KR101970251B1 - Laundry treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A laundry processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a casing formed with a charging port and defining a predetermined space therein, a drum rotatably provided in the casing, the drum accommodating the laundry introduced through the charging port, And a drying degree sensor disposed in the drum, wherein the drying degree sensor detects the degree of drying of the laundry through contact with the laundry, A second wireless communication module for wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication module and transmitting the sensed conductivity through the electrode sensor to the first wireless communication module; And a power supply for supplying power to the module.

Description

{LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a laundry processing apparatus having a drying degree sensor which is inserted into a rotary drum and senses the degree of drying of clothes put into the drum.

The laundry processing apparatus is a device that processes laundry through various operations such as washing, dehydrating and / or drying. The laundry processing apparatus includes a washing machine for removing dirt adhered to laundry by using water and a detergent, a drum loaded with wet laundry at a high speed, a dehydrator for dehydrating the laundry, and dry air into a drum into which laundry is loaded, , A drying and washing machine having both a drying function and a washing function.

Korean Patent Publication No. KR2007-0015291 (published on Mar. 02, 02, 2007) discloses a dryer having a humidity sensor in a duct through which air discharged from a drum flows. Such a conventional dryer is not an indirect measurement method of the drying degree of the clothes but an indirect measurement method in which the humidity of the air is sensed and the drying degree of the clothes is estimated based on the humidity, . Particularly, when foreign substances such as lint are accumulated in the humidity sensor due to long-term use, there is a problem that accuracy is lowered.

In addition, conventionally, an electrode sensor is installed in a filter unit provided at the front of the drum, and when the electrode sensor is brought into contact with the clothes, the moisture of the clothes (i.e., There has been a dryer in which a positive electrode is energized and a drying degree of the clothes is estimated based on the current value flowing in the circuit at this time. However, since the position of the electrode sensor is fixed in such a dryer, There was no problem.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is that firstly means for detecting the degree of drying of the clothes is not fixed and the position is changed according to the rotation of the drum so that the clothes can be contacted with various clothes scattered in the drum, And to provide a laundry processing apparatus.

A laundry processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a casing formed with a charging port and defining a predetermined space therein, a drum rotatably provided in the casing, the drum accommodating the laundry introduced through the charging port, A first wireless communication module positioned and fixed relative to the casing, and a drying degree sensor injected into the drum.

Wherein the drying degree sensor comprises: an electrode sensor for sensing the degree of drying of the laundry through contact with the laundry; a wireless communication unit for wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication module, A second wireless communication module for transmitting data to the second wireless communication module, and a power source for supplying power to the electrode sensor and the second wireless communication module.

In the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention, the electrode sensor provided in the drying degree sensor that moves in the drum senses the degree of drying of the cloth while making direct contact with the cloth. Therefore, the detection accuracy is improved, and furthermore, since the position of the drying degree sensor is not fixed, it is possible to contact with various kinds of pods while moving in the drum, So that it can be grasped accurately.

In addition, the drying degree detector can detect the degree of drying even in a bubble in a deep position of the drum.

In addition, the present invention fundamentally solves the conventional problem that the accuracy of detection due to the accumulation of foreign substances such as lint is low.

1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the dryer of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 is a front view of the dryer of FIG. 1, showing a state in which a drying degree sensor is inserted into the drum.
4 is a block diagram illustrating the control relationship between the main parts of the dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of the dryness detector.
6 is an exploded view of the dryness detector of FIG.

A laundry processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a casing formed with a charging port and forming a predetermined space inwardly, a laundry (hereinafter also referred to as " package ") provided rotatably in the space, And a drum accommodating the drum.

In the case of a front loading type laundry processing apparatus, a charging port is formed on the front surface of the casing, and a drum is opened on the front surface to communicate with the charging port. The drum is provided so as to be rotatable about the horizontal axis by aligning the center of the drum with an axis that is horizontal (or horizontally slanted at a predetermined angle but closer to horizontal than vertical).

In the case of a top loading type laundry processing apparatus, a charging port is formed on the upper surface of the casing, and an upper surface of the drum is opened to communicate with the charging port, and the center of the drum is vertically (or vertically slanted at a predetermined angle And is rotatable about the vertical axis, aligned on an axis that is closer to vertical than horizontal.

In the case of a washing machine, a drum is disposed in a tub (or a water storage tank). In particular, in a washing machine of a front loading type, the tub is horizontally arranged and supported by a damper provided on the lower side.

In a top loading type washing machine, a tub is arranged vertically, and the tub is suspended in a casing by a suspension.

