KR101542499B1 - Apparatus and method for cutting off under voltage of dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing a low voltage in a dryer that cuts off a voltage supplied to a dryer when the voltage supplied to the dryer is lower than a reference voltage. In the method for reducing a voltage of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, ; Comparing the magnitude of the sensed voltage with a reference value; And disconnecting the power supplied to the dryer when the detected voltage is smaller than the reference voltage.

Ignition device, power off, valve lock

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a low voltage cut-

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for preventing a low voltage in a dryer, and more particularly, to a system and method for preventing a low voltage from being interrupted when a low voltage is supplied to a dryer, And a method and apparatus for low voltage shutdown of a dryer that locks a gas valve.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] Generally, a clothes processing apparatus includes a washing machine, a clothes dryer, or a washing and drying machine having functions of washing and drying. The washing machine is a device for removing contaminants from contaminated laundry while washing, rinsing, And a rotatable tank installed inside the main body to store water and a rotatable tank rotatably installed in the reservoir. The laundry and the washing water are put into the rotary tub together with the detergent, and the rotary tub is rotated to apply a physical impact to the laundry to wash the laundry. In general, a washing machine is divided into two types depending on whether the rotary shaft of the rotary drum for treating laundry is divided into two types, that is, a washing machine with a vertical axis of rotation and a horizontal rotary shaft is called a drum washing machine .

The clothes dryer refers to a device for loading laundry in a state in which the washing process is completed and the dehydration process is completed into the drum of the dryer, and supplying hot air into the drum to evaporate the moisture of the laundry to dry the laundry. According to the structure of the dryer, the dryer includes a drum inside the dryer into which the laundry is introduced, a driving motor for driving the drum, a blowing fan for blowing air into the drum, and a heating means for heating the air flowing into the drum . The heating means may utilize the high-temperature electric resistance heat generated by using the electric resistance or the combustion heat generated by burning the gas.

And, in the dryer, the air leaving the drum has the moisture of the laundry in the drum, and the air becomes hot and humid. In this case, the dryer can be classified according to the method of treating the high temperature and high humidity air. Since the high temperature and high humidity air circulates without being discharged to the outside of the dryer, heat exchange with the outside air occurs in the condenser, A condensing dryer for condensing the air, and an exhaust dryer for discharging the hot and humid air passing through the drum directly to the outside.

In the conventional gas-type clothes dryer, when the supplied voltage is low and the ignition device can not operate normally and the gas can not be ignited, the gas leaks and there is a fear of user stability such as gas explosion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a gas-type dryer that detects the magnitude of a supply voltage even when the igniter can not ignite the gas because the voltage supplied to the drier is low and cuts off the power supplied to the igniter The present invention also provides a low-voltage cut-off device and method of a dryer that protects a user's safety due to gas leakage by closing a gas valve.

A low voltage breaking apparatus for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gas valve and an ignition device, the clothes dryer comprising: a power source processor for converting a commercial voltage into a DC voltage; A switching unit for blocking a voltage supplied to the ignition device according to a control signal; And a controller for sensing the magnitude of the converted DC voltage and comparing the magnitude of the DC voltage with a reference value and outputting a control signal to the switching unit when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than a reference value.

The low-voltage breaking device includes a setting unit for setting the type of the dryer; It is possible to further include a power supply unit for supplying power to the dryer or a display unit for displaying the condition of the dryer.

The power supply processing unit includes: a power conversion unit for reducing a commercial voltage; A DC power supply unit for converting an AC voltage into a rectified and DC voltage; And a voltage distributor for outputting the magnitude of the input DC voltage.

The control unit may shut off the gas valve within a predetermined time and output a control signal for opening the switching unit when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than the reference value.

A method of isolating a low voltage of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to a dryer; Comparing the magnitude of the sensed voltage with a reference value; And disconnecting the power supplied to the dryer when the detected voltage is smaller than the reference voltage.

The low voltage blocking method of the dryer may further include detecting the type of the dryer.

Wherein the step of sensing the magnitude of the voltage comprises the steps of: sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer in a waiting state; And a second sensing step of sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the drier when performing a stroke.

The first sensing step may include sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer during a first set time when the power is applied; Determining completion of the first sensing step when there is an instruction to perform an operation of the user during sensing the voltage magnitude; And comparing the sensing voltage and the magnitude of the first reference voltage at the completion of the first sensing step.

The second sensing step may include sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer during the first predetermined time during the stroke; And comparing a magnitude of the sensed voltage with a magnitude of a second reference voltage.

