KR102284360B1 - Laundry treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a cabinet forming an exterior, a drum rotatably installed in the cabinet to receive a treatment object, and a display unit provided in the cabinet and displaying information related to a laundry treatment course , a first communication module provided in the cabinet, and a turbidity sensor accommodated in the drum together with the object to be treated, an optical sensor for detecting a fiber type of the object to be treated, and a turbidity sensor for measuring the contamination level of wash water and rinsing water It relates to a clothes processing apparatus.
According to the present invention, information on a recommended course, a required amount of detergent, and an expected number of rinses is displayed on the display unit of the laundry treatment apparatus based on data detected by the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor. can be easily driven.

Description

Laundry treating apparatus

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus (especially a washing machine), and specifically, the type of fiber of the object to be treated and the degree of contamination of washing water and rinsing water are detected by a laundry ball injected into the laundry treatment apparatus (for example, into a drum). Then, the present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus that displays an appropriate course based on the type of fiber and displays a necessary detergent and number of rinsing based on the contamination level.

In general, the laundry treatment apparatus includes a washing machine, a dryer, a styler, and the like, and the washing machine may include a drying function.

The washing machine includes a pulsator washing machine in which the drum is erected in a vertical direction (that is, the laundry inlet is disposed on the upper side of the cabinet), and the drum is laid down in the horizontal direction (that is, the laundry inlet is disposed in the front side of the cabinet) It can be broadly classified as a drum washing machine.

Such a laundry treatment apparatus may be driven through manipulation of a manipulation unit provided in a cabinet of the laundry treatment apparatus after an object to be treated and detergent are put into the laundry treatment apparatus.

In addition, the driving cycle of the laundry treatment apparatus may be largely divided into a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle, and a dehydration cycle.

In the washing cycle, after selecting a desired course from among a plurality of courses, an appropriate amount of detergent may be added, and the rinsing cycle may be performed one or more times (ie, multiple times) according to the degree of contamination of the object to be treated (ie, laundry).

In this case, there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to determine whether it is desirable to drive the laundry treatment apparatus by which course according to the type of laundry to be treated (that is, the type of fiber).

In addition, in general, the amount of detergent input into the drum in the washing cycle is determined by the user, and there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to determine how much detergent should be put into the drum.

In other words, if the amount of detergent injected into the drum is too small, the contaminants attached to the laundry cannot be completely removed. The consumption of detergent is increased to such an extent that residual detergent is present.

In addition, in the rinsing cycle, the user can adjust the number of rinsing cycles, but there is a problem in that it is difficult for the user to determine how many rinsing cycles are required to remove the residual detergent and contaminants remaining in the laundry after the washing cycle.

That is, when the number of rinsing cycles is too small, the residual detergent and contaminants remaining in the laundry cannot be completely removed.

Accordingly, recently, in using such a laundry treatment apparatus, the laundry treatment apparatus capable of recommending and displaying the desired amount of detergent to be injected into the drum in the washing cycle based on specific data or displaying the desired number of expected rinsing cycles. research is ongoing.

An object of the present invention is to solve the user's difficulty in selecting a course by detecting a fiber type of laundry by a washing ball and displaying the most preferable recommended course based on the sensed fiber type to the user.

Another object of the present invention is to enable a user to easily determine how much detergent should be put into a drum by detecting the contamination level of wash water by a washing ball.

Another object of the present invention is to detect the contamination level of rinsing water by a washing ball, and display whether a desired number of rinsing times (that is, expected number of rinsing) can be recognized by the user.

The present invention is to achieve the above object, specifically, a cabinet forming an exterior; a drum rotatably installed in the cabinet and accommodating an object to be treated; a display unit provided in the cabinet and displaying information related to a clothes treatment course; a first communication module provided in the cabinet; and an optical sensor accommodated in the drum together with the object to be processed, and a second communication module configured to convert the data sensed by the optical sensor and the optical sensor into a signal to transmit to the first communication module It provides a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a laundry ball.

In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a control unit for controlling the drum, the display unit, and the first communication module, wherein the control unit is based on the data of the fiber type received by the first communication module, The display unit may be controlled so that a preset recommended course is displayed on the display unit.

Meanwhile, after the object to be treated is accommodated in the drum, the optical sensor may start a sensing operation when the drum is rotated to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated.

Also, when power is input to the laundry treatment apparatus, the second communication module may receive a power input signal from the first communication module to activate the laundry ball.

In addition, when data for a plurality of fiber types is detected by the optical sensor, the second communication module may be configured to transmit data for the same fiber type to the first communication module only once.

In addition, the laundry ball may further include a turbidity sensor for detecting the turbidity of the wash water accommodated in the drum, and the second communication module converts the data detected by the turbidity sensor into a signal and transmits it to the first communication module. there is.

In addition, before starting the washing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor is transmitted to the first communication module through the second communication module, and the control unit is based on the data sensed by the turbidity sensor, the washing process may control the display unit so that a preset amount of detergent to be injected into the drum is displayed on the display unit.