The drum is directly installed in the casing without a tub, and includes a heater, a blower, an air supply duct, and the like for supplying hot air into the drum.

Hereinafter, the laundry processing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to a drying apparatus of a proloading type. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the following description is also applicable to a top loading type dryer and a drying type washing machine.

1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the dryer of Figure 1; FIG. 3 is a front view of the dryer of FIG. 1, showing a state in which a drying degree sensor is inserted into the drum. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the control relationship between the main parts of the dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a perspective view of the dryness detector. 6 is an exploded view of the dryness detector of FIG.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the casing 10 forms the appearance of a clothes dryer and provides a space inwardly in which the drum 4 and other components are disposed. The casing 10 may include a front panel 11, a right side plate 12, a left side plate 13, a base 14, a top plate 16 and a back panel 15.

The base 14 is formed of a substantially horizontal plate and a front panel 11, a right side plate 12, a left side plate 13 and a back panel 15 are provided thereon. The front panel 11, the right side plate 12, the left side plate 13, the top plate 16 and the back panel 15 constitute the front surface, the right side surface, the left side surface, the upper surface and the back surface of the casing 10, respectively.

The front panel 11 may be provided with a charging port 11h and the door 20 may be provided with a charging port 11h. The door 20 may include a door frame 21 rotatably coupled to the front panel 11 and a door glass 22 installed on the door frame 21. The door frame 21 is open at a substantially central portion, and a door glass 22 may be installed at the opened portion. The door glass 22 is made of a transparent member so that the user can look into the inside of the drum 4 and is convex inward of the drum 4. [

A control panel 17 may be disposed on the upper surface of the front panel 11. The control panel 17 is provided with a display (for example, an LCD or an LED panel) for displaying the operating state of the clothes dryer, an input unit (for example, a button, a dial, May be provided. According to the embodiment, the input unit can select and input the type of clothes from the user.

The drum (4) can be rotatably disposed in the casing (10). In addition, a driving unit 24 for rotating the drum 4 may be disposed in the casing 10. The drum 4 is cylindrical in which the front and rear surfaces are opened, and the front surface is in communication with the inlet port 11h.

On the inner circumferential surface of the drum 4, a lifter 6 for lifting clothes can be provided. The lifter 6 protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of the drum 4 and can be elongated in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of lifters 6 may be disposed along the inner periphery of the drum 4. [ While the drum 4 is being rotated, the clothes are lifted up by the lifter 6 and dropped.

In the casing (10), a front supporter (5) and a rear supporter (8) for rotatably supporting the drum (4) can be disposed. The front supporter (5) and the rear supporter (8) support the front end and the rear end of the drum (4), respectively. The front supporter 5 and the rear supporter 8 may be formed with a guide made of a ring-shaped projection or groove. By engaging the front end or the rear end of the drum 4 with the guide, the drum 4 can be stably rotated.

The front supporter 5 and the rear supporter 8 may be provided with rollers 19 for supporting the drum 4, respectively. The outer peripheral surface of the drum 4 can be brought into contact with the roller 19. [

The bracket 29 is fixed on the base 14 and the driving part 24 can be supported by the bracket 29. The driving unit 24 can provide the power for rotating the drum 4 and can rotate the blowing fan 26 described later. The driving unit 24 includes a first driving shaft 241 coupled to the blowing fan 26 and a second driving shaft 242 having a driving pulley engaged with the belt 7 wound around the drum 4 .

An idle pulley 28 for adjusting the tension of the belt 7 may be provided on the bracket 29. [ The belt 7 can be wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4 in a state in which the belt 7 is engaged with the driving pulley and the idle pulley 28. [ The belt 7 is transported by the drive pulley when the drive unit 24 is rotated and the drum 4 is rotated by a frictional force acting between the belt 7 and the belt 7.

The blowing fan 26 can be rotated by the driving unit 24. The air in the drum 4 is introduced into the intake duct 31 by the rotation of the blowing fan 26. More specifically, the front supporter 5 is provided with a passage (not shown) for discharging the air in the drum 4 to the outside under the inlet 5h, and the intake duct 31 is provided with a passage And guided to the blowing fan 22.

The air exhausted from the drum 4 is guided by the intake duct 31 and supplied to the blowing fan 22 when the blowing fan 22 rotates. The intake duct 31 is coupled to the front surface of the front supporter 5 and communicates with the intake port of the air blowing fan 22.

