KR102305627B1 - Laundry Treating Apparatus and Control Method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a tub provided inside a cabinet having an inlet to store washing water, a drum provided inside the tub to accommodate clothes, a driving unit for rotating the drum, the cabinet in a direction parallel to the ground, and The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling the same, including a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the tubs and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground.

Description

{Laundry Treating Apparatus and Control Method for the same}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling the same.

A conventional laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet that forms an external shape, a tub installed inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably installed inside the tub to wash clothes, and a drum to rotate the drum. The rotating shaft includes a motor fixed to the drum through the tub.

The drum may rotate without maintaining dynamic equilibrium (dynamic balance) depending on the position of the clothes stored therein.

Dynamic balance means 'when the rotating body rotates, the centrifugal force or the moment created by the centrifugal force becomes all zero with respect to the axis of rotation'. .

Therefore, dynamic balance in the laundry treatment apparatus is defined as when the drum rotates while the clothes are stored and the mass distribution of the clothes is within the allowable range around the rotation axis of the drum (when the drum rotates while vibrating within the allowable range). can be understood

On the other hand, in the laundry treatment apparatus, the dynamic balance is broken (unbalance), the mass distribution is not constant about the rotation axis of the drum when the drum rotates. This occurs when the clothes are not uniformly distributed inside the drum. .

When the unbalanced drum rotates, the drum vibrates, and the vibration of the drum is transmitted to the tub or cabinet, causing noise.

Some of the conventional laundry treatment apparatuses have a balancing unit for resolving the unbalance of the drum. The balancing units provided in the conventional laundry treatment apparatus include a ball balancer or fluid provided with a ball or liquid inside a housing fixed to the drum. It was a balancer.

A ball balancer or fluid balancer provided in a conventional clothes treatment apparatus controls the imbalance by moving the ball or fluid in the opposite direction to the direction in which the clothes causing the imbalance are located when the rotation trajectory of the drum is fluctuated by the clothes causing the imbalance. it was the way

However, while the above-described unbalance control is useful in a steady state in which the vibration of the drum is within a certain range, there is a problem that a large effect cannot be expected in a state in which the vibration of the drum is in a transient state (transient vibration). In addition, the conventional balancing unit has a structure in which it is difficult to immediately resolve the imbalance (actively eliminate the imbalance) when the imbalance occurs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treatment apparatus capable of determining whether a drum rotates in an unbalanced state in which clothes are not uniformly dispersed, and a method for controlling the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of preventing a tub from colliding with a cabinet and a method for controlling the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treatment apparatus capable of determining the amount of clothes put into a drum through a gap between cabinets in a tub, and a method for controlling the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of actively resolving unbalance and a method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus.

The present invention in order to solve the above problems, the cabinet provided with an inlet; a tub provided inside the cabinet to store wash water and communicating with the inlet; a drum provided inside the tub to accommodate clothes and communicate with the inlet; a driving unit for rotating the drum; a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction parallel to the ground and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground; to provide.

In the present invention, when the distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction parallel to the ground is less than or equal to a preset reference distance while the drum is rotating, the driving unit is controlled to lower the rotational speed of the drum or stop the rotation of the drum It may further include a control unit;

It may further include; a control unit that increases the amount of wash water supplied to the tub in proportion to the distance between the sensing unit and the tub.

The sensing unit may include a sensor provided in any one of the cabinet and the tub to emit sound waves or light toward the other one of the cabinet and the tub.

The sensor is fixed to the cabinet and emits sound waves or light to the tub along a direction parallel to the ground; It is provided in the tub to reflect the sound wave or light emitted by the sensor in a direction in which the sensor is located, and a reflection part (slope) that is further away from the sensor as it goes toward the top of the tub; may further include.

The sensor is fixed to the cabinet and emits sound waves or light to the tub along a direction parallel to the ground; It is fixed to the tub and reflects the sound wave or light emitted by the sensor in a direction in which the sensor is located, but a first reflector and a second reflector that are provided at different heights; may include.

The first reflector and the second reflector may be provided to have different reflectivities.

A distance between the sensor and the first reflector may be set different from a distance between the sensor and the second reflector.