In addition, before starting the rinsing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor is transmitted to the first communication module through the second communication module, and the control unit is based on the data sensed by the turbidity sensor, necessary rinsing The display unit may be controlled so that the number of strokes is displayed on the display unit.

In addition, the laundry ball may further include a control unit, and the optical sensor, the turbidity sensor and the second communication module may be controlled by the control unit.

On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the drum for accommodating the object to be treated; display unit; a first communication module; a laundry ball accommodated in the drum and having an optical sensor, a turbidity sensor, and a second communication module that converts the data sensed by the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor into a signal and transmits it to the first communication module; and a control unit for controlling the drum, the display unit, the first communication module, and the laundry ball, the method comprising: receiving a processing object and the laundry ball into the drum; a determination step in which the control unit determines whether there is a command for activating the laundry ball; a sensor activation step of turning on the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor when there is a command to activate the laundry ball; a data transmission step in which data related to the fiber type of the object to be processed detected by the optical sensor is transmitted from the second communication module to the first communication module; and a recommended course display step in which the controller controls the display unit so that a preset recommended course is displayed on the display unit based on the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module. do.

In this case, between the data transmission step and the recommended course display step, the method may further include an analysis step in which the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module is collected and analyzed by the controller.

In addition, after the recommended course display step, a course selection step of selecting one course by the user; and a washing step for washing the object to be treated according to the selected course, wherein, in the washing step, a preset recommended amount of detergent is displayed on the display unit based on data related to the degree of contamination of wash water detected by the turbidity sensor. A control unit may control the display unit.

On the other hand, the washing step, the washing water supply step of supplying washing water into the drum; transmitting data related to the amount of laundry contamination detected by the turbidity sensor from the second communication module of the laundry ball to the first communication module; collecting and analyzing data related to the amount of contamination of wash water transmitted to the first communication module by the control unit; The method may include controlling the display unit by the control unit so that a preset recommended detergent amount is displayed on the display unit based on the results collected and analyzed by the control unit.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after the washing step, the method further includes a rinsing step for rinsing the object to be treated, and in the rinsing step, the controller based on the data related to the contamination level of the rinse water detected by the turbidity sensor. may control the display unit to display a preset expected number of rinses on the display unit.

In this case, the rinsing step may include a rinsing water supply step of supplying rinsing water into the drum; transmitting data related to the amount of contamination of rinsing water detected by the turbidity sensor from the second communication module of the laundry ball to the first communication module; collecting and analyzing data related to the amount of contamination of rinsing water transmitted to the first communication module by the control unit; The method may include controlling the display unit by the control unit to display a preset expected number of rinses on the display unit based on the results collected and analyzed by the control unit.

Meanwhile, the command for activating the laundry ball may be automatically generated according to an input of an execution command for executing a specific course of the laundry treatment apparatus or an input of a command for detecting the amount of laundry contained in the laundry treatment apparatus.

According to the present invention, a user can easily select a preferred course according to a fiber type of laundry to be treated from among a plurality of laundry treatment courses (ie, laundry courses).

In addition, according to the present invention, the user can easily determine the amount of detergent to be put into the drum based on the degree of contamination of the wash water.

Further, according to the present invention, the user can easily recognize the desired number of rinsing based on the contamination level of the rinsing water.

1 is a view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a laundry ball is inserted into the laundry treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 .
3 is a view showing a washing ball.
4 is a block diagram illustrating a method in which the laundry treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 communicates with the laundry ball of FIG. 3 .
5 is a diagram illustrating a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a washing cycle in detail in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a diagram specifically illustrating a rinsing cycle in FIG. 5 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention that can specifically realize the above objects will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The laundry treatment apparatus described below is a concept including a washing machine, a dryer, and a styler, but a washing machine mainly including a drying function will be described.

Meanwhile, the damping structure, water supply structure, and drainage structure that may be provided in the laundry treatment apparatus are the same as or similar to those of the conventional laundry treatment apparatus. A detailed description of the general structures will be omitted.

1 is a view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a state in which a laundry ball is put into the laundry treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 , and FIG. 3 is a view showing the laundry ball.

1 to 3 , the laundry treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 10 forming an exterior, a door 20 installed in the cabinet 10 , and the cabinet 10 . It is installed and includes a manipulation unit 30 for driving the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , and a drum 40 rotatably installed in the cabinet 10 and accommodating an object to be treated (ie, laundry or laundry).

In addition, a tub (not shown) disposed to surround the drum 40 to accommodate washing water may be further disposed inside the cabinet 10 .

The door 20 may be formed to open and close the opening 41 formed in the front of the cabinet 10 . In this case, the opening 41 may be disposed to communicate with the inside of the drum 40 .

At this time, the door 20 may be formed to open and close the opening 41 by rotating in the left and right directions based on the vertical axis Y extending in the vertical direction on one side of the door 20 .

For example, the door 20 may include a hinge portion 21 provided along a height direction of the cabinet 10 on one side of the door 20 .