The blowing fan 26 may include a centrifugal fan 26a coupled to the first driving shaft 241 of the driving unit 24 and a fan housing 26b that accommodates the centrifugal fan 26a. The fan housing 26b may have a suction port through which the air guided through the intake duct 31 flows and a discharge port through which the air pressure-fed by the centrifugal fan 261 is discharged. The discharge port is connected to the exhaust duct 43 communicated with the outside air, and the synchronized discharge discharged through the discharge port is discharged to the outside of the casing 10 through the exhaust duct 43.

The front supporter 5 may be provided with a filter assembly 18. The filter assembly 18 collects the floating lint in the air discharged from the drum 4. [ The filter assembly 18 may include filter cases 181 and 182 fixed to the front supporter 5 and a lint filter 183 attached to and detached from the filter cases 181 and 182. The filter cases 181 and 182 form a space in which the lint filter 183 is accommodated (hereinafter referred to as " accommodating space ") and a filter inserting hole is formed on the upper surface thereof so that the lint filter 183 can be inserted into the accommodating space . The lint filter 183 can be inserted into the receiving space through the filter insertion port, or can be drawn out from the receiving space.

The filter cases 181 and 182 may include a front case 181 and a rear case 182. The front case 181 may be coupled to the back surface of the front supporter 5. [ The rear case 182 is coupled to the rear surface of the front case 181 to form a receiving space between the front case 181 and the rear case 182. The rear case 182 may be formed with a grill so that the air in the drum 4 can be introduced into the receiving space.

The lint filter 183 may include a filter screen 183a of a mesh structure having fine pores. The air introduced through the grill of the rear case 182 is filtered by the filter screen 183a and then guided to the suction duct 31 through the passage formed in the front supporter 5. [

In the casing 10, a heater 42 for heating air may be provided. A supply mechanism 8h is formed in the rear supporter 8 and the inside of the drum 4 communicates with the supply duct 27 through a supply mechanism 8h.

The air supply duct 27 guides the air inside the casing 10 into the drum 4 so that when a negative pressure is applied to the drum 4 by the suction force of the blowing fan 26, Is supplied to the inlet (27a) of the air supply duct (27) and then to the drum (4) through the outlet (27b).

The first control unit 130 controls not only the heater 42 and the driving unit 24 but also various electric components constituting the dryer and may include a microprocessor for such control. The microprocessor includes a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) in which a control device for performing various operations in a predetermined sequence in a systematic manner and providing control signals to various electronic devices is integrated into one small silicon chip And may include arithmetic logic operators, registers, program counters, instruction decoders, control circuits, and the like. The microprocessor automatically fetches and decodes commands stored in the main memory device, executes the decoded commands, and stores the execution results in the main memory, and exchanges data with the input / output devices can do.

Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that the first controller 130 controls the components constituting the dryer.

The first control unit 130 may be fixedly disposed with respect to the casing 10. The first control unit 130 may be disposed on the inner side or the outer side of the casing 10 and is preferably disposed on the back side of the control panel 14,

The memory 140 stores various data necessary for controlling the laundry processing apparatus. These data are coded and stored in a form readable by the first control unit 130. [ The data may include various operation settings such as, for example, an operation execution program, a drying temperature, a drying time, a rotational speed of the drum 4, and a target drying degree according to the type of clothes.

The first wireless communication module 120 can exchange data with the second wireless communication module 220 provided in the drying degree detector 200 through wireless communication. The first wireless communication module 120 is fixed to the casing 10. The first wireless communication module 120 is preferably disposed on the outer side of the drum 4 and may be disposed on the inner side or the outer side of the casing 10.

Communication between the first wireless communication module 120 and the second wireless communication module 220 may be performed by Bluetooth, WiFi, ZigBee, or Near Field Communication (NFC). Particularly, among such wireless communication technologies (Wifi), Wifi direct enables data communication directly between devices with Wi-Fi without a separate router, and has a wider transmission distance and faster speed than Bluetooth transmission. (120) and the second wireless communication module (220).

The first wireless communication module 120 may be mounted on the PCB on which the first controller 130 is mounted, but is not limited thereto. The first wireless communication module 120 may be formed separately from the PCB, It can be electrically connected to the PCB.

The first wireless communication module 120 may be detachably mounted to the casing 10 and may be detachably attached to a connection terminal (not shown) provided in the casing 10. [

The drum 4 may be made of a metal material. In this case, since the drum 4 interferes with the wireless communication, the first wireless communication module 120 is configured such that the signal transmitted from the second wireless communication module 220 passes through the opening of the front face of the drum 4 Position. The first wireless communication module 120 may be disposed on the rear surface of the door 20 and particularly at a position corresponding to the opening of the front surface of the drum 4. [ For example, on the back side of the door 20 where insertion is made into the drum 4.

