KR20220169748A - Laundry Treatment Apparatus and Controlling Method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus and a control method thereof, in which an infrared sensor is used to improve measurement on the dryness of laundry. The present invention provides a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus, comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of laundry; calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the laundry; comparing the temperature amplitude with the size of a reference value, and classifying the laundry into dry cloth and wet cloth; calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between the dry cloth and the wet cloth in the laundry; calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature; and determining a dryness level of the laundry using the first ratio and the second ratio.

Description

Laundry Treatment Apparatus and Controlling Method for the Same}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a laundry treatment apparatus capable of determining whether or not clothes are dry using an infrared sensor and a control method thereof.

A laundry treatment apparatus is a general term for a washing machine for washing clothes (objects to be washed or objects to be dried), a dryer for drying clothes, and a device capable of both washing and drying clothes.

The washing machine includes a tub for storing water, a washing drum provided inside the tub to store clothes, and a driving unit (wash driving unit) for rotating the washing drum, and a dryer includes a drying drum for storing clothes and the drying drum. It was common to be provided to include a drive unit (drying drive unit) for rotating, and a heat exchange unit for removing moisture from clothes by supplying air to the drying drum. On the other hand, a variety of products that include a drying function in the washing machine have been released.

The washing driving unit is provided to include a stator fixed to the tub to form a rotating magnetic field, a rotor rotating by the rotating magnetic field, and a rotating shaft passing through the tub to connect the washing drum and the rotor, while the drying driving unit is provided with a motor and a rotating shaft of the motor. It has been generally provided to include a fixed pulley and a belt (power transmission unit) connecting the rotational motion of the pulley to the drying drum. Of course, a technology using a stator and a rotor may be applied to the drying drive unit as in the washing drive unit.

Meanwhile, in the prior art, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-0747589 discloses a method of determining the dryness of clothes using an electrode sensor. The electrode sensor outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the impedance generated upon contact with the object to be dried, determines the dryness of the clothes according to the output voltage value, and ends the drying process when it is determined that the clothes are sufficiently dry.

In the case of determining the dryness of clothes according to the prior art, it is difficult to accurately determine the dryness because the dryness varies depending on the clothes in contact.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of improving dryness measurement of clothes using an infrared sensor for measuring heat generated from clothes and a control method therefor. .

In addition, the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus capable of preventing excessive drying of clothes with improved accuracy and a method for controlling the same.

In addition, the present invention provides a laundry treatment apparatus and a control method thereof capable of preventing inconvenience to a user by terminating a drying process even when clothes are not sufficiently dried due to improved accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention may measure the temperature (sensing heat) using an infrared sensor to determine the degree of dryness.

The infrared sensor may be disposed in the upper center of a laundry treatment device, a washing machine having a drying function, or a support panel of the dryer. It is possible that the infrared sensor is disposed so as to be inclined downward, so as to face the center of the rear surface of the drum.

The flat part is disposed in the center of the front surface of the infrared sensor, and since the flat part is thinner than other parts, the transmittance through which infrared rays are transmitted into the infrared sensor can be increased. In addition, the flat part is not convex and has a flat shape, so that when the drum rotates, It can be placed so that the fabric does not get caught.

On the other hand, the infrared sensor may include a light source, that is, an LED for increasing the illuminance inside the drum. On the other hand, by setting a time difference between the operation of the LED and the detection of the infrared sensor, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of errors due to heat generated by the LED.

In the present invention, the drying degree can be determined using an infrared sensor. The temperature amplitude of the cloth is calculated, the reference value is calculated, and the dryness is calculated by obtaining the two ratios.

Since it is difficult to determine the dryness level only with the temperature amplitude value of the clothing, the reference value is also considered. Dry cloth has a small amplitude of temperature change and wet cloth has a large amplitude. Among the two ratios, the first ratio may use the final value of one cycle, and the second ratio may use the duct temperature or the temperature of clothes measured by an infrared sensor.