The manipulation unit 30 is in the form of a rotatable knob, and a user may input power to the laundry treatment apparatus 1 by the manipulation unit 30 . In addition, the user may rotate the manipulation unit 30 to select a desired clothes treatment course, etc., and drive the clothes treatment apparatus.

In this case, the clothes treatment course may include standard laundry, baby clothes, boiling, speed wash, lingerie, quilt, and the like. In addition, it is possible to set the washing intensity in the washing cycle, the number of rinsing in the rinsing cycle, the spin-drying intensity in the spin-drying course, the washing water temperature, and the like through the operation unit 30 .

Also, the cabinet 10 may further include a display unit 31 for displaying information related to a clothes treatment course (ie, a laundry course).

For example, the display unit 31 may be formed on the front surface of the manipulation unit 30 . That is, the display unit 31 provided on the front surface of the manipulation unit 30 may be formed in the form of a display panel.

Of course, the display unit 31 may be provided on the outer surface of the cabinet 10 separately from the manipulation unit 30 .

In addition, a first communication module 14 is provided inside the cabinet 10 , and the first communication module 14 is formed to be able to communicate with a second communication module 54 to be described later. In this case, the first communication module 14 and the second communication module 54 may be formed to enable RFID communication.

Meanwhile, the laundry treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a laundry ball 50 accommodated in the drum 40 together with the object to be treated (ie, laundry).

The laundry ball 50 converts the optical sensor 51 for detecting the fiber type of the object to be treated and the data detected by the optical sensor 51 (that is, the detected value) into a signal, and the first communication module 14 It may include a second communication module 54 for transmitting to (see FIG. 3).

The data (that is, the value) sensed by the optical sensor 51 is for displaying on the display unit 31 a preferred course according to the fiber type of the object to be treated among a plurality of courses pre-programmed in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 . can be a factor.

For example, before executing a specific washing course, the washing ball 50 may be accommodated in the drum 40 together with the object to be treated.

Then, when the laundry treatment apparatus 1 is driven through the operation unit 30 without selecting a special course after power is supplied to the laundry treatment apparatus 1, the drum 40 detects the amount of laundry contained in the drum 40. Repeat the rotation and stop for this predetermined time. Here, the rotation method of the drum 40 for detecting the amount of laundry is generally known.

At this time, the washing ball 50 is mixed with the object to be treated in the rotating drum 40 . In addition, the optical sensor 51 detects a fiber type (eg, a fiber type based on a fiber structure) of the object to be treated.

For example, while the drum 40 is rotated and stopped a plurality of times, the optical sensor 51 is mixed with one or more objects accommodated in the drum 40 and comes into contact with or faces the object to be processed. At this time, the optical sensor 51 determines the fiber type of the processing object by photographing the fiber structure of the processing object.

The fiber type of the object to be treated detected by the optical sensor 51 is determined by a first communication module ( 14) is transferred.

Based on the fiber type information transmitted to the first communication module 14 , a preset recommended course may be displayed on the display unit 31 .

Here, it is preferable that the preset recommended course according to the fiber type is stored in advance in the memory 70 provided in the cabinet 1 .

Accordingly, the user may select a preferred course by referring to the recommended course displayed on the display unit 31 and then drive the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit 13 for controlling the drum 40 , the display unit 31 , and the first communication module 14 .

At this time, the control unit 13 controls the display unit 31 to display a preset recommended course on the display unit 31 based on the fiber type data (or information) received by the first communication module 14 . can do.

On the other hand, the time at which the optical sensor 51 starts the sensing operation is the point at which the drum 40 rotates to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated after the object to be treated and the laundry ball 50 are accommodated in the drum. may be the same as

In addition, the sensing operation of the optical sensor 51 may be continued while the drum 40 rotates to determine the weight or amount of the object to be processed.

In this case, when the user operates the manipulation unit 30 to execute a specific course, or when the user executes the laundry treatment apparatus 1 through the manipulation unit 30 without selecting a specific course, or when the user executes the manipulation unit 30 ) to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated, the drum 40 may be rotated to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated.

That is, when the user puts the object to be treated and the laundry ball 50 into the drum 40 and then drives the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , the drum 40 is rotated to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated. can

On the other hand, when power is input to the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , the second communication module 54 provided in the laundry ball 50 receives a power input signal from the first communication module 14 provided in the cabinet 10 , The washing ball 50 may be activated.

Specifically, when power is input to the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , the first communication module 14 transmits the power input signal to the second communication module 54 of the laundry ball 50 according to the command of the control unit 13 . and the control unit 53 provided in the washing ball 50 to be described below activates the washing ball 50 .

Here, activating the washing ball 50 means that a sensor (eg, an optical sensor and a turbidity sensor) provided in the washing ball 50 is turned on.

In this way, according to the power input of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , the laundry balls 50 inserted into the drum 40 may be automatically activated.