Alternatively, it may be disposed on the front surface of the door 20 at the position corresponding to the opening of the front surface of the drum 4, or may be embedded in the door 20. For example, when the door 20 includes a front frame constituting the front face of the door 20 and a rear frame constituting the rear frame of the door 20, it is disposed between the front frame and the rear frame .

5 to 6, the dryer 1 includes a drying degree detector 200 which can be put into the drum 4. [ The dryness detector 200 includes an electrode sensor 210, a second wireless communication module 220, a second control unit 230, an operation unit 240, a power switch 250 and a power source 260, (Not shown). The housing 270 forms at least one space inward and the electrode sensor 210, the second wireless communication module 220, the second control unit 230 and the power source 260 are accommodated in the at least one space . The second wireless communication module 220 and the second control unit 230 may be mounted on the PCB 281.

The second control unit 230 controls the operation of the drying degree detector 200 and controls the operation of the second wireless communication module 220, the electrode sensor 210, the operation unit 240, the power switch 250, and / (Not shown). The second control unit 230 may include a microprocessor like the first control unit 130. Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, it will be understood that the control of each configuration of the drying degree detector 200 is performed by the second control unit 230. [

The housing 270 is not necessarily limited to this, and the housing 270 may be formed in a spherical shape. The housing 270 may include a first housing member 271 and a second housing member 272, each of which is in the form of a half spherical shell. The first housing member 271 and the second housing member 272 are coupled to each other to form an overall spherical shape and the electrode sensor 210 is disposed in the space defined by the first housing member 271 and the second housing member 272. [ A second wireless communication module 220, and a power source 260 may be accommodated.

The second housing member 272 can be formed with a ring-like coupling rim 272a along the periphery of one open side of the hemispherical angle. The first housing member 271 may have a coupling groove 271a corresponding to the coupling rim 272a along the periphery of one open side of the hemispherical angle. The first housing member 271 and the second housing member 272 can be detachably (or detachably) coupled to each other by inserting the engaging rim 272a into the engaging groove 271a.

A male screw may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the coupling rim 272a and a female screw may be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the coupling groove 271a. In this case, the operation of rotating the first housing member 271 or the second housing member 272 causes the first housing member 271 and the second housing member 272 to be engaged or separated from each other .

The degree of dryness detector 200 may further include a sealer 290 sealing the gap between the first housing member 271 and the second housing member 272. The sealer 290 may be made of a material having elasticity, and may be formed in a ring shape and fit in the outer periphery of the coupling rim 272a.

The electrode sensor 210 may include an anode and a cathode which are spaced apart from each other. The positive electrode and the negative electrode are exposed into the drum 4. When the drum 4 rotates, the garment is brought into contact with the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and both electrodes are electrically connected by the moisture contained in the garment, thereby constituting a closed circuit. At this time, since the resistance value varies depending on the amount of moisture contained in the clothes, the current value flowing through the circuit is changed, and the degree of drying of the clothes is determined based on the current value.

3, the drum 4 is rotated while the drying degree detector 200 is inserted into the drum 31 together with the cloth m, and the heater 42 and the blowing fan 26 are operated And the drying operation is performed. As the drying degree sensor 200 is moved by the rotation of the drum 4, a pair of electrodes of the electrode sensor 210 are brought into contact with the laundry to be energized. At this time, the value of the current flowing through the circuit due to the pair of electrodes is variable depending on the amount of water contained in the laundry. Specifically, the larger the amount of water contained in the laundry is, do. Here, since the current value flowing through the circuit (i.e., the output current value of the electrode sensor 210) is an index reflecting the moisture content of the laundry, the current value is a value corresponding to the drying degree. The current value may be processed (or processed) by the second controller 230 and then transmitted through the second wireless communication module 220 according to the embodiment.

The drying degree is sensed by the electrode sensor 210 and the signal output from the electrode sensor 210 (indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 4) passes through the second control unit 230 and the wireless communication module 220, Modulated, and then transmitted to the first wireless communication module 120 via wireless communication.

The information received by the first wireless communication module 120 is demodulated / decoded and read by the first controller 130. The first control unit 130 can control the operation of the dryer 1 based on the read information.

In the dryer 1, the first controller 130 can control the read information (i.e., turbidity) to be output by the display. The display may include a plurality of light emitting diodes whose number increases in proportion to the degree of drying, an LCD or an LED panel which graphically displays the degree of drying information, and the like. The display may be provided on the control panel 17, but is not limited thereto.