The step of shutting off the power supply may include a step of displaying a failure of the power supply unit until a second set time, shutting off the power of the ignition device after the second set time has elapsed, and locking the gas valve.

In the apparatus and method for preventing a low voltage in a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the supplied voltage is low and the ignition device can not operate normally to ignite the gas, the power supplied to the ignition device is cut off , The gas valve can be closed to prevent explosion or the like of the gas caused by the gas leakage, thereby securing the stability of the consumer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a configuration and operation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes dryer to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing an internal structure of FIG.

1 and 2, the dryer 100 includes a main body 110 constituting the outer shape of the main body 110. The main body 110 includes a main body 110, The inlet 112 is formed. The input port 112 is opened and closed by a door 111. An operation panel 1116 having various operation buttons for operating the dryer is located above the input port 112, A drum 120 rotatably communicated with the rear side of the drum 112, a hot air supply unit 140 providing hot air into the drum 120, A heat exchanger 200 for dehumidifying the air exhausted from the drum 120 is disposed.

A door 111 for putting clothes into the drum 120 is installed on the front surface of the main body 110 and a foot 113 for supporting the main body 110 is installed on the bottom side. A fan 133 installed in a circulating duct 114 for providing a wind power for air in the clothes dryer and a fan 133 installed in the clothes dryer 131 and the fan 133, And a motor 135 for providing a driving force to the motor.

Here, a plurality of motors 135 may be provided to provide the driving force to the belt 131 and the fan 133, respectively. On the other hand, a filter (not shown) is installed in the circulating duct 114 to filter lint such as nappy, seams, etc. contained in the high-temperature and high-humidity air discharged from the drum 120.

The drum 120 is provided with a plurality of lifters 121 capable of lifting the clothes therein.

The hot air supply unit 140 includes a gas valve (not shown) for supplying and shutting off the gas, a gas combustor 143 for mixing the gas exhausted from the gas valve with air supplied from the outside, A hot air supply duct 145 that connects the gas combustor 143 and the drum 120 to supply hot air to the drum 120 and a hot air temperature sensor 147 that measures the temperature of the hot air flowing into the drum 120; .

The hot air supply unit 140 is provided with a flame rod that extends to the edge of the flame in order to indirectly determine the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) generated from the flame current by detecting the flame current.

The control unit (not shown) determines the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) generated by the flame current measured by the flame load. At this time, when the amount of generated carbon monoxide increases to such an extent that it is harmful to the human body, the gas supply is cut off and a warning sound is emitted.

The gas combustor 143 is connected to the gas valve and mixes the gas exhausted from the gas valve and the outside air to burn the mixture, and then heats the air with heat generated at this time. The hot air generated by the heating is supplied to the drum 120 through the hot air supply duct 145.

The hot air temperature sensor 147 is installed at the connection portion 145a between the hot air supply duct 145 and the drum 120. Of course, the hot air temperature sensor 147 may use a plurality of hot air temperature sensors 147 as needed, or may be installed in the hot air supply duct 145.

The temperature measured by the hot air temperature sensor 147 may be such that when the amount of the air flowing through the inside of the dryer is reduced, for example, when the Lint is interposed in the filter to block the flow of air, If the amount of air in the dryer is reduced due to clogging of ducts connected to the outside, the temperature of the air flowing into the drum 120 exceeds the proper temperature range, thereby damaging the dry matter.

In order to prevent this, the hot air supply unit 140 adjusts the amount of gas supplied to the gas combustor 143 by adjusting the gas valve according to the air flow rate. That is, when the air flow rate is reduced and the temperature value measured by the hot air temperature sensor 147 exceeds the proper temperature range, the gas valve is partially or wholly closed to reduce or shut off the amount of gas flowing into the gas combustor 143 . For this purpose, it is preferable that the gas valve uses a solenoid valve so as to sensitively control the gas injection amount.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a low-voltage cut-off device of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the power sensing unit of FIG. 3, Circuit.

Referring to FIG. 3, a clothes dryer having a gas valve and an ignition device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a power processor 250 for converting a commercial voltage into a DC voltage; A switching unit (240) for shutting off a voltage supplied to the ignition device according to a control signal; The control unit 210 senses the magnitude of the converted DC voltage and compares the magnitude of the DC voltage with a reference value and outputs a control signal to the switching unit when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than the reference value.

The low-voltage breaking device 200 of the dryer includes a setting unit 220 for setting the type of the dryer; A power supply unit for supplying power to the dryer or a display unit 260 for displaying the condition of the dryer.