A cabinet equipped with an inlet, a tub provided inside the cabinet to store wash water, a drum provided in the tub to accommodate clothes and communicating with the inlet, a driving unit rotating the drum, and a direction parallel to the ground In the control method of a laundry treatment apparatus, the method comprising: a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the cabinet and the tub and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground; measuring a distance between the cabinet and the tub through a unit; supplying wash water to the tub based on a distance between the cabinet and the tub; A first rotating step (washing) of rotating the drum through the driving unit.

The present invention provides a first draining step of draining the wash water stored in the tub; a secondary rotation step of rotating the drum through the driving unit (dehydration); stopping the operation of the driving unit when the distance between the cabinet and the tub measured during the second rotation step is less than or equal to a preset reference distance; a cloth dispersing step of supplying washing water to the tub to rotate the drum; It may further include; after draining the wash water inside the tub, re-executing the second rotation step.

In the present invention, when the distance between the cabinet and the tub measured during the first rotation step is less than or equal to a preset reference distance, the method includes the steps of: lowering the rotation speed of the drum or stopping the rotation of the drum through the driving unit; may further include.

The present invention is effective in providing a clothes treatment apparatus capable of determining whether a drum rotates in an unbalanced state in which clothes are not uniformly dispersed, and a method for controlling the same.

In addition, the present invention has an effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus capable of preventing a tub from colliding with a cabinet and a method for controlling the same.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a clothes treatment apparatus capable of determining the amount of clothes put into the drum through a gap between the tub cabinets and a method for controlling the same.

In addition, the present invention has an effect of providing a laundry treatment apparatus capable of actively resolving an imbalance and a control method of the laundry treatment apparatus.

1 shows an example of a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention.
2 shows an example of a sensing unit provided in the present invention.
3 and 4 show an example of the first balancer provided in the present invention.
5 and 6 show an example of the second balancer provided in the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. On the other hand, the configuration or control method of the device to be described below is only for explaining the embodiment of the present invention and not for limiting the scope of the present invention, and the same reference numbers used throughout the specification refer to the same components. represent them

As shown in FIG. 1 , the laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a cabinet 1 that forms an exterior, a tub 2 that is provided inside the cabinet to store washing water, and a tub 2 that is provided inside the tub 2 . It includes a drum (4) in which clothes are accommodated, and a driving unit (5) for rotating the drum.

The cabinet 1 is provided with an inlet 11 for supplying clothes to the drum 4 or for taking out clothes stored in the drum, and the inlet 11 includes a door 13 rotatably provided in the cabinet. provided

An adjustment unit 15 may be provided on the bottom surface of the cabinet 1 , and the adjustment unit 15 supports the cabinet 1 on the ground (G, the floor surface of the space where the laundry treatment apparatus is to be installed). As a means to control the cabinet 1 , the user can adjust the height or horizontality of the cabinet 1 through the adjusting unit 15 .

The tub 2 may be provided in any shape as long as washing water can be stored, and the washing water is supplied through the water supply units 17 and 19 and stored outside the cabinet through the drain units 16 and 18 . Drain the washing water.

The water supply unit is provided with a water supply pipe 17 connected to a water supply source and a valve 19 that opens and closes the water supply pipe 17 according to a control command from a control unit (not shown), and the drain unit removes the wash water inside the tub 2 . A pump 18 for discharging to the outside of the tub and a drain pipe 16 for guiding the water pressurized by the pump to the outside of the cabinet 1 may be provided.

The tub 2 includes a tub inlet 21 communicating with the inlet 11 , and may be fixed inside the cabinet 1 through the tub support 3 . The tub support part 3 is preferably provided in a structure capable of absorbing vibrations generated in the tub 2 .

That is, the tub support part 3 includes a first support part 31 provided in the cabinet 1 , a second support part 33 provided in the tub 2 , one end connected to the first support part, and the other end being connected to the first support part. It may be provided as a connection part 35 connected to the second support part.

The connection part 35 is coupled to the first support part 31 through the seating part 37 , and is connected to the second support part 33 via the flange 38 and the pressing part 39 . can be provided with

The seating part 37 is provided in a spherical shape to be seated in the receiving groove of the first support part 31 , and the pressing part 39 is positioned between the flange 38 and the second support part 33 to provide the It may be provided as a compression spring for pressing the second support part 33 and the flange 38, respectively.

