KR20180027046A - Laundry treating apparatus and control method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A control method of a laundry treating apparatus to dry laundry by supplying air to be heat or air not to be heated to the laundry stored in an accommodating space comprises the following steps of: operating an air blowing fan installed in a duct forming a flow path in which air in the accommodating space is circulated to circulate the air in the accommodating space; removing a foreign substance remaining in a filter by spraying washing water to the filter removing a foreign substance from the air flowing into the duct after stopping operation of the air blowing fan; removing a water film formed in the filter by the washing water sprayed to the filter after the step of removing the foreign substance remaining in the filter by spraying the washing water to the filter is finished; and restarting circulation of the air in the accommodating space by re-operating the air blowing fan.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a garment processing apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a garment processing apparatus and a control method thereof for cleaning a lint filter for filtering a lint generated when a laundry is dried.

Examples of the clothes processing apparatus include a washing apparatus, a drying and washing apparatus, and the like. The washing machine removes various pollutants adhered to clothes, bedding or the like by using an emulsification action, a friction of the water stream due to the rotation of the pulsator or the drum, and an impact applied to the laundry. The drying and washing apparatus is a type of washing machine capable of drying the laundry after completion of the washing as well as the function of the washing machine. In such a dry type washing machine, there is a condensing type drying and washing machine for extracting air in the tub and removing moisture in the air by cooling water, and then heating and supplying the air to the tub.

The conventional condensing type drying and washing machine according to the related art includes a cabinet forming a receiving space therein, a tub provided inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably installed in the tub, and a condenser for condensing the air drawn from the tub A condensing duct formed outside the tub, a heating duct connected to the condensing duct for heating and dehumidifying the air, and a blowing fan for circulating the air in the tub along the condensing duct and the heating duct.

The above-described drying and washing machine circulates air inside the tub by using a circulating fan. At this time, the air introduced into the heating duct is heated by the heater and then supplied to the tub. The heated air supplied to the inside of the tub absorbs moisture from the laundry, is converted into moist air, and moves to the condensing duct, thereby drying the laundry. The humid air introduced into the condensing duct moves to the heating duct after the moisture is removed (dehumidified).

Meanwhile, when the laundry is dried through the above-described process, the foreign substance (lint) included in the laundry may be introduced into the condensing duct together with the air. Lint introduced into the condensing duct can reduce condensation efficiency and, in some cases, may cause failure of the heater or circulating fan.

Therefore, a lint filter for removing the lint contained in the air introduced into the condensing duct is indispensable, and maintenance of the lint filter becomes an important problem.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes processing apparatus and a control method thereof capable of removing moisture from humid air discharged from a tub without a separate condensing duct.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes processing apparatus and a control method thereof for removing foreign matter from air discharged from a tub using a filter.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a clothes processing apparatus and a control method thereof for removing foreign matters accumulated in a filter.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes processing apparatus and a control method thereof capable of solving the drying performance deterioration factor which may occur in the process of removing foreign substances accumulated in the filter.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention, there is provided a control method of a clothes processing apparatus for supplying garbage to a garment stored in a storage space by supplying heated air or unheated air to clothes, A step of operating a blowing fan installed inside the duct to circulate air inside the accommodation space, washing water is sprayed to a filter for removing foreign matter from the air flowing into the duct after stopping the operation of the blowing fan, Removing the remaining water from the filter by the washing water injected into the filter after the step of spraying the washing water to the filter and removing the foreign substances remaining in the filter is completed, And restarting the fan to restart circulation of air in the accommodation space.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of removing the water film formed on the filter may include stopping the operation of the blowing fan for a predetermined time.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter is completed when the supply of the washing water to the filter is finished, and the step of stopping the operation of the blowing fan is to remove the foreign matter remaining in the filter Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 110 < / RTI > to 120 seconds after the removing step is completed.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter is completed when the operation of the drain pump for discharging the washing water sprayed by the filter to the outside of the tub is completed, May be continued for 50 to 70 seconds after the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter is completed.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of removing the water film formed on the filter may further include rotating the drum, which is rotatably provided in the receiving space, to receive the clothes.

In exemplary embodiments, rotating the drum may repeat the rotation and pause of the drum at least one or more times.

In exemplary embodiments, the time for rotating the drum may be longer than the time for stopping rotation of the drum.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter may include rotating the drum that is rotatably provided in the receiving space to receive the clothes, and rotating the drum inside the receiving space to the outside And operating the drain pump for discharging the water.

In the exemplary embodiments, the drum can rotate through the filter toward the falling direction of the wash water flowing into the containing space.

In exemplary embodiments, removing foreign matter remaining in the filter may intermittently supply wash water to the filter.