On the other hand, when the optical sensor 51 of the laundry ball 50 which is mixed with the processing object in the drum 40 and rotates detects data for a plurality of fiber types, the second communication module 54 detects the same fiber type The data for can be configured to be transmitted to the first communication module 14 only once.

That is, if there are a plurality of types of fibers of the object to be treated, the optical sensor 51 of the laundry ball 50 mixed with the object to be treated in the drum 40 may detect all of the plurality of types of fibers.

At this time, depending on the position of the washing ball 50, the washing ball 50 may peel and detect the same type of fiber several times.

In this case, when the second communication module 54 transmits all fiber type data to the first communication module 14 whenever the same fiber type is detected, unnecessary data duplication may occur, and the first communication module ( 14) and the second communication module 54 may be overloaded.

Accordingly, when the optical sensor 51 detects data for the same fiber type a plurality of times, the second communication module 54 detects the data for the same fiber type only once when the first communication module 14 is detected. It can be formed to deliver.

At this time, the control unit 53 deletes the repeated data for the same fiber type detected by the optical sensor 51 and only the data for the different fiber type from the second communication module 54 to the first communication module 14 It is possible to control the second communication module 54 to be transmitted to.

This is because the optical sensor 51 is for detecting the fiber type of the object to be processed, not the amount of the object to be processed. That is, the optical sensor 51 is for detecting what types of fibers are included in the processing object in order to display a recommended course according to the fiber type of the processing object on the display unit 31 .

Meanwhile, the washing ball 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a turbidity sensor 52 for detecting the turbidity (or contamination level) of the wash water accommodated in the drum 40 .

The data sensed by the turbidity sensor 52 may be a factor for displaying the amount of detergent required in the washing cycle and the expected number of rinses to be performed in the rinsing cycle on the display unit 31 .

For example, before starting the washing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor 52 may be transmitted to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 .

At this time, the control unit 13 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 displays the preset amount of detergent to be injected into the drum 40 in the washing cycle on the display unit 31 based on the data detected by the turbidity sensor 52 . The display unit 31 may be controlled to be displayed.

That is, after the washing water is supplied into the drum 40 and before starting the washing cycle accompanied by the rotation of the drum 40 , the turbidity sensor 52 may detect the turbidity or contamination level of the wash water.

Then, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor 52 is transmitted to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 , and the control unit 13 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 receives the second communication module 54 . ), the display unit 31 may be controlled so that the desired amount of detergent is displayed on the display unit 31 based on the transmitted data.

In this case, a desired amount of detergent or a preset amount of detergent according to the turbidity or contamination level of the washing water may be previously stored in the memory 70 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

That is, the control unit 13 provides information on the most desirable amount of detergent based on the data of the turbidity or contamination level of the washing water received from the second communication module 54 among the plurality of amounts of detergent stored in advance in the memory 70 . The display unit 31 may be controlled to be displayed on the display unit 31 .

Also, before starting the rinsing cycle (that is, after the washing cycle is completed and rinsing water is supplied), the data sensed by the turbidity sensor 52 is transmitted to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 . ) can be transmitted.

In this case, the control unit 13 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 may control the display unit 31 so that the number of necessary rinsing cycles is displayed on the display unit 31 based on the data detected by the turbidity sensor 52 . there is.

That is, after the rinsing water is supplied into the drum 40 and before starting the rinsing cycle accompanied by the rotation of the drum 40 , the turbidity sensor 52 may detect the turbidity or contamination level of the rinsing water.

Then, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor 52 is transmitted to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 , and the control unit 13 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 receives the second communication module 54 . ), the display unit 31 may be controlled so that the number of necessary rinsing cycles is displayed on the display unit 31 based on the transmitted data.

In this case, the number of necessary rinsing cycles according to the turbidity or contamination level of the rinsing water may be previously stored in the memory 70 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

That is, the control unit 13 determines the most desirable number of rinsing times based on the data on the turbidity or contamination level of the rinsing water received from the second communication module 54 among the data on the number of rinsing times stored in advance in the memory 70 . The display unit 31 may be controlled so that information is displayed on the display unit 31 .

Of course, even though information on the number of times of rinsing is displayed on the display unit 31 , the user may increase or decrease the number of times of rinsing through manipulation of the manipulation unit 30 .

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 3 , the washing ball 50 may be formed in a spherical shape. In addition, the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 may be built in the laundry ball (50). For example, the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 may be formed to be exposed to one side of the laundry ball 50 in the circumferential direction.

For example, the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 may be disposed on the equator of the spherical laundry ball 50 .

In addition, a circuit board 55 to which the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 are electrically connected may be embedded in the laundry ball 50 .

In this case, the second communication module 54 and the battery unit 56 described above may be installed on the circuit board 55 .

In addition, a control unit 53 for controlling the optical sensor 51 , the turbidity sensor 52 , and the second communication module 54 may be further installed on the circuit board 55 .

In order to protect the components of the battery unit 56 and the circuit board 55 in the washing ball 50 from washing water and rinsing water, the outer surface of the washing ball 50 may be watertight treated.