Therefore, the vibration of the tub 2 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the ground (Y, the height direction of the drum) will be attenuated by the pressing part 39, and a plane parallel to the ground G (a plane parallel to the X axis, The vibration of the tub 2 with respect to a plane parallel to the radial direction of the drum) will be canceled by the seating part 37 and the pressing part 39 .

The drum 4 is located inside the tub 2 and may be provided as a body 41 in which clothes are accommodated. Since the body 41 is rotated inside the tub by the driving unit 5, it is preferably provided in a cylindrical shape.

The body 41 is provided with a drum inlet 411 communicating with the tub inlet 21 , and on a circumferential surface of the body 41 , the wash water supplied to the tub 2 flows into the body 41 . A through hole 413 to allow the inflow may be provided.

The drum inlet 411 may be provided in any shape as long as the tub inlet 21 and the inside of the body 41 communicate with each other. It is shown as an example of a case provided with an open surface located on the surface.

The above-described drum 4 rotates inside the tub 2 by the driving unit 5 .

The laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention is a top loading type in which the inlet 11 is located on the upper surface of the cabinet 1 and the front loading type in which the inlet 11 is located on the front surface of the cabinet 1 . Any type of front loading type may be provided.

1 illustrates a case in which the laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention is a top loading type. In this case, the inlet 11 , the tub inlet 21 and the drum inlet 411 are the upper surface of the cabinet 1 and the tub It should be provided on the upper surface of (2) and the upper surface of the body 41, respectively.

In addition, the driving unit 5 provided in the top-loading type laundry treatment apparatus includes a stator 53 fixed to an outer bottom surface of the tub 2 to form a rotating magnetic field, and a rotor rotating by the rotating magnetic field. (55), a rotary shaft 51 provided to penetrate the bottom surface of the tub 2 to connect the rotor 55 and the body 41, provided in the tub to rotatably support the rotary shaft 51 It may be provided as a shaft support portion (57).

On the other hand, when the laundry treatment apparatus is provided as a front loading type, the inlet 11 , the tub inlet 21 and the drum inlet 411 are located on the front surfaces of the cabinet 1 , the tub 2 and the body 41 . Each must be provided. In this case, since the body 41 of the drum must be provided so that the center of rotation is parallel to the ground G, the driving unit provided in the front-loading type laundry treatment apparatus includes a stator fixed to the outer rear surface of the tub, and It should be provided as a rotating shaft passing through the rear surface to connect the body and the rotor, and a shaft support part provided in the tub to rotatably support the rotating shaft.

In the laundry treatment apparatus 100 having the above structure, the control unit supplies washing water to the tub 2 through the water supply units 17 and 19, and the driving unit 5 rotates the drum 4 to wash the clothes. The clothes are washed by rubbing with the Thereafter, the control unit discharges the washing water to the outside of the tub through the drainage units 16 and 18 , and rotates the drum 4 through the driving unit 4 to dehydrate the clothes.

Although the above-described drum support part 3 performs a function of damping the vibration of the tub, if the clothes are not evenly distributed on the drum and the drum 4 is rotated in a state where the clothes are concentrated in some areas of the drum 4, the drum ( 4), an unbalanced state that vibrates outside the allowable range occurs. When the unbalanced drum rotates, vibration occurs in the drum, and the vibration of the drum 4 is transmitted to the tub 2 or the cabinet 1, causing problems such as collision between the tub and the cabinet.

The laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention can not only determine whether there is a risk of the tub 2 collide with the cabinet 1 when the drum 4 rotates, but also measure the amount of clothes put into the drum 4 . It may further include a detectable detection unit (8).

The sensing unit 8 provided in the present invention is the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 in a direction (X) parallel to the ground (G) or the cabinet in a direction (Y) perpendicular to the ground The above-described function can be implemented by determining at least any one of the distances between (1) and the tub (2). A case of sensing the distance between (1) and the tub (2) is illustrated as an example.