The present invention newly improves the method of calculating the temperature amplitude. The temperature amplitude can be calculated in a new way by obtaining the absolute value by using the value that has passed through the low-pass filter, not the difference between the temperature at the previous time and the current time. .

In the present invention, since the reference value for distinguishing wet cloth from dry cloth is not fixed but changes, it is possible to reduce the error of erroneously determining that the cloth is initially dry (initially, the temperature amplitude is small, so even though most of the wet cloth is less than the reference value) tend to exist).

In the present invention, the drying level may be determined by mixing an infrared sensor and an electrode sensor. That is, it is possible to detect the dryness level with the electrode sensor, set the end time, measure the dryness level using an infrared sensor for a predetermined time before the set end time, and then end the drying process when drying is completed. In this case, if it is determined that drying is not completed by the infrared sensor, it is possible to postpone the estimated drying end time.

On the other hand, in a state where drying is almost completed, after drying is temporarily stopped due to opening of a door, etc., it is difficult to measure the dryness again (when the electrode value measured by the electrode sensor exceeds a certain value, drying is no longer possible). because I can't tell if it happened). In this case, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent undrying by supplementing using an infrared sensor.

The present invention comprises the steps of measuring the temperature of the clothing; calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the clothing; Classifying the temperature amplitude according to the reference value to classify the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric; Calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between dry cloth and wet cloth of the clothes; calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature; A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus including determining a dryness level of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio is provided.

The temperature of the clothing can be measured with an infrared sensor.

It is possible that the temperature of the clothing changes over time.

The first ratio may be measured at predetermined time intervals.

The first ratio may be calculated each time a predetermined time period ends.

The first ratio may be calculated as a time ratio of wet cloth and dry cloth within a reference time.

The first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the time determined as wet fabric by the time determined as dry fabric from 1.

The first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a ratio of cumulative values of temperature amplitudes of the wet cloth and the dry cloth within the reference time period from 1.

The first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the cumulative value of the temperature amplitude of the wet fabric by the cumulative value of the temperature amplitude of the dry fabric from 1.

The first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the cumulative value of the temperature amplitude of the wet cloth from 1 by a value obtained by multiplying the reference value by the time determined as the dry cloth.

The second ratio may set a first temperature that is a low temperature and a second temperature that is a high temperature, and normalize the measured temperature within 0 to 1 based on the first temperature and the second temperature.

The first temperature may be set lower than the measured temperature.

The second temperature may be set higher than the measured temperature.

The first temperature may be set higher than an external temperature of the laundry treatment apparatus.

In the step of determining the dryness, it is possible to multiply the first ratio by the second ratio.

When the drying degree reaches a predetermined value, it is possible to determine that drying is completed.

When the time at which the dryness reaches the predetermined value is maintained for a predetermined time, it is possible to determine that drying is completed.

When it is determined that drying is completed, it is possible to end the drying process after additional drying is performed for a predetermined time.

The present invention is a cabinet; a drum rotating within the cabinet; a support panel provided on the front surface of the drum; An infrared sensor installed on the support panel and provided in a direction facing the drum to receive heat inside the drum, wherein the infrared sensor measures the temperature inside the drum, and the infrared sensor measures the temperature inside the drum. It is disposed at the center in the left and right direction, and the infrared sensor is disposed on the top of the support panel.

The infrared sensor includes a cover disposed on a front side and a sensor unit; It is possible to include a holder for fixing the sensor unit.

The sensor unit may include a PCB, a sensing unit provided in the PCB to detect infrared rays, and an LED to emit light.

A control unit controlling the infrared sensor may be further included, and the control unit may not use the temperature sensed by the sensing unit while the LED is operating.

The control unit may perform control using the temperature sensed by the sensing unit after a predetermined time elapses after the LED operates.

A plurality of the LEDs may be provided.