Hereinafter, a structure in which the first communication module 14 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 and the second communication module 54 provided in the laundry ball 50 communicate with each other will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 4 .

4 is a block diagram illustrating a method in which the laundry treatment apparatus of FIG. 1 communicates with the laundry ball of FIG. 3 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , the control unit 53 provided in the laundry ball 50 may be configured to control the optical sensor 51 , the turbidity sensor 52 , and the second communication module 54 .

Also, the control unit 13 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 may be configured to control the display unit 31 and the first communication module 14 provided in the operation unit 30 .

The first communication module 14 is formed to enable bidirectional communication with the second communication module 54 (eg, to enable RFID communication).

Also, the control unit 53 may activate the laundry ball 50 based on the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 . That is, the control unit 53 may turn on the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 of the laundry ball 50 based on the driving of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

Also, the control unit 53 may control the optical sensor 51 so that the optical sensor 51 detects the fiber type of laundry when the drum 40 is rotated to detect the amount of laundry.

In addition, the control unit 53 may control the second communication module 54 so that the data sensed by the optical sensor 51 is sent to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 .

At this time, when the optical sensor 51 detects data for a plurality of fiber types, the control unit 53 transmits the data for the same fiber type to the second communication module 54 only once to the first communication module ( 14), the second communication module 54 may be controlled.

In addition, the control unit 953 transmits the data detected by the turbidity sensor 52 to the first communication module 14 through the second communication module 54 in the washing cycle and rinsing cycle. can be controlled.

On the other hand, the control unit 13 is configured to include information on a preset recommended course according to the type of fiber stored in the memory 70 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 and information on a preset amount of detergent according to the contamination level of the washing water or rinsing. The display unit 31 may be controlled so that information on the number of necessary rinsing cycles according to the degree of contamination of the water is displayed on the display unit 31 .

That is, when the signal transmitted from the second communication module 54 is received by the first communication module 14 , the control unit 13 controls the memory 70 based on the data received by the first communication module 14 . ), the display unit 31 may be controlled to display information necessary for the user among the information stored in the display unit 31 .

As described above, by using the laundry ball 50 having the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 , the user can use the laundry ball 50 to determine the desired value according to the fiber type of the laundry through the display unit 31 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 . Information on a recommended course, information on a desired amount of detergent required for a washing process, and information on an expected number of rinsing may be received.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7 .

In describing the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus, the above-described characteristics of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 may be directly applied to the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus, and the same effects as those generated by the above-described laundry treatment apparatus 1 are the same. It is self-evident that the effect can also be obtained in the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus.

First, FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an accommodation step ( S100 ) in which an object to be treated and a laundry ball 50 are accommodated in a drum 40 , and a method for activating the laundry ball 50 . In the determination step (S200) in which it is determined whether there is a command in the control unit 13, and there is a command to activate the washing ball 50, the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 provided in the washing ball 50 are In the sensor activation step (S300) turned on, data related to the fiber type of the processing object (ie, laundry) sensed by the optical sensor 51 is processed from the second communication module 54 provided in the laundry ball 50 . A data transmission step (S400) transmitted to the first communication module 14 provided in the device 1, and a preset recommended course based on the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module 14 are displayed on the display unit A recommended course display step ( S600 ) in which the controller 13 controls the display unit 31 to be displayed at 31 may be included.

In the receiving step ( S100 ), the object to be treated (ie, laundry) and the laundry ball 50 may be accommodated together in the drum 40 .

In general, the laundry and the laundry balls 50 will be accommodated in the drum 40 with the door 20 opened before the laundry treatment apparatus 1 is driven.

In the determination step S200 , whether there is a command for activating the laundry ball 50 may be determined by the controller 13 of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

Here, activating the washing ball 50 means that power is supplied to the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 of the washing ball 50 by the battery unit 56 provided in the washing ball 50 .

In this case, the command for activating the laundry ball 50 is based on an input of an execution command for executing a specific course of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 or an input of a command for detecting the amount of laundry contained in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 . Therefore, it can be generated automatically.

For example, after the user inputs power to the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , an execution command for executing a specific course among a plurality of courses is input through the manipulation unit 30 or into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 . If a command for detecting the laundry amount of the received laundry is input through the operation unit 30 , the laundry ball 50 may be activated.

The activation command of the laundry ball 50 may be transmitted from the first communication module 14 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 and received by the second communication module 54 provided in the laundry ball 50 .

In addition, in the sensor activation step (S300), when there is a command to activate the laundry ball 50 in the determination step (S200), the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 provided in the laundry ball 50 are turned on becomes

That is, in the sensor activation step ( S300 ), the activation command of the laundry ball 50 sent from the first communication module 14 is received by the second communication module 54 . Then, the control unit 53 provided in the sensor ball 50 controls the optical sensor 51 and the turbidity sensor 52 to an operable state (ie, ON).

Further, in the data transmission step ( S400 ), data related to the fiber type of the object to be processed detected by the optical sensor 51 is transmitted from the second communication module 54 to the first communication module 14 .