The sensing unit 8 is provided in any one of the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 and includes a sensor 81 that emits sound waves or light toward the other one of the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 . can be

FIG. 2 illustrates a case in which the sensor 81 is fixed to the cabinet 1 as an example. This is because the vibration transmitted to the cabinet 1 when the drum 4 rotates is affected by the vibration transmitted to the tub 2 . This is in consideration of the fact that it is smaller than that, and that the data sensed by the sensor 81 is transmitted to a control unit (not shown).

Meanwhile, the sensor 81 may be provided as a means for emitting sound waves or light toward the tub 2 . In this case, the sound wave or light emitted from the sensor 81 is received by the sensor 81 after being reflected by the tub 2 , and the control unit transmits the sound wave or light reflected from the tub 2 to the sensor 81 . It is possible to determine the distance between the tub 2 and the cabinet 1 through the time received by the .

Accordingly, the controller determines the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 through the signal transmitted by the sensor 81, and when the determined distance between the cabinet and the tub is smaller than a preset reference value, the driving unit 5 ) to stop the rotation of the drum 4 or lower the number of rotations of the drum 4 to prevent the tub 2 from colliding with the cabinet 1 .

On the other hand, as the area of the tub 2 that reflects the sound wave or light emitted from the sensor 81 is toward the top of the tub, it includes an inclined surface away from the sensor or is reflected in the area of the tub 2 that reflects the sound wave or light. When the unit 83 is provided, it is possible to determine the amount of clothes supplied to the drum 4 through the sensor 81 .

Since the tub 2 is fixed inside the cabinet 1 by the tub support part 3 described above, as the amount of clothes supplied to the drum 4 increases, the tub 2 moves toward the ground G. will be If the above-described inclined surface or the reflecting unit 83 is provided in the tub 2, the greater the deflection of the tub 2, the longer the time it takes for the sensor 81 to detect the sound wave or light emitted from the tub. It is possible to know how much sagging has occurred in 2), and through this, the amount of clothes (cloth amount) supplied to the drum 4 can be predicted. When the amount of laundry is predicted through the above-described sensing unit 8 , the control unit may supply an appropriate amount of washing water to the tub 2 for washing the clothes injected into the drum 4 through the water supply units 17 and 19 .

However, if the area of the tub 2 that reflects sound waves or light is provided only with an inclined surface, there is a high possibility that sound waves or light emitted from the sensor 81 cannot be reflected in the direction of the sensor 81, so sound waves or light are reflected. It is preferable that a reflection unit 83 as shown in FIG. 2 is provided in the region of the tub 2 to be used.

The reflective part 83 may include a first reflective plate 831 positioned at the lowermost end and a second reflective plate 833 positioned above the first reflective plate. The first reflective plate 831 and the second reflective plate 833 may be provided in a ring shape along the circumferential surface of the tub, and are provided only in an area capable of reflecting the sound wave or light emitted from the sensor 81 among the circumferential surface of the tub. could be

Meanwhile, the distance L1 between the sensor 81 and the first reflecting plate 831 is preferably shorter than the distance L2 between the sensor 81 and the second reflecting plate 833 . However, if the reflectance of the first reflector 831 and the reflectance of the second reflector 833 are set differently, the distance L1 between the sensor 81 and the first reflector 831 is the sensor 81 and the distance L2 between the second reflecting plate 833 and the second reflecting plate 833 may be provided.

In order to widen the range of the amount of laundry that the controller (not shown) can determine, the number of the reflectors may be increased. In FIG. 2, the reflectors are placed on the first reflecting plate 831, the second reflecting plate 833, and the second reflecting plate. A case in which the third reflecting plate 835 positioned and the fourth reflecting plate 837 positioned above the third reflecting plate are provided as an example is illustrated.

In this case, the distance L3 between the third reflecting plate 835 and the sensor 81 is longer than the distance L2 between the second reflecting plate 833 and the sensor 81, and the fourth reflecting plate 837 and The distance L4 between the sensors 81 may be longer than the distance L3 between the third reflecting plate 835 and the sensor 81 .

However, if the reflectances of the respective reflectors 831 , 833 , 835 , and 837 are set differently, the distances L1 , L2 , L3 , and L4 between the sensor 81 and each reflector may be the same.

The sensing unit 8 shown in FIG. 2 is described based on a case in which the sensor 81 is provided to measure the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 in a direction parallel to the ground, but the sensor 81 ) may be provided to measure the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 in a direction perpendicular to the ground.