In the exemplary embodiments, the control method of the clothes processing apparatus may further include determining whether there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining on the filter by spraying wash water on the filter.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of determining whether or not there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter may include determining whether or not there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter, It may be determined that there is a need to remove the < RTI ID = 0.0 >

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of determining whether or not there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining on the filter may include removing foreign matter remaining on the filter when the temperature inside the duct increases by a predetermined value or more It can be concluded that there is a need to do so.

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of circulating the air in the receiving space and the step of restarting circulation of the air in the receiving space may be performed by operating a heater provided in the duct, The method may further include a step of heating.

In exemplary embodiments, the step of circulating air within the containment space and resuming circulation of air in the containment space may include rotating the drum, which is rotatably disposed within the containment space, .

In the exemplary embodiments, the step of circulating the air inside the accommodation space and the step of restarting the circulation of the air in the accommodation space each include a step of discharging a part of the air circulating inside the accommodation space to the outside .

The clothes processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can remove moisture from the humid air discharged from the tub without a separate condensing duct.

Further, the clothes processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can remove foreign matter from the air discharged from the tub using a filter.

Further, the clothes processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can improve the drying performance by removing the foreign substances accumulated in the filter.

In addition, the clothes processing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention can solve the drying performance deterioration factor that may occur in the process of removing the foreign substances accumulated in the filter.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and may be variously expanded without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1 is a side view showing a garment processing apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing a tub, an air circulating unit and a filter washing unit in the clothes processing apparatus of Fig. 1;
Figs. 3 and 4 are partial sectional views showing the filter and the filter cleaning unit. Fig.
5 and 6 are graphs showing a control method of a garment processing apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the specific structural and functional embodiments are provided by way of illustration only, and are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, and all changes, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, It is to be understood that the invention includes equivalents and alternatives. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings, and redundant explanations for the same constituent elements are omitted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a clothes processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Fig.

1 is a side view showing a garment processing apparatus according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing a tub, an air circulating unit and a filter washing unit in the clothes processing apparatus of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are partial sectional views showing the filter and the filter cleaning unit. Fig.

1 to 4, the clothes processing apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 110, a tub 120 fixed inside the cabinet 110, a drum 120 rotatably installed in the tub 120, An air circulation unit 160 installed outside the tub 120 to circulate air inside the tub 120 and a circulation unit 160 installed outside the tub 120 to discharge a part of the air inside the tub 120 to the outside And an air exhaust unit 170.

The cabinet 110 is provided with a front panel 111 formed with a laundry inlet and a door 113 for opening and closing the laundry inlet and outlet is rotatably installed on the front panel 111. A control panel 115 is provided on the upper side of the front panel 111. The control panel 115 controls the operation of the clothes processing apparatus 100, And the like.

The tub 120 is installed to be fixedly supported in the cabinet 110. 2, the tub 120 may be composed of a front tub 121 and a rear tub 123. As shown in FIG. The front tub 121 and the rear tub 123 are coupled by a coupling member such as a screw and can form a space for storing wash water therein.

A front portion of the front tub 121 is formed with an inlet 121a through which the laundry is inserted into the door 113 and a rim portion 121b protruding forward toward the door 113 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the inlet 121a . The air outlet portion 167 of the air circulation unit 160 to be described later is connected to the input port 121a and the front gasket 114 is connected to the rim portion 121b for maintaining the airtightness with the laundry inlet / . At this time, the front gasket 114 can prevent the vibration of the tub 120 from being transmitted to the cabinet 110, and it is also possible to prevent foreign matter from flowing into the tub 120.

The air recovery unit 161 of the air circulation unit 160, the air exhaust unit 170 and the water supply line 141 of the water supply unit 140 may be connected to the outer surface of the rear tub 123. These will be described later.

The drum 130 can be directly connected to the driving motor 135 through a rotary shaft (not shown) passing through the rear tub 123. [ Accordingly, the drum 130 can be rotated in the tub 120 by receiving the power of the driving motor 135.

The air circulation unit 160 is installed on the upper part of the tub 120 and can circulate the air inside the tub 120 in the air supply stroke. The air supply stroke means a stroke for supplying heated air or unheated air to the inside of the tub 120, and a drying stroke is exemplified. In the drying cycle, the air circulation unit 160 can heat the inside of the tub 120 while circulating the air.

The air circulation unit 160 includes an air recovery unit 161 that passes through the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120 to recover air inside the tub 120 and an air recovery unit 161 that is positioned above the air recovery unit 161, A duct 165 for guiding the air introduced into the air recovery unit 161 to the front of the tub 120 and a duct 165 for guiding the air introduced into the air recovery unit 161 to the air recovery unit 161, And an air discharge unit 167 for supplying the heated air to the inside of the tub 120. [

The air recovery unit 161 is formed on the upper side surface of the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120. A filter 180 for removing lint generated when clothes are dried is installed in the air recovery unit 161 and a filter cleaning unit 160 for supplying washing water for cleaning the filter 180 is installed at one side of the air recovery unit 161 190 are connected. The filter 180 and the filter cleaning unit 190 will be described later with reference to FIG.