At this time, the data related to the fiber type of the object to be processed is converted into a signal by the second communication module 54 and sent, and the first communication module 14 receiving the signal converts the signal back into data and the control unit 13 ) is transmitted to

That is, the control unit 13 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 may receive data related to the type of fiber of the object to be treated from the first communication module 14 .

And, in the recommended course display step ( S600 ), a preset recommended course is displayed on the display unit 31 based on the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module 14 .

In this case, the controller may control the display unit 31 to display the preset recommended course on the display unit 31 .

Accordingly, the user may select and execute a preferred course according to the fiber type of the object to be treated through the manipulation unit 30 with reference to information on the recommended course displayed on the display unit 31 .

In this case, it is preferable that the preferred course according to the type of fiber is stored in advance in the memory 70 provided in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 .

Meanwhile, according to the embodiment of the present invention, between the data transmission step (S400) and the recommended course display step (S600), the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module 14 is transmitted from the control unit 13 It further includes an analysis step (S500) to be collected and analyzed.

That is, in the analysis step (S500), the control unit 13 collects the data related to the fiber type transmitted from the second communication module 54 to the first communication module 14, and then, what type of fiber is in the object to be processed. It is analyzed whether a preferred course is a recommended course based on whether or not it is included and the types of fibers included in the object to be treated.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, after the recommended course display step (S600), a course selection step (S700) in which one course is selected by the user, and a washing step (S700) for washing the object to be treated according to the selected course ( S800) is further included.

In this case, in the washing step ( S800 ), a preset recommended amount of detergent may be displayed on the display unit 31 based on data related to the contamination level of the wash water detected by the turbidity sensor 52 .

That is, the control unit 13 may control the display unit 31 to display a preset recommended amount of detergent based on data related to the degree of contamination of the washing water on the display unit 31 .

Accordingly, the user can easily determine the amount of detergent to be put into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 (ie, to be put into the drum 40 ) by referring to the recommended amount of detergent displayed on the display unit 31 .

In addition, when detergent has already been injected into the drum 40 before the laundry treatment apparatus 1 is operated, the user can easily determine whether detergent should be additionally added into the drum 40 by referring to the recommended amount of detergent displayed on the display unit 31 . can judge

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, after the washing step (S800), a rinsing step (S900) for rinsing the object to be treated may be further included.

In this case, in the rinsing step ( S900 ), a preset number of expected rinsing times may be displayed on the display unit 31 based on data related to the contamination level of the rinsing water detected by the turbidity sensor 52 .

That is, the controller 13 may control the display unit 31 so that a preset number of expected rinsing times based on data related to the contamination level of the rinsing water is displayed on the display unit 31 .

Accordingly, the user can easily determine the desired number of rinsing by referring to the expected number of rinsing displayed on the display unit 31 .

Of course, the user may select the expected number of rinsing displayed on the display unit 31 as it is, or increase or decrease the number of rinsing cycles through manipulation of the manipulation unit 30 .

In addition, it is obvious that dehydration and drainage may be performed one or more times in the washing step (S800) or in the rinsing step (S900).

Furthermore, it is obvious that dehydration and drainage may be performed one or more times between the washing step (S800) and the rinsing step (S900) or after the rinsing step (S900).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 , a method for detecting the contamination level of washing water or rinsing water by a washing ball in a washing step or a rinsing step will be described.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a washing cycle in detail in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , in the washing cycle S800 , after a predetermined amount of washing water and detergent are introduced into the drum 40 , one washing cycle is performed together with the rotation of the drum 40 .

Specifically, the washing step (S800) executed after the course selection step (S700) includes the washing water supply step (S810), the pollution amount data transmission step (S820), the pollution amount data collection and analysis step (S830), and the recommended detergent amount display It may include a step (S840), and a detergent input and drum rotation step (S850).

In the washing water supply step ( S810 ), wash water for washing the object to be treated is sprayed into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 (ie, into the drum 40 ).

In the contamination amount data transmission step (S820), data related to the contamination amount of the wash water detected by the washing ball 50 may be transmitted from the second communication module 54 to the first communication module 14 .

At this time, it is preferable that the washing ball 50 detects the degree of contamination of the wash water after the washing water is injected into the drum 40 enough to fully submerge the object to be treated or to sufficiently wet the object to be treated in the wash water.

In the pollution amount data collection and analysis step ( S830 ), the control unit 13 collects and analyzes data related to the pollution amount of the wash water transmitted to the first communication module 14 . That is, the control unit 13 determines the contamination level of the wash water through the data related to the contamination amount of the wash water transmitted to the first communication module 14 .

In the recommended detergent amount display step ( S840 ), the control unit 13 controls the display unit to display a preferred recommended detergent amount among the amounts of a plurality of detergents pre-stored in the memory 70 based on the analyzed contamination level of the washing water on the display unit 31 . 31) is controlled.

That is, the memory 70 stores information on a plurality of detergent amounts different from the contamination level of the wash water, and the control unit 13 displays a recommended recommended detergent amount based on the analyzed wash water contamination level among the plurality of detergent amounts. (31) should be indicated.