In this case, the sensor 81 may be provided on the upper surface of the cabinet 1 to measure the distance between the upper surface of the cabinet 1 and the upper surface of the tub 2 , and the bottom surface of the cabinet It may be provided to measure the distance between the tub and the bottom surface of the tub.

In the former case, the controller (not shown) increases the amount of wash water supplied to the tub in proportion to the distance between the upper surface of the cabinet and the upper surface of the tub, and the distance between the upper surface of the cabinet and the upper surface of the tub. If is less than the preset reference distance, the rotation speed of the drum will be lowered or the rotation of the drum will be stopped.

However, in the latter case, the control unit determines the amount of wash water supplied to the tub to be in inverse proportion to the distance between the bottom surface of the cabinet and the bottom surface of the tub, and sets a predetermined distance between the bottom surface of the cabinet and the bottom surface of the tub. When the distance is below the reference distance, the rotation speed of the drum will be lowered or the rotation of the drum will be stopped.

On the other hand, in order to actively resolve the unbalanced state generated in the drum 4 , the laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention temporarily stores the externally supplied liquid to locally change the weight of the drum by balancers 61 and 64 . ) may be further included.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the balancer may include a first balancer 61 provided at an upper portion of the drum 4 and a second balancer 64 provided at a lower portion of the drum.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the first balancer 61 includes a first housing 611 fixed to the drum 4 , and a storage unit 611b provided inside the first housing to provide a space in which a liquid is stored. ), a first inlet 613 for introducing liquid into the storage unit 611b, and a first discharge unit 615 for discharging the liquid inside the storage unit 611b to the outside of the storage unit 611b. can

As shown in FIG. 4 , since the first housing 611 should be provided so as not to block the drum inlet 411, it is preferably provided in a ring shape with a through hole 611a in the center.

At least two storage units 611b should be provided inside the first housing, and each storage unit 611b should be separated from each other by a partition wall 611c. The storage unit 611b stores the liquid supplied through the first inlet 613 provided to pass through the first housing 611 .

Meanwhile, since the first housing 611 is fixed to the drum 4 , it will rotate together with the drum 4 when the drum 4 rotates. Accordingly, the first inlet 613 is preferably provided as a ring-shaped slit passing through the upper surface of the first housing 611 along the circumferential direction of the through hole 611a.

The above-described first balancer supplies liquid to the first inlet 613 through the first housing water supply unit, and the water supply units 17 and 19 supplying wash water to the tub 2 serve as the first housing water supply unit. can be performed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3 , the water supply pipe 17 is provided to supply washing water to the guider 23 provided to penetrate the upper surface of the tub, and the first inlet 613 is the guider 23 . When positioned at the lower portion, the water supply pipe 17 may supply the liquid to the storage unit 611b while the first housing 611 is rotated by the drum 4 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the liquid supplied to each storage unit 611b may be discharged to the outside of the storage unit 611b through the first discharge unit 615 .

FIG. 4 (a) shows a first discharge unit for discharging the liquid stored in the storage unit 611b only when the first housing 611 is not rotated by the drum 4, and FIG. 4(b) shows The first discharge unit for discharging the liquid inside the storage unit 611b when the liquid stored in the storage unit 611b exceeds a predetermined water level is illustrated.

The first discharge part 615 of FIG. 4 (a) is provided to penetrate the first housing 611 and is a hole 615c for communicating the storage part 611b with the through hole 611a, FIG. 4 (a) The first discharge portion 615 of the first housing 611 is characterized in that it is provided in the direction toward the center of rotation of the drum. Therefore, when the first housing 611 is rotated by the drum 4, the liquid supplied to the storage unit 611b is not discharged to the outside of the storage unit 611b by centrifugal force, but the drum 4 stops rotating or When the rotation speed is lower than the preset rotation speed, it will be discharged to the drum 4 through the first discharge unit 615 .

The first discharge part of FIG. 4(b) includes a discharge pipe 615a extending from the bottom surface of the storage unit 611b toward the top surface of the first housing 611, and the discharge pipe 615a in the first housing 611. It is characterized in that it is provided with a cover (615b) extending toward the circumferential surface of the discharge pipe (615a).