The power supply processing unit 250 includes a power conversion unit 251 for reducing a commercial voltage; A DC power supply unit 252 for converting an AC voltage into a rectified and DC voltage; And a voltage divider 253 for outputting the magnitude of the input DC voltage.

The setting unit 220 is used to indicate that the clothes dryer to which the overvoltage detection device of the present invention is applied is an electric clothes dryer, and the manufacturer may implement an optional resistor or dip switch. Therefore, when the present invention is applied only to the gas-type clothes dryer, the setting unit 220 may be omitted.

When the clothes dryer is powered, a commercial power source of 220 [V] or 110 [V] is supplied to the DC power source unit 252 by being lowered by the power source conversion unit 251. In addition, the commercial power is supplied to the ignition device 270 which ignites the gas exhausted from the gas valve (not shown) through the switching part 240.

The power conversion unit 251 converts a high voltage of a commercial power supply into a low voltage, and is implemented as a transformer in this embodiment. The transformer transforms only the size of the commercial power applied to the primary and transmits it to the secondary. That is, since the power supplied to the primary side of the power conversion unit 251 is an AC voltage, the voltage output from the secondary side of the power conversion unit 251 is also a reduced AC voltage.

The DC power supply unit 252 receives the AC voltage through the power conversion unit 251 and outputs a DC voltage using a rectification circuit and a smoothing circuit provided therein. 5, the DC power supply 252 outputs a DC voltage of 16 [V], receives the voltage of 16 [V], and outputs a stable voltage of 12 [V] Respectively.

A voltage of 16 V, which is the same as the output of the smoothing circuit, is applied to the right capacitor C2 shown in FIG. 5, and the constant voltage IC 255, to which the voltage is applied, So that the voltage of the power source is stably maintained.

The voltage distribution unit 253 lowers the output voltage of the DC power supply unit 252 to an appropriate voltage for processing the data by the control unit 210 and supplies the voltage to the control unit 210. [ As shown in FIG. 4, the voltage distributor 253 distributes the output voltage of the DC power supply 252 by using the resistors R1 and R2. Alternatively, it is also possible to sense the voltage using an OP-amp or comparator circuit.

The switching unit 240 may be implemented as an electronic switching device such as a relay device or a power transistor. In this embodiment, a relay is used.

When the sensed voltage is lower than the reference voltage, the control unit 210 opens the switching unit to shut off the power supplied to the ignition device, and closes the gas valve to block gas leakage. That is, when the sensed voltage is less than 89 [V], the switching unit is opened and the gas valve is closed.

The reference voltage is divided into a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The first reference voltage is a reference voltage in a standby state of the dryer, and the second reference voltage is a reference voltage in an operating state of the dryer. Here, the first reference voltage is larger than the second reference voltage, which considers that the dryer consumes power in other apparatuses provided in the dryer in the operating state than in the standby state.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the overvoltage cut-off method of the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a method of overvoltage shutdown of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes steps S30 and S70 of detecting a magnitude of a voltage supplied to a dryer; Comparing the magnitude of the sensed voltage with a reference value (S42, S71); And disconnecting the power supplied to the dryer when the detected voltage is smaller than the reference voltage (S60).

The overvoltage shutdown method of the dryer may further include a step S10 of detecting the type of the dryer.

The step of sensing the magnitude of the voltage may include a first sensing step (S30) of sensing the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the drier in the standby state; And a second sensing step (S70) of sensing the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the drier during the execution of the stroke.

Here, the first sensing step senses the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the dryer during the first set time when the power is applied (S30), and when the user performs an execution command during the sensing of the voltage magnitude, (S40, S41), and compares the sensed voltage with the magnitude of the first reference voltage at the completion of the first sensing step. (S42)

The first set time is about 10 seconds. Specifically, about 6 seconds are required to initialize the AD converter (not in operation) provided in the controller 210 from when the power is applied, It takes about 4 seconds to detect the voltage after the end.

The second sensing step senses the magnitude of the voltage supplied to the drier during the first predetermined time during the execution of the stroke at step S70 and compares the sensed voltage with the magnitude of the second reference voltage at step S71.

The first setting time is about 10 seconds. Specifically, the first setting time is about 10 seconds, that is, the time required for initializing the AD converter (not yet operating) 6 seconds, and it takes about 4 seconds to detect the voltage after the initialization.

The first reference voltage is somewhat higher than the second reference voltage.

In step S60, the power supply is turned off until the second set time, and the ignition device is turned off when the second set time has elapsed.

