the water supply S401 and the heating 402 are repeatedly performed.

Of course, the repetition of the water supply S401 and the heating 402 is performed when the steam stroke condition is satisfied. The steam stroke condition may be a target temperature or steam stroke time in the drum. In addition, the number of repetitions of the water supply S401 and the heating 402 may be determined. In this case, it is possible to limit the excessive number of repetitions, and FIG. 16 illustrates a case where the number of repetitions is 14 as an example.

The water supply (S4010) is of course controlled based on the preset time (T1), the repeated control of the water supply (S401) and the heating 402 may be applied to the embodiment of the heater control in the steam stroke shown in FIG. will be.

On the other hand, the determination of the water supply or heating error (S403) may be performed through the temperature sensor 160 shown in FIG.

When water is supplied, the temperature of the steam generator should drop. When the heating starts, the temperature of the steam generator should rise. The fall and rise values or the rate of change of the temperature can be used to determine the water supply or heating error.

For example, if the temperature rises excessively after the start of heating, it may be determined as a water supply error. That means that the water is not properly supplied. On the contrary, even if the temperature rise is very slow after the start of heating, it may be regarded as a water supply error. In other words, the water is continuously supplied. In addition, even if the temperature drop after the water supply after heating is very slow, it means that the water is not properly supplied.

On the other hand, if the temperature rise does not occur during heating may be determined as a heater error.

The temperature sensor may be implemented in a thermistor form. Such thermistors are capable of sensing the current temperature, not just determining the threshold value. Therefore, it is possible to sense the temperature at a specific time point. Therefore, the controller 141 can easily calculate the temperature change rate based on the plurality of sensing times and the sensing temperature data. Therefore, the controller 141 can easily grasp the error of the water supply or the heater through the temperature change rate using the temperature data or the temperature data at a specific time.

Hereinafter, the steam stroke in the refresh course will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 17. 17 shows more detailed steps of the steam stroke.

The steam stroke in the refresh course is started from the heating (S500). That is, it starts with heating, not water supply. Therefore, the initial steam generator driving pattern is different from the steam stroke in the above-described steam washing course.

However, once the steam stroke is started with the heating S500, the subsequent steps may be the same as the steam stroke in the above-described steam washing stroke. Specifically, the water supply or heating error determination step (S501), the water supply (S502) step may be the same as the above-described embodiment.

Similarly, the steam stroke end condition determination step (S503) may be the same. However, the steam stroke termination condition may be different in the steam washing course and the refresh course. This is because the amount of steam required in the refresh course may be relatively small.

In detail, the steam washing course may be controlled to end the steam stroke when the target temperature is reached in the drum, and the steam washing course may be controlled to end the steam stroke when the predetermined time is reached.

On the other hand, as described above, the refresh course is basically a course for supplying steam to dry clothes. Therefore, when hot water is supplied to dry clothes, there is a fear that heat damage occurs on the surface of the clothes. Therefore, in the refresh course, it is very important to prevent the water heated by the steam generator from being supplied to the object receiving portion.

The steam stroke termination may be terminated regardless of the amount of water provided in the steam generator. That is, the steam stroke is terminated during water supply, so that a large amount of water may remain in the steam generator. In addition, the steam stroke may end as soon as heating starts. In this case, too much water remains.

It is possible that a new refresh course will be carried out with water remaining. In this case, if water is first performed in the steam stroke, the remaining hot water may be supplied to the object receiving unit together with the water to be supplied.

Similarly, if water supply is performed first, the water level inside the steam generator may rise or overflow near the steam outlet 112. At this time, when the heating is started to generate steam, the heated water is more likely to be supplied to the object receiving portion.

In order to solve these problems, in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the heating is performed first without water supply when starting the steam stroke in the refresh course.

On the other hand, the end pattern of the steam generator at the end of the steam administration in the above-described steam washing course and the refreshing course may be the same. That is, as described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15, the steam stroke may be ended by additional water supply after the heating is stopped.