A hole 615c for communicating the storage 611b with the outside is provided inside the discharge pipe 615a. The cover 615b is provided to surround the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 615a and is provided to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the first housing 611 by a predetermined distance, and the discharge pipe 615a has an upper end not in contact with the cover 615b. provided so as not to Accordingly, the liquid inside the storage unit 611b cannot be discharged to the outside of the storage unit 611b before the water level inside the storage unit 611b reaches the upper end of the discharge pipe 615a.

However, when the water level inside the storage unit 611b reaches the upper end of the discharge pipe 615a, the liquid inside the storage unit 611b passes through the space between the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 615a and the inner circumferential surface of the cover 615b through the discharge pipe 615a. ) and then discharged from the storage unit 611b through the hole 615c.

On the other hand, when the liquid in the storage unit 611b starts to be discharged through the hole 615c, the liquid inside the storage unit 611b is all stored due to the pressure difference between the pressure inside the discharge pipe 615a and the inside of the storage unit 611b. It will be discharged (siphon) to the outside of the portion 611b.

The hole 615c may be provided to pass through the side surface of the first housing 611 as shown in FIG. 4B , or may be provided to pass through the bottom surface of the first housing 611 .

5, the second balancer 64 is fixed to the drum 4 and rotates together with the second housing 641, which is provided inside the second housing to provide a space in which the liquid is stored. The storage part 641b, the second inlet 643 for introducing the liquid into the storage part 641b, and the second discharge part 645 for discharging the liquid inside the storage part 641b to the outside of the storage part 641b ) can be provided.

Since the second housing 641 should be fixed to the bottom surface of the drum or the lower circumferential surface of the drum so as not to interfere with the driving unit 5, it is preferably provided in a ring shape with a through hole 641a in the center.

As shown in FIG. 6 , at least two storage units 641b should be provided inside the second housing, and each storage unit 641b should be separated from each other by a partition wall 641c.

The storage unit 641b is supplied with liquid through a second inlet 643 provided to pass through the second housing 641 . Meanwhile, since the second housing 641 rotates together with the drum when the drum 4 rotates, the second inlet 643 is a ring-shaped slit passing through the upper surface of the second housing 641 or the second housing 641. 2 It is preferable to be provided as a ring-shaped slit passing through the side surface of the housing 614 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , when the second inlet 643 is provided as a ring-shaped slit penetrating the upper surface of the second housing 641 , the second housing water supply unit 657 is formed by the drum ( 4 ). It should be provided to inject the liquid into the space between the bottom surface of the and the upper surface of the second housing 641.

However, when the second inlet 643 is provided as a ring-shaped slit penetrating the side surface of the second housing 614 , the second housing water supply 657 is directly directed toward the second inlet 643 . It may be provided to spray.

The second housing water supply unit 657 may include a second balancer water supply pipe 647a fixed to the tub 2 , and a valve 647b that opens and closes the second balancer water supply pipe by a control unit. The second balancer water supply pipe 647a may be directly connected to an external water supply source, or may be connected to the water supply pipe 17 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the liquid supplied to the storage unit 641b of the second balancer may be discharged to the outside of the storage unit 641b through the second discharge unit 645 .

6 (a) shows a second discharge unit for discharging the liquid stored in the storage unit 641b when the second housing 641 is not rotated by the drum 4, and FIG. 6 (b) shows the storage The second discharge unit for discharging the liquid inside the storage unit 641b when the liquid stored in the unit 641b exceeds a predetermined water level is illustrated.

The second discharge part 645 of FIG. 6 (a) is a hole 645c provided to pass through the second housing 641 and communicates the storage part 641b with the through hole 641a, FIG. 6(a) The second discharge part 645 of the is characterized in that it is provided in the direction toward the center of rotation of the drum.

On the other hand, the second discharge part 645 shown in Fig. 6 (b) is a discharge pipe 645a extending from the bottom surface of the storage part 641b toward the upper surface of the second housing 641, the second housing ( It is characterized in that it is provided with a cover (645b) extending from the discharge pipe (641) toward the discharge pipe (645a) surrounds the circumferential surface of the discharge pipe (645a).