Here, if the sensed voltage is higher than the first and second reference voltages, the controller performs the set strokes.

More specifically, in step S60, the controller 210 initializes an internal AD converter (not shown) for about 6 seconds from power-on when power is applied to the clothes dryer, And senses the output voltage of the voltage divider 253 for a second. If the user operates the dryer during the voltage sensing operation, the controller compares the detected voltage with the first reference voltage if the voltage sensing operation is terminated. If the detected voltage is higher than the first reference voltage, the controller performs a predetermined stroke. If the sensed voltage is lower than the first reference voltage, the power supply to the ignition device is shut off. Close the valve.

However, if the voltage sensing operation is not completed, the internal AD converter (not shown) is initialized for about 6 seconds from the time of the operation of the dryer, and the output voltage of the voltage distributor 253 is sensed for about 4 seconds. In this case, the detected voltage is compared with the second reference voltage, and if the sensed voltage is higher than the second reference voltage according to a result of the comparison, a predetermined stroke is performed, If the voltage is lower than the voltage, the power supplied to the ignition device is shut off and the gas valve is closed.

Thus, the low-voltage breaker of the dryer according to the present embodiment senses when the output voltage of the commercial power source is lower than 89 [V], even though the rated voltage of the commercial power supplied to the clothes dryer is 110 [V] It is possible to prevent power from being supplied to the device 270 and also to close the gas valve to prevent leakage of the gas and to prevent a stable accident caused by the leaked gas without being ignited.

In the overvoltage shutdown method of the dryer, it is possible for the display unit 260 to display to the user or the manager that the ignition device can not operate normally because the commercial voltage is low as described above, and that the gas valve is also closed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof and accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but may be applied to a gas / condensable clothes dryer or the like. Further, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the above embodiments and drawings, and the scope of the present invention will be limited only by the content of the following claims.

1 is a perspective view of a gas-type dryer to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

2 is a side cross-sectional view of the gas-type dryer of Fig.

3 is a block diagram of a low voltage isolation device of a dryer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a voltage distribution circuit diagram used in an embodiment of the detection unit of FIG.

5 is a circuit diagram of a constant voltage source provided in the DC power source unit of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart of a low-voltage blocking method of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (14)

A clothes dryer having a gas valve and an ignition device, A power processor for converting a commercial voltage into a DC voltage; A switching unit for blocking a voltage supplied to the ignition device according to a control signal; And a control unit for sensing the magnitude of the converted DC voltage and comparing the magnitude of the DC voltage with a reference value and outputting a control signal to the switching unit when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than a reference value, Wherein the control unit opens the switching unit according to the control signal within a predetermined time when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than the reference value. The method according to claim 1, A setting unit for setting the type of the dryer to which the low-voltage breaking device is applied; Further comprising a power supply for supplying power to the dryer or a display unit for displaying the condition of the dryer. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the controller cuts off the gas valve according to the control signal within a predetermined time when the sensed DC voltage is smaller than a reference value. The method of claim 1, wherein The power supply processing unit includes: a power conversion unit for reducing a commercial voltage; A DC power supply unit for converting an AC voltage into a rectified and DC voltage; And a voltage dividing unit for lowering the magnitude of the input DC voltage and outputting the reduced DC voltage. Sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer; Comparing the magnitude of the sensed voltage with a reference value; And disconnecting the power supplied to the dryer when the detected voltage is smaller than the reference voltage, Wherein the step of sensing the magnitude of the voltage comprises: A first sensing step of sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer in a standby state; And a second sensing step of sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer when performing a stroke. The method according to claim 6, Further comprising sensing the type of the dryer. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > 11. < / RTI > delete The method according to claim 6, Wherein the first sensing step comprises: Sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer during a first set time when the power is applied; Determining completion of the first sensing step when there is an instruction to perform an operation of the user during sensing the voltage magnitude; And comparing the sensed voltage and the magnitude of the first reference voltage at the completion of the first sensing step. 10. The method of claim 9, The second sensing step may include sensing a magnitude of a voltage supplied to the dryer during the first predetermined time during the stroke; And comparing the sensed voltage with a magnitude of a second reference voltage. 11. The method according to claim 9 or 10, Wherein the step of shutting off the power supply indicates a failure of the power supply unit by a second set time. 12. The method of claim 11, Wherein the step of shutting off the power supply comprises the step of shutting off the power supply of the ignition device and locking the gas valve when the second set time has elapsed. 11. The method of claim 10, And when the sensed voltage is higher than the first and second reference voltages, performing the predetermined stroke. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein the first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage.

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