The cover may have a flat portion provided on the front surface, and the flat portion may be disposed parallel to the sensor unit.

The flat part may be disposed inclined downward, and the flat part may be provided toward the rear surface of the drum.

A recessed part is formed at the rear of the flat part, and the thickness of the indented part may be thinner than that of the periphery.

The flat portion may have a planar shape.

The cover may include a rib for fixing an installation angle of the sensor unit, and the rib may include a first member disposed on an upper side and a second member spaced apart from the first member and disposed on a lower side. .

Since the first member is shorter than the second member, it is possible to fix the sensor unit to be inclined.

The cover may include a fixing groove, and the holder may include a protrusion inserted into the fixing groove.

The cover may be provided with a flange formed along a front circumference, and the flange may be coupled in surface contact with the support panel.

The cover is made of polypropylene (PP) material and may be formed by an injection process.

It is possible to further include an electrode sensor for measuring a voltage signal corresponding to the impedance while contacting the clothes accommodated in the drum.

The present invention comprises the steps of measuring the temperature of the clothing; processing the measured temperature of clothing using a low pass filter to calculate a temperature amplitude; Classifying the temperature amplitude according to the reference value to classify the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric; Calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between dry cloth and wet cloth of the clothes; calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature; A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus including determining a dryness level of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio is provided.

The low pass filter is capable of attenuating high frequencies of the measured clothing temperature.

Calculating the temperature amplitude may include subtracting a temperature value that has passed through a low-pass filter from the measured temperature of the clothes.

Calculating the temperature amplitude may include calculating an absolute value of the subtracted temperature value.

The low-pass filter may be calculated according to the temperature value of clothing over time.

The present invention comprises the steps of measuring the temperature of the clothing; calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the clothing; comparing the temperature amplitude with the size of the reference value, and classifying the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric; Calculating a first ratio that is the ratio of dry cloth to wet cloth of the clothing; Calculating a second ratio to normalize the measured temperature; It is possible to include determining the dryness of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio.

In the step of classifying the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric, it is possible to determine that the clothes are wet fabrics if the clothes are larger than the reference value and to be dry fabrics if the clothes are smaller than the reference value.

The reference value may be calculated by a low-pass filter calculated according to the calculated temperature amplitude over time.

The reference value may be changed over time.

The reference value may be maintained constant after a predetermined time elapses.

The second ratio may set a first temperature that is a low temperature and a second temperature that is a high temperature, and normalize the measured temperature within 0 to 1 based on the first temperature and the second temperature.

When the second ratio is 1, it is possible to keep the reference value constant.

The present invention comprises the steps of measuring the temperature of the clothing; calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the clothing; Classifying the temperature amplitude according to the reference value to classify the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric; Calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between dry cloth and wet cloth of the clothes; calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature; a first determination step of determining dryness of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio; and a second determination step of determining the dryness of the clothes based on the voltage signal measured by the electrode sensor, and when both the first determination step and the second determination step are satisfied, a final determination is made of determining that drying is completed. It provides a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus including;

In the final determination step, if any one of the first determination step and the second determination step is not satisfied, it is possible to determine that drying is not completed.

In the first determination step, if the time at which the dryness level reaches a predetermined value is maintained for a predetermined time, it is possible to select a first expected end point.

In the second determination step, when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value, it is possible to select a second expected end point.

In the final determination step, it is possible to determine that drying is completed at a later time point between the first expected time point and the second expected time point.

In the first determination step, the first expected end point may be selected as a point in time when a first set time elapses from the time when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value.

In the first determination step, the predetermined time may be shorter than the first set time.

In the second determination step, when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value, it is possible to select an expected end point.

The first determination step may be determined prior to the second set time based on the expected end time.

In the first determination step, if the dryness level reaches a predetermined value and is maintained for a predetermined time, drying may be terminated at an expected end point.