In order to allow the user to monitor the turbidity, the first controller 130 can control the turbidity to be displayed in real time through the display.

The power source 260 may include a disposable or rechargeable battery. The battery may be fixed to the housing 270 or may be detachable. The battery may be a disposable battery (or a primary battery) or a rechargeable secondary battery. In the case of a secondary battery, the battery may be a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, a lithium ion battery, or a lithium polymer battery.

The housing 270 may include a charging terminal connected to an external power source for charging the battery. Further, the battery may be separated from the housing 270 by a user, and then may be charged by a separate charger or may be replaced with another battery.

The drying degree detector 200 further includes a power switch 250. Power can be supplied from the power source 260 to the second control unit 230, the second communication module 220, and the electrode sensor 210 by operating the power switch 250 by the user.

The drying degree detector 200 may include an operation unit 240. The operation unit 240 is a switch for turning on or off the operation of the electrode sensor 210. The user can operate the operation unit 240 to turn the electrode sensor 210 on or off. When the electrode sensor 210 is also turned on / off according to the on / off operation of the power switch 250, the power switch 250 also functions as the operation unit 240. In this case, ) May be omitted.

Meanwhile, the first controller 130 may control the heater 42 based on the degree of drying received through the first wireless communication module 120. That is, when the drying degree received through the first wireless communication module 120 reaches a predetermined value while the heater 42 is operated and drying is performed, the first controller 130 controls the operation of the heater 42 It can be controlled to stop. According to an embodiment, the predetermined value may be a value set by the user through the input unit described above.

Meanwhile, the user can select the type of clothes through the input unit. The first controller 130 may control the operation of the dryer 1 by further considering the type of clothes selected and input through the input unit.

The target drying degree may be preset according to the type of clothes selected through the input unit. When the degree of drying received through the first wireless communication module 120 reaches the target degree of drying set corresponding to the type of the clothes selected through the input unit, the first control unit 130 stops the operation of the heater 42 .

Depending on the material of the garment, shrinkage or deformation may occur when overdrying is performed (for example, in the case of cashmere or wool), the target drying degree for such garment is set relatively low, (For example, a bed sheet, a towel, or the like) in which sufficient drying has to be performed, the target drying degree may be set relatively high.

Meanwhile, the first controller 130 may control the driving unit 24 based on the degree of drying received through the first wireless communication module 120. For example, the first control unit 130 may determine the drying speed based on the received drying degree, and may control the rotating speed of the driving unit 24 according to the drying speed. For example, as the drying speed is slower, the rotational speed of the driving unit 24 may be controlled to increase.

Claims (10)

A casing having an inlet formed therein and defining a predetermined space therein;
A drum rotatably installed in the casing to receive the laundry introduced through the inlet;
A first wireless communication module positioned outside the drum and fixedly disposed relative to the casing; And
And a drying degree detector which is inserted into the drum and is movable with respect to the drum and moves according to rotation of the drum,
The drying degree detector includes:
A housing having an outer surface in contact with the laundry in the drum and providing a predetermined space inward;
At least a portion of which is disposed in the space, for detecting dryness of the laundry through contact with the laundry;
A second wireless communication module disposed in the space for wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication module and transmitting the sensed conductivity through the electrode sensor to the first wireless communication module; And
And a power source that is disposed in the space and supplies power to the electrode sensor and the second wireless communication module,
The electrode sensor includes:
And a pair of electrodes exposed on an outer surface of the housing and electrically connected to the laundry in contact with the laundry. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the housing is spherical. The method according to claim 1,
The housing includes:
A first housing member in the form of a half spherical shell; And
A second housing member coupled to the first housing member and having a hemispheric shape defining a space in which the electrode sensor, the second wireless communication module, and the power source are received, between the first housing member and the first housing member; Processing equipment. 6. The method of claim 5,
The drying degree detector includes:
And a sealer sealing the gap between the first housing member and the second housing member. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a heater for heating the air supplied into the drum,
And a first controller that is fixedly disposed on the casing and controls the heater based on the degree of drying received through the first wireless communication module. 9. The method of claim 8,
Further comprising an input section fixedly arranged with respect to the casing and selectively inputting a type of clothes,
Wherein the first control unit includes:
And stops the operation of the heater when the drying degree received through the first wireless communication module reaches a predetermined target drying degree according to the type of clothes selected through the input unit. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a driving unit for rotating the drum,
And a first control unit that is fixed to the casing and controls the driving unit based on the drying degree received through the first wireless communication module.

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