In addition, in the detergent input and drum rotation step ( S850 ), an appropriate amount of detergent is introduced into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 by the user (that is, into the drum 40 ) according to the information on the recommended detergent amount displayed on the display unit 31 . After the input, the washing cycle may be started with the rotation of the drum 40 .

Of course, a certain amount of detergent may be injected into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 in advance before the laundry treatment apparatus 1 is driven. The display unit 31 may be controlled so that the amount of detergent to be input is displayed on the display unit 31 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram specifically illustrating a rinsing cycle in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , in the rinsing step S900 , after a predetermined amount of rinsing water is introduced into the drum 40 , one or more rinsing cycles are performed together with the rotation of the drum 40 .

Specifically, the rinsing step (S900) executed after the washing step (S800) includes a rinsing water supply step (S910), a pollution amount data transmission step (S920), a pollution amount data collection and analysis step (S930), and an expected number of rinsing display steps. (S940), and may include a softening agent input step (S950).

In the rinsing water supply step S910 , rinsing water for rinsing the object is sprayed into the laundry treatment apparatus 1 (ie, into the drum 40 ).

In the contamination amount data transmission step S920 , data related to the contamination amount of rinsing water detected by the washing ball 50 may be transmitted from the second communication module 54 to the first communication module 14 .

Even at this time, it is preferable that the washing ball 50 detects the contamination level of the rinsing water after the rinsing water is injected into the drum 40 enough to sufficiently immerse the object to be treated in the rinsing water or to sufficiently wet the object to be treated in the rinsing water.

In the pollution amount data collection and analysis step ( S930 ), the controller 13 collects and analyzes data related to the pollution amount of the rinsing water transmitted to the first communication module 14 . That is, the control unit 13 determines the contamination level of the rinsing water through the data related to the contamination amount of the rinsing water transmitted to the first communication module 14 .

In the step of displaying the expected number of rinses ( S940 ), the control unit 13 displays the desired expected number of rinses among a plurality of data of the expected number of rinses stored in advance in the memory 70 based on the contamination level of the analyzed rinse water on the display unit 31 . The display unit 31 is controlled to be displayed on .

That is, information on a plurality of expected rinsing times different from the contamination level of the rinsing water is stored in the memory 70 , and the control unit 13 based on the contamination level of the analyzed rinsing water among the plurality of expected rinsing times information. Thus, the desired expected number of rinsing is displayed on the display unit 31 .

Accordingly, when the rinsing cycle is performed according to the expected number of rinsing displayed on the display unit, it is possible to solve the problem of detergents that may remain on the object to be treated. That is, the user can easily recognize the desired number of rinsing, which can save rinsing water without detergent remaining on the object to be treated.

In this case, the user may operate the manipulation unit 30 to perform a rinsing cycle as many as the expected number of rinsing times displayed on the display unit 31 . In addition, the user may increase or decrease the number of rinsing cycles through manipulation of the manipulation unit 30 .

In addition, in the softening agent input step S950 , when the rinsing cycle is performed a plurality of times, the softening agent may be fed into the drum 40 in the last rinsing cycle.

That is, the controller 13 may control the laundry treatment apparatus 1 to inject the softening agent into the drum 40 when the last rinsing cycle of the plurality of rinsing cycles starts.

In general, the softening agent is stored in advance in a predetermined space (eg, detergent input unit) of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 , and the control unit 13 determines when the softening agent is introduced into the drum 40 to determine when the softening agent is introduced into the drum 40 . can be put in.

Meanwhile, the features of the above-described method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus may be equally applied to the control of the laundry treatment apparatus 1 described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 .

In addition, the above description omits the description of the dehydration cycle, and focuses on the feature of displaying the recommended amount of detergent in the washing step and the expected number of rinsing in the rinsing step, which are the subject of the present invention.

That is, it is obvious that one or more dehydration cycles may be included in the washing step, in the rinsing step, or between the washing step and the rinsing step, respectively.

In particular, after the rinsing step, a dehydration step including one or more dehydration steps may be further included.

10 Cabinet 13 Control
14 1st communication module 20 door
30 Control panel 31 Display
40 drums 50 laundry balls
51 Optical sensor 52 Turbidity sensor
53 control unit 54 second communication module