In the final determination step, if the time at which the dryness reaches the predetermined value is not maintained for a predetermined time, the expected end point may be delayed by a third set time.

According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately measure the dryness of clothes, thereby preventing the clothes from being damaged due to excessive drying. In addition, it is possible to prevent excessive drying of clothes, and unnecessary energy is transmitted to the clothes, thereby lowering energy efficiency.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the drying degree of clothes can be accurately measured, the possibility of providing clothes that are not properly dried to the user can be reduced.

1 and 2 are views of an example of a laundry treatment device.
3 and 4 are views showing an example of the internal structure of the laundry treatment device.
5 is a view specifically illustrating a location where an infrared sensor is mounted;
6 is a view explaining a position where an infrared sensor is installed on a support panel;
7 is an exploded perspective view of an infrared sensor;
8 is a cross-sectional view of an infrared sensor;
9 is a diagram explaining the components of this embodiment.
10 is a view explaining a drying process of clothes;
11 is a diagram illustrating a control flow in one embodiment;
12 to 30 are diagrams illustrating a process of determining the dryness level while drying clothes.
31 is a diagram illustrating an end point of a drying process according to an embodiment;
32 is a view illustrating an end point of a drying process according to another embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the laundry treatment apparatus will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a laundry handling apparatus 100, which is rotatably provided in a cabinet 1 and the inside of the cabinet to store clothes (objects to be washed or dried). It may be provided to include a drum 2 providing space. As shown in FIG. 2, high-temperature dry air (air at a temperature higher than room temperature, air with a dryness level higher than that of indoor air) is supplied to the inside of the cabinet 1 through the drum 2, so that clothes can be dried. A drying unit 3 for removing moisture may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the cabinet 1 includes a front panel 11 forming a front surface of the laundry treatment apparatus and a base panel 17 forming a bottom surface of the laundry treatment apparatus. The front panel 11 is provided with an inlet 111 communicating with the drum 2 , and the inlet 111 may be closed by a door 113 .

The front panel 11 is provided with a control panel 115. The control panel 115 may include an input unit for receiving control commands from a user and a display unit for outputting information such as control commands selectable by the user. . The input unit may be provided to include a power supply request unit for requesting power supply to the clothes handling apparatus, a course input unit for enabling a user to select a desired course from among a plurality of courses, and an execution request unit for requesting the start of a course selected by the user. there is.

The drum 2 may have a cylindrical shape with an empty inside. 2 shows that the drum 2 includes a cylindrical drum body 21 with open front and rear surfaces, a front cover 22 forming the front surface of the drum body 21, and the drum body 21. It shows as an example the case provided with the rear cover 23 forming the rear surface of. The front cover 22 is provided with a drum inlet 221 for communicating the inside of the drum body 21 with the outside, and the rear cover 23 has an air inlet 233 for introducing outside air into the drum body 21. ) may be provided.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a lifter 24 may be further provided on the drum body 21 . In the lifter 24, a board extending from the front cover 22 toward the rear cover 23 protrudes from the drum body 21 toward the center of rotation of the drum 2 (circle of the drum). It may be provided by protruding from the main surface toward the rotation center of the drum).

When the laundry treatment apparatus 100 is provided as a device for only drying clothes, the drum through-hole provided in the drum 2 to pass through the drum body 21 to communicate the inside of the drum with the outside of the drum. It does not matter if this is not provided.

The drum 2 may be rotatably fixed to at least one of the first support part 12 and the second support part 15 of the body. In the drawing, the rear cover 23 is rotatably fixed to the second support part 15 of the body through a motor 5 (driver), and the front cover 22 is rotatable to the first support part 12 of the body. It is shown as an example of a case where they are connected.

The body first support part 12 may be provided as a support panel 121 fixed to the cabinet 1 and positioned between the front panel 11 and the front cover 22 . The support panel 121 may be fixed to the base panel 17 and positioned between the front panel 11 and the front cover 22 . In this case, the rear surface (the surface facing the support panel) of the front panel 11 may be fixed to the support panel 121 and the lower end may be fixed to the base panel 17 .