The air blowing fan 163 is installed above the air returning unit 161 and can circulate the air inside the tub 120. [ Specifically, when the air blowing fan 163 is operated, the air inside the tub 120 flows into the duct 165 through the air returning unit 161 and then flows back into the tub 120 through the air discharging unit 167 Can be supplied.

On the other hand, the air introduced into the duct 165 by the air blowing fan 163 is heated by the heater 166, and the heated air can be supplied into the tub 120 through the air discharging portion 167 again . At this time, the air discharge portion 167 may be connected to the front of the tub 120.

The heated air introduced into the tub 120 through the air discharge portion 167 is supplied into the drum 130 to remove moisture from the clothes and is discharged through the through holes To the space between the tub (130) and the tub (120).

On the other hand, since the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120 is in contact with the outside air, the surface of the tub 120 maintains a temperature substantially similar to the normal temperature. Thus, the heated air discharged into the space between the drum 130 and the tub 120 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the relatively low-temperature tub 120, and moisture in the heated air can be condensed. That is, the space between the drum 130 and the tub 120 becomes a condensation space, and the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 functions as a condensation surface. Particularly, since the tub 120 surrounds the drum 120, condensation may be uniformly generated on the entire inner circumferential surface of the tub 120.

On the other hand, if condensation continues on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120, the temperature of the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 may rise. In this case, the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 may not function as a condensation surface, so that the efficiency of condensation of the clothes processing apparatus may deteriorate. In order to prevent this, the clothes processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention may further include a cooling water supply unit for cooling the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120.

The cooling water supply unit may supply cooling water to the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 to lower the temperature of the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120. [ Thus, the temperature rise on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 can be prevented, and the condensing performance and the drying performance can be increased.

However, in the present invention, the water supply line 141 to which washing water is supplied can be used as a cooling water supply portion without forming a separate cooling water supply line. That is, in the washing cycle, water supplied through the water supply line 141 functions as washing water, and in the drying cycle, water supplied through the water supply line 141 can function as cooling water. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a separate cooling water supply unit, and the configuration of the apparatus inside the cabinet can be simplified.

The condensed water generated on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 may be discharged to the outside through a drainage unit 145 provided under the tub 120. The drain portion 145 may include a drain pump 146 and a drain line 148. In addition, the moisture-removed air can be recovered to the duct 165 through the air recovery unit 161.

As described above, in the garment treating apparatus 100 according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, condensation occurs on the inner peripheral surface of the tub 120. [ Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate condensing duct in the duct 165, and the configuration of the duct 165 can be simplified. In addition, since the length of the duct 165 can be shortened, the flow resistance of the air flowing in the duct 165 can be reduced. Accordingly, the energy efficiency and drying performance of the clothes processing apparatus 100 can be increased.

On the other hand, a clothes processing apparatus having a drying function can be classified into a 'circulating drying apparatus' and an 'exhaust drying apparatus' according to a drying method. The circulation type drying apparatus is a drying apparatus in which humid air discharged from the tub 120 is dehumidified and heated, and then circulated back into the tub 120. [ The exhaust type drying apparatus is a drying apparatus in which air outside the tub 120 is heated and supplied to the inside of the tub 120 and air having absorbed moisture from the clothes is discharged to the outside of the tub 120 again.

The above-described two types of clothes processing apparatuses have advantages and disadvantages. For example, in the circulation type drying, air in the tub 120 is continuously circulated without being exhausted, so that the air contains a large amount of heat. Therefore, in the case of the circulation type drying apparatus for cooling the condensation surface (inner peripheral surface of the tub) by using water, a large amount of water is required to condense moisture in the air. Further, even in the case of the exhaust drying, external air at room temperature is heated and supplied to the inside of the tub 120, so that it takes a lot of time and energy to heat the air.

Accordingly, the garment treating apparatus according to the present invention is capable of drying the clothes by overcoming the disadvantages of the two drying methods by performing the circulation type drying on the basis of the exhaust type drying. Specifically, the air circulation unit 160 circulates the air inside the tub 120, thereby overcoming the disadvantage of the exhaust drying method in which much energy is consumed for heating the external cold air. In addition, by exhausting a part of the circulating air to the outside by using the air discharge unit 170, the remaining air circulating can be condensed more easily. That is, the circulating drying is achieved by the air circulation unit 160, and the exhaust drying can be achieved by the air exhaust unit 170. [ Since the air circulation unit 160 has been described above, the air discharge unit 170 will be described in more detail below.

The air discharge unit 170 can discharge a part of the air supplied into the tub 120 by the air circulation unit 160 to the outside of the tub 120 to lower the relative humidity of the air inside the tub 120. [ One end of the air discharge unit 170 is connected to the tub 120 and the other end extends toward the rear panel 112 of the cabinet 110.