Claims (16)

cabinets that form the facade;
a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating an object to be treated and washing water;
a display unit provided in the cabinet and displaying information related to a clothes treatment course;
a first communication module provided in the cabinet;
a laundry ball accommodated in the drum together with the object to be treated; and
a control unit for controlling the drum, the display unit, the first communication module, and the laundry ball;
The washing ball
an optical sensor for detecting a fiber type of the object to be treated;
a turbidity sensor for detecting the turbidity of the wash water;
a second communication module configured to communicate with the first communication module by converting the data detected by the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor into a signal; and
Includes; a control unit for controlling the optical sensor, the turbidity sensor and the second communication module;
The second communication module is provided to receive a control signal including a power input signal from the first communication module,
The optical sensor and the turbidity sensor are activated by the control unit when the power input signal is received from the first communication module to the second communication module,
The turbidity sensor is provided to detect the turbidity of the wash water in the drum before the detergent is introduced into the drum,
Before starting the washing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor is transmitted to the first communication module through the second communication module,
The control unit controls the display unit so that a preset amount of detergent to be injected into the drum in the washing cycle is displayed on the display unit based on the data detected by the turbidity sensor before the detergent is injected into the drum. clothes processing equipment. According to claim 1,
The control unit controls the display unit to display a preset recommended course on the display unit based on the fiber type data received from the first communication module. According to claim 1,
After the object to be treated is accommodated in the drum, the optical sensor starts a sensing operation when the drum is rotated to determine the weight or amount of the object to be treated. delete According to claim 1,
When the optical sensor detects data on a plurality of fiber types, the second communication module is configured to transmit data for the same fiber type to the first communication module only once. 3. The method of claim 2,
and the second communication module converts the data detected by the turbidity sensor into a signal and transmits it to the first communication module. delete 7. The method of claim 6,
Before starting the rinsing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor is transmitted to the first communication module through the second communication module,
The control unit controls the display unit to display the number of necessary rinsing cycles on the display unit based on the data detected by the turbidity sensor. delete cabinets that form the facade; a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating an object to be treated and washing water; a display unit provided in the cabinet and displaying information related to a clothes treatment course; a first communication module provided in the cabinet; a laundry ball accommodated in the drum together with the object to be treated; A control unit for controlling the drum, the display unit, the first communication module and the laundry ball;
The washing ball includes an optical sensor for detecting the type of fiber of the object to be treated; a turbidity sensor for detecting the turbidity of the wash water; a second communication module for communicating with the first communication module by converting the data detected by the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor into a signal; Includes; a control unit for controlling the optical sensor, the turbidity sensor and the second communication module;
The second communication module is provided to receive a control signal including a power input signal from the first communication module, and the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor transmit the power input signal from the first communication module to the second communication module When received as , it is activated by the control unit,
The turbidity sensor is provided to detect the turbidity of the wash water in the drum before the detergent is introduced into the drum,
Before starting the washing cycle, the data sensed by the turbidity sensor is transmitted to the first communication module through the second communication module,
The control unit controls the display unit to display on the display unit a preset amount of detergent to be injected into the drum in the washing cycle based on data detected by the turbidity sensor before the detergent is injected into the drum. As a control method of
a receiving step in which the object to be treated and the laundry ball are accommodated in the drum;
a determination step in which the control unit determines whether there is a command for activating the laundry ball;
a sensor activation step of turning on the optical sensor and the turbidity sensor by the control unit when a command for activating the laundry ball is received from the first communication module to the second communication module;
a data transmission step in which data related to the fiber type of the object to be processed detected by the optical sensor is transmitted from the second communication module to the first communication module; and
a recommended course display step in which the controller controls the display unit so that a preset recommended course is displayed on the display unit based on the data related to the fiber type transmitted to the first communication module; and
After the recommended course display step,
a course selection step in which one course is selected by a user; and
Further comprising a washing step for washing the object to be treated according to the selected course,
In the washing step,
wherein the control unit controls the display unit to display a preset recommended amount of detergent on the display unit based on data related to the contamination level of wash water detected by the turbidity sensor before the detergent is injected into the drum control method. 11. The method of claim 10,
Between the data transmission step and the recommended course display step,
and an analysis step of collecting and analyzing data related to the type of fiber transmitted to the first communication module by the control unit. delete 12. The method of claim 11,
The washing step is
a washing water supply step of supplying washing water into the drum;
transmitting data related to the amount of laundry contamination detected by the turbidity sensor from the second communication module to the first communication module;
collecting and analyzing data related to the amount of contamination of wash water transmitted to the first communication module by the control unit;
and controlling the display unit to display a preset recommended detergent amount on the display unit based on the results collected and analyzed by the control unit. 12. The method of claim 11,
After the washing step,
Further comprising a rinsing step for rinsing the object to be treated,
In the rinsing step, the control unit controls the display unit to display a preset expected number of times of rinsing on the display unit based on data related to the contamination level of the rinsing water detected by the turbidity sensor. 15. The method of claim 14,
The rinsing step is
a rinsing water supply step of supplying rinsing water into the drum;
transmitting data related to the amount of contamination of rinsing water detected by the turbidity sensor from the second communication module to the first communication module;
collecting and analyzing data related to the amount of contamination of rinsing water transmitted to the first communication module by the control unit;
and controlling, by the controller, the display unit to display a preset expected number of rinses on the display unit based on the results collected and analyzed by the control unit. 11. The method of claim 10,
The command for activating the washing ball is
The method of claim 1, wherein the control method is automatically generated according to an input of an execution command for executing a specific course or an input of a command for detecting the amount of laundry contained in the drum.

Images