The support panel 121 includes a support panel through hole 122, a drum connection body 123 (see FIG. 2) connecting the support panel through hole 122 and the drum inlet 221, and the support panel through hole ( 122) and the panel connection body 125 connecting the inlet 111. The support panel through hole 122 is provided to pass through the support panel 121 and is a means for communicating the inlet 111 and the drum inlet 221 .

As shown in FIG. 2 , the drum connection body 123 may be provided as a pipe fixed to the rear surface of the support panel 121 (the surface of the space provided by the support panel facing the drum inlet). One end of the drum connection body 123 may be provided to surround the support panel through hole 122 , and a free end of the drum connection body 123 may be provided to support the front cover 22 . That is, the free end of the drum connection body 123 may be inserted into the drum inlet 221 or provided to contact the free end of the front cover 22 forming the drum inlet 221 .

FIG. 2 shows a case in which the free end of the drum connection body 123 contacts the free end of the front cover 22 as an example. In this case, the drum connection body 123 may be provided with a ring-shaped connection damper 124. The connection damper 124 minimizes the risk of the drum inlet 221 being separated from the drum connection body 123 when the drum 2 rotates or vibrates (the risk of air leaking into the cabinet) is a means of

The panel connection body 125 may be provided as a pipe fixed to the front surface of the support panel 121 (a surface facing the front panel among spaces provided by the support panel). One end of the panel connection body 125 may be provided to surround the support panel through-hole 122 , and the other end of the panel connection body 125 may be provided to be connected to the inlet 111 . Therefore, clothes supplied to the inlet 111 are transferred to the drum body 21 through the panel connection body 125, the support panel through-hole 122, the drum connection body 123, and the drum inlet 221. can move

An exhaust port 126 penetrating the panel connection body 125 is provided in the support panel 121 , and a filter 127 may be detachably fixed to the exhaust port 126 . The filter 127 may be provided with any structure as long as it can filter foreign substances from the air moving from the drum 2 to the exhaust port 126 .

The support panel 121 may further include drum support portions 128 and 129 preventing the drum 2 from sagging. The drum support part may be provided to include a first roller 128 and a second roller 129 fixed to the support panel 121 and rotatably supporting the drum 2 . FIG. 3 shows a case where the first roller 128 and the second roller 129 are provided to support the drum body 21, but the rollers 128 and 129 cover the front cover 22. It may be provided to support.

The second supporting part 15 of the body may be provided as a fixed panel 151 fixed to the cabinet 1 so as to be located at a point spaced apart from the rear cover 23 . FIG. 4 illustrates a case in which the fixing panel 151 is fixed to the base panel 17 to form the rear surface of the laundry treatment apparatus 100 (the rear surface of the cabinet) as an example.

The fixing panel 151 may be provided with a driving unit mounting groove 152 providing a space in which the motor 5 is mounted. The drive unit mounting groove 152 may be provided as a groove in which the fixing panel 151 is bent concavely toward the rear cover 23 of the drum. The fixed panel 151 is provided with a fixed panel through-hole 153 through which a shaft (output shaft) for rotating the drum 2 passes. The fixed panel through-hole 153 is inside the drive unit mounting groove 152. can be located in

As described above, when the drum 2 is provided with a drum body 21, a front cover 22 fixed to the drum body, and a rear cover 23 fixed to the drum body, the drum body 21 The rigidity of the drum is increased compared to a structure in which the open front and rear surfaces of ) are rotatably connected to the support panel 121 and the fixed panel 151, respectively. When the rigidity of the drum increases, it is possible to minimize the deformation of the drum body 21 when the drum rotates, which is due to the space between the drum body and the support panel and the space between the drum body and the fixed panel when the drum body 21 is deformed. It is possible to minimize the problem of clothes being caught (it is possible to minimize the load on the motor).