In one embodiment, one end of the air discharge unit 170 may be connected to the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120 so as to be adjacent to the air recovery unit 161. The air in the tub 120 flows into the air circulation unit 160 through the air recovery unit 161. When the air discharge unit 170 is positioned adjacent to the air recovery unit 161, The air can be smoothly discharged to the outside.

In one embodiment, the other end of the air exhaust unit 170 may communicate with the outside through the rear panel 112 of the cabinet 110. In this case, the air discharge unit 170 may further include vibration damping means for preventing the vibration of the tub 120 from being transmitted to the cabinet 110. For example, the vibration damping means may include a bellows or the like. Alternatively, the air discharging unit 170 itself may be made of a flexible material to absorb the vibration without a separate vibration damping means.

On the other hand, the air discharged through the air discharge unit 170 has a relatively high temperature and humidity as compared with the outside air. Therefore, when the hot and humid exhaust air meets the room temperature air outside the cabinet 110, moisture in the exhaust air can be condensed. Incidentally, since the clothes processing apparatus is generally arranged such that the back surface is adjacent to the wall, condensed water can be accumulated on the wall placed on the back surface of the clothes processing apparatus. In order to prevent this, a filter assembly 200 may be installed at the other end of the air exhaust unit 170. The filter assembly 200 can remove moisture from the air exhausted to the outside of the cabinet 110 through the air exhaust unit 170. Also, the filter assembly 200 can prevent the noise in the cabinet 110 from flowing out to the outside.

The other end of the air exhaust unit 170 may be exposed to the space between the tub 120 and the cabinet 110 without passing through the rear panel 112. [ In this case, even if condensed water is generated, the condensed water falls into the cabinet 110, so that the condensed water can be prevented from flowing out of the cabinet 110.

In one embodiment, the air discharge unit 170 may further include a separate exhaust fan (not shown) for smooth air discharge. In this case, the amount of air to be exhausted can be adjusted according to the size of the exhaust fan and / or the driving speed of the exhaust fan.

A water supply unit 140 for supplying washing water, a filter washing unit 190 for supplying washing water for washing the filter 180 to be described later, 190 may be provided with a valve unit 150 for controlling the supply of water. The valve portion 150 may be connected to an external source of water supply through the rear panel 112 of the cabinet 110.

The water supply unit 140 may include a water supply line 141 connecting the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120 and the valve unit 150 and a detergent supply unit 143 installed on the water supply line 141. The water supplied through the water supply line 141 can be supplied to the tub 120 together with the detergent while passing through the detergent supply device 143. [ The water supply line 141 includes a first water supply line 141a for connecting the valve unit 150 and the detergent supply unit 143 and a second water supply line 141a for connecting the detergent supply unit 143 and the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120, And a water supply line 141b. In addition, the water supply to the water supply line 141 can be controlled by the water supply valve 152 of the valve unit 150. [

Meanwhile, as described above, the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention does not have a separate cooling water supply unit, and the water supply unit 140 that supplies wash water can be used as the cooling water supply unit. That is, in the washing cycle, water supplied through the water supply line 141 functions as washing water, and in the drying cycle, water supplied through the water supply line 141 can function as cooling water. Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a separate cooling water supply unit, and the configuration of the apparatus inside the cabinet can be simplified.

One end of the filter cleaning unit 190 may be connected to the wash water valve 154 of the valve unit 150 and the other end may be connected to one side of the air recovery unit 161. In this case, the water supply to the filter cleaning unit 190 can be controlled by the wash water valve 154, and the supplied water can be supplied to the filter 180 through the air recovery unit 161. That is, the washing water used for the filter washing can be controlled separately from the washing water used in the washing and rinsing cycles, and can be controlled separately from the cooling water used in the drying cycle. Hereinafter, the configuration of the filter 180 and the filter cleaning unit 190 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

3, a filter 180 is provided at a position where the air recovery unit 161 meets the outer circumferential surface of the tub 120, and a filter cleaning unit 170 is provided above the side filter 180 of the air recovery unit 161. [ (Not shown).

The filter 180 can filter foreign substances such as lint from the air flowing into the air recovery unit 161 from inside the tub 120. In this case, although the surface of the filter 180 is shown as forming the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 in Fig. 3, it is not limited thereto. That is, the filter 180 may be located inside the air recovery unit 161, and the radius of curvature of the filter 180 may be different from the radius of curvature of the tub 120.

On the other hand, if the filter 180 is used for a long time, a large amount of foreign matter may remain in the filter 180. In this case, the inflow of air into the air recovery unit 161 is not smooth, and the drying performance of the clothes processing apparatus 100 may be deteriorated. The filter cleaning unit 190 may remove the foreign matter accumulated in the filter 180 by spraying the washing water to the filter 180.