The second discharge unit 645 shown in Fig. 6 (a) discharges the liquid stored in the storage unit 641b of the second balancer to the outside in the same manner as the first discharge unit 615 shown in Fig. 4 (a). The second discharge units 645a, b, and c shown in FIG. 6 (b) are the first discharge units 615a, b, and c shown in FIG. 4 (b) in the same manner as the second balancer. Since the liquid stored in the storage unit 641b is discharged to the outside, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

While the laundry treatment apparatus 100 having the balancers 61 and 64 having the above-described structure rotates the drum 4 through the driving unit 5, the controller (not shown) controls the drum 4 through a separate unbalance detecting means. ), it is possible to determine whether unbalance has occurred and the location of the clothing causing the unbalance.

However, the control unit may check whether the drum 4 is in an unbalanced state through the signal transmitted by the sensing unit 8 . This is because if it is determined that the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 is smaller than the preset reference distance, it can be estimated that the drum is in an unbalanced state.

The unbalance detecting means (not shown) may be provided in any form as long as it is possible to determine whether unbalance has occurred in the drum and the position of the clothes causing the unbalance, and a hall sensor for detecting the number of rotations of the rotor 55 . (Hall Effect Sensor) may be an example.

On the other hand, when it is determined that unbalance has occurred in the drum through the unbalance detection means or the detection unit 8, the control unit controls each balancer located in the opposite direction to the position of the clothes causing the unbalance checked through the unbalance detection means. A liquid is supplied to the storage units 611b and 641b.

When liquid is supplied to each of the storage units 611b and 641b, the weight of the drum in the direction opposite to the direction in which the clothes are located, which causes the unbalance, increases locally, so that the unbalance of the drum 4 will be resolved.

The laundry treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention may be provided to include both the first balancer 61 and the second balancer 64, but the bottom surface of the drum 4 is fixed to the rotation shaft 51 of the driving unit to increase the amplitude. In that it is not large, the present invention may be provided to include only the first balancer 61 .

Hereinafter, a control method of the laundry treatment apparatus having the above-described structure will be described.

When clothes are put into the drum 4, the control unit measures the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 through the sensing unit 8 to determine the amount of clothes (the amount of clothes), and the water supply unit ( 17 and 19) are controlled to supply an appropriate amount of washing water set for the laundry weight to the tub 2 .

When the supply of the set amount of wash water to the tub 2 is completed, the control unit performs a first rotation step (washing step) of rotating the drum through the driving unit 5 for washing clothes. When the drum 4 is rotated for washing, the possibility of unbalance occurring in the drum 4 is very low because the washing water is stored inside the tub 2 .

When washing is completed, the control unit proceeds with the first draining step of draining the wash water inside the tub 2 through the drainage units 16 and 18 , and when the drainage is complete, the control unit operates the drum 4 through the driving unit 5 . ) to rotate the second rotation step (dehydration step) is carried out.

When the drum is rotated for dehydration of clothes, there is no washing water in the tub, so there is a very high possibility that an imbalance may occur depending on the position of the clothes. Therefore, if the distance between the cabinet 1 and the tub 2 measured during the dehydration step is less than a preset reference distance, the controller controls the driving unit 5 to lower the rotation speed of the drum 4 . or stop rotation of the drum. Therefore, the present invention can prevent the tub (2) from colliding with the cabinet (1).

Thereafter, the present invention may solve the unbalance by performing the steps for dispersing the fabric, or may solve the unbalance by supplying liquid to the balancers 61 and 64 .

The cloth dispersing step is a step of supplying washing water to the tub 2 and rotating the drum 4 to rearrange the clothes. It is preferable to set it to be smaller than the number of revolutions of The cloth dispersion step is completed when the drum alternately rotates clockwise and counterclockwise for a preset time.

When the cloth dispersion step is completed, the control unit drains the wash water inside the tub 4 through the drains 13 and 18 and then executes the dewatering step again.

On the other hand, when supplying liquid to the balancers 61 and 64 to control the unbalance, the controller controls the storage units 611b and 641b of each balancer located in the opposite direction to the position of the clothes causing the unbalance checked through the unbalance detection means. ) by supplying liquid to the drum, the unbalance generated in the drum can be eliminated.