As shown in FIG. 2, the drying unit 3 includes an exhaust passage 31 connected to the exhaust port 126 and a supply passage for guiding air inside the exhaust passage 31 to the drum body 21 ( 32), and a heat exchange unit 34 provided inside the exhaust passage 31 to sequentially dehumidify and heat air.

The exhaust passage 31 includes a first duct 311 connected to the exhaust port 126, a second duct 312 connected to the supply passage 32, the first duct 311 and the second duct 312 It may be provided to include a third duct 313 connecting the. The third duct 313 may be fixed to the base panel 17 .

The heat exchange unit 34 may be provided with various devices as long as it can sequentially dehumidify and heat the air introduced into the exhaust passage 31. In FIG. 2 , the heat exchange unit 34 is a heat pump. ) is shown as an example. That is, the heat exchanger 34 is a first heat exchanger (heat absorbing part 341) that removes moisture from the air introduced into the exhaust passage 31 and is provided inside the exhaust passage 31 to remove moisture from the heat absorbing part 341. A second heat exchanger (heating part, 343) that heats the air that has passed through, and the air discharged from the drum 2 sequentially passes through the heat absorbing part and the heating part and then moves to the supply duct 32 Fan 349 is included.

The heat absorbing part 341 and the heat generating part 343 are sequentially arranged along the air movement direction and are connected to each other through a refrigerant pipe 348 forming a refrigerant circulation path. The refrigerant moves along the refrigerant pipe 348 by the compressor 345 located outside the exhaust passage 31, and the refrigerant pipe 348 is provided with a pressure regulator 347 for adjusting the pressure of the refrigerant. do.

As shown in FIG. 4, the air inlet 233 provided in the rear cover 23 of the drum is provided by arranging a plurality of holes to surround the center of the rear cover 23 (center of rotation of the drum). can In this case, the supply passage 32 is provided on the fixed panel 151 and forms a movement path for the air discharged from the second duct 312, the supply duct 321, the inside of the supply duct 321 It may be provided to include a first flow path forming part 323 and a second flow path forming part 324 for guiding air to the air inlet 233 .

The supply duct 321 may be provided to form a flow path (air movement path) by bending the fixed panel 151 in a direction away from the rear cover 23 . In addition, the supply duct 321 may be provided in a ring shape surrounding the drive unit mounting groove 152, and the second duct 312 may be provided to be connected to the circumferential surface of the supply duct 321. .

The first flow path forming part 323 is provided to surround an outer circumferential surface of a ring formed by the air inlets 233, and the second flow path forming part 324 is formed by the air inlets 233. It may be provided to surround the inner circumferential surface of the ring to be formed.

The first passage forming part 323 and the second passage forming part 324 may be fixed to the rear cover 23 or to the supply duct 321, and FIG. 4 shows the passage forming parts A case in which numerals 323 and 324 are fixed to the rear cover 23 is shown as an example. In the case of FIG. 4 , the free end of the first flow path forming part 323 surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the flow path (ring-shaped flow path) formed by the supply duct 321, and the second flow path forming part 324 The free end of is provided to surround the inner circumferential surface of the passage formed by the supply duct 321 . The first flow path forming part 323 and the second flow path forming part 324 may be made of rubber or felt.

The motor 5 for rotating the drum 2 includes a stator 51 located in the drive unit mounting groove 152 to form a rotating field, and a rotor 52 rotating by the rotating field. provided to include The rotational motion of the rotor 52 is transmitted to the drum 2 through the power transmission unit 6 fixed to the fixed panel 151, and the stator 51 is connected to the fixed panel 151 or the power transmission unit 6. It is fixed to at least one of the delivery parts (6). When the stator 51 is fixed to the power transmission unit 6, there is an advantageous effect in maintaining the coaxiality of the input shaft 65 and the output shaft 66 provided in the power transmission unit 6 (drum It is possible to minimize the vibration of the clothes handling device during rotation of the machine and minimize the durability degradation of the power transmission unit).