The filter cleaning unit 190 includes a washing water line 191 for supplying washing water from the washing water valve 154 and a spray nozzle 193 for spraying washing water through the air returning unit 161, . ≪ / RTI > At this time, the nozzle 193 is fixed to the side of the air recovery unit 161 and includes a coupling part 195 connected to the washing water line 191, and a plurality of nozzles coupled to the coupling part 195, And a diffusion unit 196. The diffusion unit 196 may spray the washing water on the entire surface of the filter 180 using a plurality of nozzles. Thus, the cleaning ability for the filter 180 can be improved. The coupling part 195 and the diffusion part 196 may be formed in various structures as required.

The foreign substances accumulated in the filter 180 may be introduced into the tub 120 together with the washing water and then discharged to the outside through the drainage unit 145. [

In this case, the air recovery unit 161 is spaced apart from the rotation center C of the drum 130 by a predetermined distance L. Therefore, the washing water introduced into the tub 120 can be transferred to the drain 145 through the space between the tub 120 and the drum 130. When the air recovery unit 161 is appropriately positioned, the washing water flowing into the tub 120 may flow along the outer circumferential surface or the rear wall surface of the tub 120. Accordingly, the clothes accommodated in the drum 130 can be prevented from being wet by the washing water.

In addition, when the washing water flows along the outer circumferential surface or the rear wall surface of the tub 120, the washing water also has an effect of lowering the temperature of the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120. [ Accordingly, the condensation of moisture in the air flowing between the tub 120 and the drum 130 can be further activated.

On the other hand, the filter 180 cleaning using the filter cleaning unit 190 can be performed before the start of the drying cycle or during the drying cycle. For example, the efficiency of the drying cycle can be secured by proceeding with the filter 180 cleaning before starting the drying cycle.

Alternatively, during the course of the drying cycle, the filter 180 may be cleaned as needed. For example, when a large amount of foreign matter is accumulated in the filter 180, the inflow of air through the air recovery unit 161 is not smooth. In this case, the load applied to the air blowing fan 163 is reduced, The rotational speed can be increased. Accordingly, if the rotational speed of the blowing fan 163 is faster than the preset speed by a predetermined value, it can be determined that the filter 180 needs to be cleaned. Alternatively, the necessity of cleaning the filter 180 can be determined using the temperature inside the duct 165. The temperature of the inside of the duct 165 may be increased because the air circulation is not smooth when the filter 180 is clogged by the lint or the like so that the temperature of the inside of the duct 165 is compared with the set temperature, The necessity of washing can be judged. Alternatively, the necessity of cleaning the filter 180 may be determined by directly observing the filter 180 with a laser or the like.

If it is determined that the filter 180 needs to be cleaned, the progress of the drying process can be stopped and the filter 180 can be cleaned using the filter cleaning unit 190. After washing, the remainder of the drying cycle may proceed again.

On the other hand, when the filter 180 is washed by spraying the washing water to the filter 180, the sprayed water may remain on the surface of the filter 180 to form a water film. Since the filter 180 is generally constructed in the form of a net having a plurality of holes, the foreign matter does not pass through the small hole and remains on the surface of the filter 180, or a water film is formed on the surface of the filter 180 due to the surface tension of water . This water film is retained on the surface of the filter 180 for a certain period of time and can interfere with air inflow through the air recovery unit 161. In this case, the air circulation is not smooth and the efficiency of the subsequent drying step may be lowered. Hereinafter, a method of removing the water film formed on the filter 180 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG.

An example of the clothes processing apparatus 100 according to the embodiments of the present invention is a drying and washing machine. The clothes processing process using the drying and washing apparatus can be divided into a washing process, a rinsing process, a dewatering process, and a drying process. The washing process is a process of removing foreign matters from clothes by supplying detergent and washing water. The rinsing step is a process of removing the foreign matter separated from the clothes and the detergent remaining in the clothes. The dewatering process is a process of discharging the washing water in the tub 120 to the outside through the drainage unit 145. In addition, the drying process is the process of removing moisture from wet clothing. The laundry process using the drying and washing machine is performed at least once, and the washing, rinsing, and dewatering processes may be performed a plurality of times as needed.

Cleaning of the filter 180 using the filter cleaning unit 190 is mainly performed in the middle of the drying cycle, and may be performed at the beginning or end of the drying cycle, if necessary. 5 and 6 show a case where the filter 180 is washed in the middle of the drying cycle. 5 and 6, a process of cleaning the filter 180 during the drying process and then removing the water film formed on the filter 180 will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, even when the filter 180 cleaning is carried out at the beginning of the drying cycle, hydrodemulsion can proceed in substantially the same or similar manner.

The drying cycle shown in FIG. 5 can be divided into four stages in total. Steps I and IV represent the drying cycle, step II represents the filter washing step, and step III represents the step of removing the water film. That is, it shows the process of performing the filter cleaning during the drying step and then the drying step again. For convenience of explanation, step I will be referred to as the first drying step, and step IV will be referred to as the second drying step.