100: steam generator 110: cover
120 housing 130 heater
140: heater control unit 141: controller
142: heater switch 145: water detection thermostat
145, 147: overheat detection thermostat 150: bracket

Claims (24)

cabinet;
An accommodation part located inside the cabinet to accommodate an object;
Located outside the object receiving portion, and comprises a steam generator for generating steam for supply to the receiving portion,
The steam generator,
A housing for receiving the water supplied;
A heater that generates steam by heating the housing to heat the housing; And
Heater control unit is provided to cut off the power of the heater when the temperature of the housing is the first predetermined temperature exceeds the boiling point of water, so that the power is applied to the heater until the received water is substantially all converted to steam Including;
And the heater is embedded in the housing to heat the housing. The method of claim 1,
The heater controller comprises a thermostat for generating a power off signal of the heater at the first preset temperature. 3. The method of claim 2,
The thermostat generates a power-on signal of the heater when the temperature of the housing is lower than the first preset temperature and exceeds the boiling point of water after the heater is turned off. . The method of claim 3, wherein
The heater controller comprises a controller for cutting off or applying the power of the heater on the basis of the power off signal and the power application signal of the heater. The method of claim 4, wherein
The controller is characterized in that for controlling the water supply to the housing based on the power off signal. The method of claim 5, wherein
The controller is a home appliance, characterized in that for controlling the water supply for a predetermined time. The method of claim 1,
The housing is a household appliance, characterized in that formed by aluminum die casting. The method of claim 7, wherein
And a cover coupled to an upper portion of the housing to form a closed space. The method of claim 8,
The cover is a home appliance, characterized in that formed by plastic injection. The method of claim 9,
The material of the cover is a home appliance, characterized in that the SPS or PPS. The method of claim 7, wherein
The housing includes:
A rectangular base;
Longitudinal sidewalls; And
It comprises a side wall in the width direction, home appliances, characterized in that a space for receiving water therein is formed. The method of claim 11,
The heater is a home appliance, characterized in that embedded in the base by insert molding. 13. The method of claim 12,
The inner surface of the base is formed in a substantially flat, the outer surface of the base is a home appliance, characterized in that it comprises a heater corresponding to protrude downward to correspond to the shape of the heater. The method of claim 13,
The heater includes a heater terminal provided in the longitudinal thickness portion of the base and connected to the commercial power source,
The heater terminal,
An outer heater terminal provided near a specific sidewall among the width sidewalls; And
And an inner heater terminal provided near the outer heater terminal, the inner heater terminal being biased toward the specific side wall rather than the other side wall. 15. The method of claim 14,
The heater
An outer heater extending from the outer heater terminal and provided at three outer sides of the base;
An inner heater extending from the inner heater terminal and provided inside the outer heater and provided in parallel with the outer heater; And
Home appliance, characterized in that the outer heater and the inner heater comprises a loop heater connected in a curved form. The method of claim 3, wherein
The heater control unit,
A heater switch for selectively applying commercial power to the heater; And
And a controller for generating steam at the start of the steam stroke and controlling the heater switch to stop steam generation at the end of the steam stroke. 17. The method of claim 16,
The heater control unit is connected to the heater switch in series home appliances, characterized in that it comprises an overheating thermostat to cut off the power of the heater at a third preset temperature exceeding the first preset temperature. The method of claim 17,
At least two thermostatic prevention thermostats are provided, wherein the third preset temperature is set differently from home appliances. The method of claim 16, wherein
And the controller turns on the heater switch at the start of the steam stroke, and then controls the heater switch based on a power off signal and a power application signal of the heater until the end of the steam stroke. Steam containing a housing located inside the cabinet for receiving an object, and a housing located outside the object receiving portion, generating steam for supply to the receiving portion and receiving the water supplied and a heater embedded in the housing In the control method of home appliances comprising a generator,
Starting heating by first turning on a heater switch to apply commercial power to a heater of the steam generator in a steam stroke;
A sensing step of generating a power-on signal and a power-off signal of the heater based on the temperature of the steam generator after the heating start step;
A water supply step of turning off the heater switch and supplying water to the steam generator based on the power off signal; And
And turning on the heater switch based on the power application signal to resume heating. 21. The method of claim 20,
Control method of a home appliance, characterized in that the water is supplied to the steam generator for a set time in the water supply step. 21. The method of claim 20,
The steam generator is provided to receive the water supplied, and comprises a housing formed of aluminum die casting,
And the heater is embedded in the housing by insert molding. 21. The method of claim 20,
The temperature of the steam generator is a control method of a home appliance, characterized in that the temperature is sensed near the corner formed by the inner bottom surface and the inner side of the housing. 24. The method of claim 23,
In the sensing step,
The control method of the home appliance, characterized in that the power off signal of the heater is generated at the first preset temperature when the temperature of the housing exceeds the boiling point of water.

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