However, in the case of a balancer having the first discharge part of FIG. 4 (a) and the second discharge part of FIG. 6 (a), the liquid must be supplied to each of the storage units 611b and 641b without stopping the rotation of the drum. and the liquid supplied to each of the reservoirs 611b and 641b will be discharged from the respective reservoirs 611b and 641b when the drum 4 stops rotating.

However, the balancer having the first discharge unit of FIG. 4 (b) and the second discharge unit of FIG. 6 (b) can supply liquid to each storage unit regardless of whether the drum rotates, and each storage unit 611b, 641b ), regardless of whether the drum rotates, if the water supply units 17 and 19 and the second housing water supply unit 657 additionally supply a certain amount of liquid or more to the respective storage units 611b and 641b It will be discharged from each storage unit (611b, 641b).

The present invention may be modified and implemented in various forms, but the scope of the rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, if the modified embodiment includes the elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present invention.

100: clothes processing device 1: cabinet 11: inlet
17: water supply pipe 2: tub 21: tub inlet
23: guider 3: tub support part 4: drum
41: body 411: drum inlet 5: driving unit
61: first balancer 611: first housing 611a: through hole
611b: storage unit 611c: bulkhead 613: first inlet
615: first discharge unit 64: second balancer 641: second housing
643: second inlet 645: second outlet 657: second housing water supply
8: detection unit 81: sensor 83: reflection unit

Claims (10)

a cabinet with an inlet;
a tub provided inside the cabinet to store wash water and communicating with the inlet;
a drum provided inside the tub to accommodate clothes and communicate with the inlet;
a driving unit for rotating the drum;
a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction parallel to the ground and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground; and
The sensor is fixed to the cabinet and emits sound waves or light to the tub along a direction parallel to the ground; and an inclined surface provided in the tub to reflect the sound wave or light emitted by the sensor in a direction in which the sensor is positioned, and an inclined surface that is further away from the sensor as it goes toward the top of the tub. According to claim 1,
When the distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction parallel to the ground while the drum rotates is less than a preset reference distance, a control unit for controlling the driving unit to lower the rotational speed of the drum or stop the rotation of the drum; The laundry treatment apparatus further comprising a. According to claim 1,
and a control unit that increases the amount of wash water supplied to the tub in proportion to a distance between the sensing unit and the tub. delete delete a cabinet with an inlet;
a tub provided inside the cabinet to store wash water and communicating with the inlet;
a drum provided inside the tub to accommodate clothes and communicate with the inlet;
a driving unit for rotating the drum;
a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction parallel to the ground and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground; and
The sensing unit
a sensor fixed to the cabinet and emitting sound waves or light to the tub in a direction parallel to the ground;
and a first reflecting unit and a second reflecting unit fixed to the tub and reflecting the sound wave or light emitted by the sensor in a direction in which the sensor is located, but provided at different heights. 7. The method of claim 6,
and the first reflecting unit and the second reflecting unit have different reflectivities. 7. The method of claim 6,
and a distance between the sensor and the first reflector is different from a distance between the sensor and the second reflector. A cabinet equipped with an inlet, a tub provided inside the cabinet to store wash water, a drum provided in the tub to accommodate clothes and communicated with the inlet, a driving unit rotating the drum, and a direction parallel to the ground and a sensing unit capable of determining at least one of a distance between the cabinet and the tub and a distance between the cabinet and the tub in a direction perpendicular to the ground, wherein the sensing unit is fixed to the cabinet and provides a direction parallel to the ground. Accordingly, a sensor that emits sound waves or light to the tub, and a first reflector and a second reflector that are fixed to the tub and reflect the sound wave or light emitted by the sensor in the direction in which the sensor is located, are provided at different heights A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus comprising a unit, the method comprising:
measuring a distance between the cabinet and the tub through the sensing unit;
supplying wash water to the tub based on a distance between the cabinet and the tub;
and a first rotation step of rotating the drum through the driving unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
a first draining step of draining the wash water stored in the tub;
a secondary rotation step of rotating the drum through the driving unit;
stopping the operation of the driving unit when the distance between the cabinet and the tub measured during the second rotation step is less than or equal to a preset reference distance;
a cloth dispersing step of supplying washing water to the tub to rotate the drum;
and re-executing the second rotation step after draining the wash water inside the tub.

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