In the first drying step (I), the air contained in the garment can be removed by supplying the heated air into the tub 120 using the air circulation unit 160.

Concretely, the air blowing fan 163 is operated to introduce the air inside the tub 120 into the air recovery unit 161. [ At this time, the filter 180 installed in the air recovery unit 161 can filter foreign substances such as lint contained in the air. The air introduced into the air recovery unit 161 can be heated by the heater 166 while passing through the duct 165. The heated air is supplied into the tub 120 again through the air discharge portion 167 to absorb moisture from the wet clothes. Thereafter, the hot and humid air is discharged to the space between the drum 130 and the tub 120 through the through hole of the wall surface of the drum 130, and moisture in the air can be condensed on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120.

In this case, by supplying the cooling water to the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 using the water supply unit 140, the temperature of the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 can be lowered and the condensation efficiency of moisture in the air can be further increased.

In addition, when the drum 130 is rotated by operating the driving motor 135, the drying of the clothes can be promoted. Specifically, when the drum 130 is stopped, the clothes are piled up under the drum 130, so that only a part of the clothes comes into direct contact with the heated air. On the other hand, when the drum 130 is rotated at a predetermined speed, the clothes in the drum 130 are mixed and the area and time of contact with the heated air are increased and the drying time can be shortened.

5, the drain pump 146 is not operated in the first drying step (I), but it is also possible to operate the drain pump 146 if necessary. This is for discharging the condensed water generated from the inner circumferential surface of the tub 120 to the outside.

1 to 4, the clothes processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention can discharge a part of the air inside the tub 120 to the outside during the drying stroke. This can be performed by the air discharge unit 170 of Fig.

If it is determined that cleaning of the filter 180 is necessary during the progress of the drying process, the drying process is temporarily stopped and the filter cleaning process (II) is performed. That is, the operation of the blowing fan 163 and the heater 166 is stopped, and the operation of the drive motor 135 is also stopped. Thereafter, the washing water valve 154 is opened to supply washing water to the filter washing unit 190. The filter cleaning unit 190 can remove the lint accumulated in the filter 180 by spraying the washing water into the filter 180. [

Whether or not the filter 180 needs to be cleaned may be determined by using the rotational speed of the blowing fan 163 or by using the temperature inside the duct 165 or by using the lint amount on the surface of the filter 180 For example, by directly measuring the temperature. This has been described above.

If it is determined that the filter 180 needs to be cleaned, proceed to the filter cleaning step (II). At this time, it is preferable to stop the operation of the blowing fan 163. This is because when the blowing fan 163 is operated when the filter cleaning unit 190 injects the washing water into the filter 180, the washing water on the surface of the filter 180 can not descend into the tub 120, . ≪ / RTI > In this case, a water film is formed on the surface of the filter 180, and air can be prevented from flowing through the air recovery unit 161 in the subsequent second drying step (IV). Therefore, it is preferable that the operation of the blowing fan 163 is stopped in the filter washing step II, and the blowing fan 163 is operated again in the second drying step IV after the filter washing step II is finished .

In one embodiment, the control method of the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention can rotate the drum 130 by operating the driving motor 135 during the filter cleaning step II. When the drum 130 rotates, an air current (air flow) is generated inside the tub 120 because the washing water remaining on the surface of the filter 180 can be separated from the filter 180. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, it is desirable to open the wash water valve 154 to rotate the drum 130 while cleaning the filter 180 to prevent water film formation.

In this case, when the drum 130 is controlled to rotate toward the falling direction of the washing water flowing into the tub 120 through the filter 180, an airflow is formed from the upper portion of the filter 180 downward, The separation effect can be further increased.

In one embodiment, the wash water valve 154 may intermittently supply wash water supplied to the filter wash section 190. [ That is, the wash water valve 154 may continuously supply the wash water while the filter washing step (II) proceeds, but may also supply the wash water intermittently as shown in FIG. The reason why the wash water is intermittently supplied is to increase the ejection pressure of the washing water sprayed from the spray nozzle 193. That is, when the pressure of the wash water supplied to the wash water supply unit 190 is low, the lint attached to the filter 180 may not be effectively removed. However, if the wash water is intermittently sprayed, . This makes it possible to apply an impact to the lint fixed to the filter 180 and to more effectively remove the lint.

The wash water injected through the wash water supply unit 190 flows into the tub 120 through the filter 180. Accordingly, the drain pump 146 is operated to discharge the washing water in the tub 120 to the outside, thereby preventing the clothes in the drum 130 from being wetted.

As described above, there are also methods for preventing the water film from being formed in the filter 180 in the filter cleaning step (II). The operation of the blowing fan 163 is stopped and the drum 130 is rotated during the washing water injection. However, the termination of the filter cleaning step (II) does not completely eliminate the water film of the filter 180. Accordingly, if the drying cycle (the second drying step IV) is resumed immediately after the filter washing step (II), the drying efficiency may be lowered due to the water film of the washing water remaining in the filter (180). Therefore, in the present invention, the water film formed on the filter 180 can be more reliably removed by further performing the water film removing step (III) after the end of the filter washing step (II).

On the other hand, the end point of the filter cleaning step (II) can be set differently depending on the viewpoint. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the ending point of the drain pump 146, that is, the point at which all of the washing water sprayed from the filter washing unit 190 is drained, can be set as the ending point of the filter washing step (II) have. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 6, it is also possible to set the ending time of the operation of the washing water valve 154, that is, the point at which the washing water supply is finished, to the ending point of the filter washing step (II). Therefore, the ending point of the filter cleaning step (II) is only arbitrary for discriminating the successive drying strokes, and the ending point thereof can be appropriately set according to various criteria. In FIG. 5, the water removal step (III) will be described as an example in which the end of the drainage of the washing water is set as the ending point of the filter washing step (II). In FIG. 6, (II) is set as an end point of time, the meniscus removing step (III) will be described.

In the water film removing step (III), after the completion of the filter washing step (II), the operation of the blowing fan (163) is interrupted and waits for a predetermined time. This is to ensure the time required for the water film to be naturally removed by dropping the washing water remaining in the filter 180 into the tub 120 by gravity.

On the other hand, the longer the waiting time, the more secure the removal of the meninges. However, the longer the waiting time, the longer the total time required for drying. Therefore, it is important to derive the optimum time for removal of the water film. The Applicant has confirmed through experiments that the optimum waiting time is between about 50 and 70 seconds. More specifically, after the drainage of the washing water of the filter 180 is completed, waiting for about 60 seconds, most of the water film is removed.

In one embodiment, the membrane removal step (III) may further comprise rotating the drum 130. The reason for rotating the drum 130 is to separate the washing water remaining on the surface of the filter 180 from the filter 180 by forming an air flow inside the tub 120 as described in the filter washing step II. At this time, if the drum 130 is rotated such that the rotation speed of the drum 130 is 40 rpm to 50 rpm, more preferably 46 rpm, the water film removing effect can be maximized.

In this case, it is possible to control the drum 130 to rotate continuously during the film removal step (III), or to control the drum 130 to rotate only in a part of the film removal step (III). Alternatively, the drum 130 may be controlled to repeat rotation and pause. In this case, generation of airflow and extinction of the airflow due to rotation of the drum 130 are repeated, so that the water film formed on the filter 180 can be more effectively removed. For example, the drum 130 may be rotated for 25 seconds, and then the rotation of the drum 130 may be stopped for 5 seconds. This process can be carried out once or twice during the meniscus removal step (III). FIG. 5 shows that the rotation and stop of the drum 130 are repeated twice during the water film removing step (III).

After the meniscus removal step (III) is completed, the drying cycle is resumed again. That is, the second drying step (IV) proceeds. Since the water film formed on the filter 180 is removed through the water film removing step III, the air inside the tub 120 can be smoothly introduced into the air recovery part 161, Can be shortened.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the filter 180 needs to be rinsed to clean the filter 180, the filter cleaning step II and the meniscus removal step III ) May be carried out again at least once.

6 shows a control method of the clothes processing apparatus for removing the water film formed on the filter 180 using the clothes processing apparatus 100 of Fig. The control method of FIG. 6 is substantially the same as or similar to the control method of the garment processing apparatus described with reference to FIG. 5, except for the end point of the filter cleaning step (II) and the operation of the drive motor 135. Therefore, redundant description of the same step is omitted, and only the difference will be described.

The drying cycle shown in FIG. 6 can be divided into four stages in total. Steps I and IV represent the drying cycle, step II represents the filter washing step, and step III represents the step of removing the water film. That is, it shows the process of performing the filter cleaning during the drying step and then the drying step again. For convenience of explanation, step I will be referred to as the first drying step, and step IV will be referred to as the second drying step.

In the control method shown in FIG. 5, the rotation of the drum 130 is stopped at the start and end of the filter cleaning step II, but in the control method shown in FIG. 6, the rotation of the drum 130 is stopped There is a difference in that it continues to operate. This is to simplify the control process by omitting the unnecessary control of the drum 130 since the drum 130 is rotated to form the airflow during the filter cleaning step II.

In FIG. 6, the driving motor 135 of the drum 130 is shown as being driven continuously throughout the drying stroke, but the present invention is not limited thereto. 6, the driving motor 135 of the drum 130 during the drying stroke may be operated in the form of repeating operation and stop, and may be operated in the form of repeating operation and pause only in a certain section It is possible.

The control method of the garment processing apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the control method of the clothes processing apparatus shown in Fig. 6 except that the point at which the operation of the wash water valve 154 is terminated, . After the completion of the filter washing step (II), the meniscus removal step (III) may proceed.

In the water film removing step (III), after the completion of the filter washing step (II), the operation of the blowing fan (163) is interrupted and waits for a predetermined time. This is to ensure the time required for the water film to be naturally removed by dropping the washing water remaining in the filter 180 into the tub 120 by gravity.

On the other hand, the longer the waiting time, the more secure the removal of the meninges. However, the longer the waiting time, the longer the total time required for drying. Therefore, it is important to derive the optimum time for removal of the water film. The Applicant has confirmed through experiments that the optimum waiting time is between about 110 and 130 seconds. More specifically, after the supply of the washing water to the filter 180 is completed, waiting for about 120 seconds, most of the water film is removed.

Further, as described above with reference to FIG. 5, when the drum 130 is rotated during the water film removing step (III), the water film removing effect can be further maximized.

After the meniscus removal step (III) is completed, the drying cycle is resumed again. That is, the second drying step (IV) proceeds. Since the water film formed on the filter 180 is removed through the water film removing step III, the air inside the tub 120 can be smoothly introduced into the air recovery part 161, Can be shortened.

The present invention may be embodied in various other forms without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims.

100: Apparatus for processing clothes 110: cabinet
120: a tub 130: a drum
135: drive motor 140:
141: water supply line 143: detergent supply device
145: Drain part 146: Drain pump
148: Drain line 150:
152: Water supply valve 154: Water wash valve
160: air circulation unit 161: air recovery unit
163: blower fan 165: duct
166: Heater 167: Air discharge part
170: air exhaust unit 180: filter
190: filter cleaning unit 191: washing water line
193: Spray nozzle

Claims (16)

A control method of a clothes processing apparatus for drying clothes by supplying heated air or unheated air to clothing stored in a receiving space,
Operating a blowing fan installed in a duct forming a flow path for circulating air inside the accommodation space to circulate air inside the accommodation space;
Removing the foreign matter remaining in the filter by spraying washing water to a filter for removing foreign matter from the air introduced into the duct after stopping the operation of the blowing fan;
Removing the water film formed on the filter by the washing water sprayed on the filter after the step of spraying washing water on the filter and removing the foreign substances remaining on the filter is completed; And
And restarting circulation of the air in the accommodation space by reactivating the blowing fan. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of removing the water film formed on the filter includes stopping the operation of the blowing fan for a predetermined time. 3. The method of claim 2,
The step of removing the foreign matter remaining in the filter is completed when the supply of the washing water to the filter is completed,
Wherein the step of stopping the operation of the ventilating fan is continued for 110 to 120 seconds after the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter is completed. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the step of removing the foreign matter remaining in the filter is completed when the operation of the drain pump for discharging the washing water sprayed by the filter to the outside of the tub is completed,
Wherein the step of stopping the operation of the blowing fan is continued for 50 to 70 seconds after the step of removing foreign matters remaining in the filter is completed. The method according to claim 1,
The step of removing the water film formed on the filter includes:
Further comprising the step of rotating the drum (10) rotatably provided in the receiving space (12) to receive the clothes (10). 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the step of rotating the drum repeats the rotation and stop of the drum at least once or more. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the time for rotating the drum is longer than the time for stopping the rotation of the drum. The method according to claim 1,
The step of removing the foreign matter remaining in the filter includes:
Rotating the drum rotatably in the receiving space to receive the clothes; And
Further comprising the step of operating a drain pump for discharging the water inside the accommodation space to the outside. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the drum rotates toward the falling direction of the washing water flowing into the containing space through the filter. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of removing the foreign matter remaining in the filter intermittently supplies the washing water to the filter. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising the step of determining whether there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining on the filter by spraying wash water on the filter. 12. The method of claim 11,
The step of determining whether or not there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter includes determining that there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter when the rotational speed of the blowing fan increases by a predetermined value or more And a control unit for controlling the clothes processing apparatus. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the step of determining whether or not there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter comprises determining that there is a need to remove foreign matter remaining in the filter when the temperature inside the duct increases by more than a preset value Of the clothes processing apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
The step of circulating the air in the accommodation space and the step of restarting the circulation of air in the accommodation space each include the step of heating the air supplied to the accommodation space by operating a heater provided inside the duct Wherein said control means controls said control means to control said control means. The method according to claim 1,
The step of circulating the air inside the accommodation space and the step of restarting the circulation of air in the accommodation space each include the step of rotating the drum rotatably provided in the accommodation space to receive the clothes Of the clothes processing apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the step of circulating the air inside the accommodation space and the step of restarting the circulation of air in the accommodation space each include discharging a part of the air circulating in the accommodation space to the outside A method of controlling a processing apparatus.

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