In order to prevent the motor 5 provided in the drive unit mounting groove 512 from being exposed to the outside (to improve the durability of the motor and prevent safety accidents by preventing the motor from being exposed to the external environment), the fixed panel ( 151) may further include a cover panel 19 preventing the motor 5 from being exposed to the outside. Furthermore, the cover panel 19 may be provided in a shape (a shape surrounding the supply duct) capable of preventing the supply duct 321 from being exposed to the outside. This is not only to minimize the escape of heat to the outside of the supply duct 321, but also to prevent safety accidents that may occur when the body contacts the supply duct 321.

5 is a view specifically explaining the location where the infrared sensor is mounted, and FIG. 6 is a view explaining the location where the infrared sensor is installed on the support panel.

As shown in FIGS. 2 , 5 and 6 , an infrared sensor 400 is provided on the support panel 121 . The infrared sensor 400 may also be provided on the panel connection body 125 among the support panels 121 . The infrared sensor 400 is provided in a direction facing the drum 2 to receive heat inside the drum 2 .

At this time, the infrared sensor 400 measures the internal temperature of the drum 2, and the infrared sensor 400 is disposed in the center of the drum 2 in the left and right direction, so that clothes moving inside the drum 2 temperature can be sensed. Since the drum 2 has a cylindrical shape, the overall heat inside the drum 2 can be sensed.

The infrared sensor 400 is disposed on top of the support panel 121 so as to view the inside of the drum 2 as a whole.

7 is an exploded perspective view of the infrared sensor, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the infrared sensor, and FIG. 9 is a view explaining components of this embodiment.

7 to 9 , the infrared sensor 400 includes a cover 410 disposed on the front side, a sensor unit 450, and a holder 480 fixing the sensor unit 450. .

The cover 410 is disposed in front of the sensor unit 450, and the holder 480 is disposed in the rear of the sensor unit 450. The sensor unit 450 is disposed between the cover 410 and the holder 480 .

The sensor unit 450 includes a PCB 454, a sensing unit 460 provided in the PCB 454 to detect infrared rays, and an LED 470 to emit light.

The PCB 454 includes the sensing unit 460 and the LED 470 , and may supply power to the LED 470 or transmit a signal generated by the sensing unit 460 .

The LED 470 can irradiate light into the drum 2 . When the user opens the door, the LED 470 is driven so that the user can see the inside of the drum brightly. A plurality of the LEDs 470 are provided, so that it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of light to sufficiently illuminate the inside of the drum.

The sensing unit 460 detects infrared rays introduced through the cover 410 to sense the temperature of the inside of the drum as well as the clothes being dried inside the drum. The sensing unit 460 may sense the temperature inside the drum as a whole by sensing infrared rays of a certain area toward the rear surface of the drum, not a specific point.

The cover 410 is provided with a flat portion 412 on the front surface, and the flat portion 412 is disposed parallel to the sensor unit 450 . Specifically, the front and rear sides of the flat portion 412 may be formed parallel to the PCB 454 of the sensor unit 450 . The sensing unit 460 is mounted on the PCB 454, and since it is placed on the flat PCB 454, the sensing unit 460 may also be disposed parallel to the flat unit 412.

The flat portion 412 is disposed to protrude from the front surface of the cover 410, and the flat portion 412 may mean a surface forming a lower side of the protruding portion.

The flat portion 412 may be disposed inclined downward, and the flat portion 412 may be provided toward the rear surface of the drum. The flat portion 412 may have a planar shape. Since the flat part 412 does not have a curved shape in which one point protrudes from another part, clothes can be prevented from being caught on the flat part 412 while being moved in the drum. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a specific part of the flat part 412 from being worn relatively much according to usage time as the specific part of the flat part 412 is worn by clothes.

A recessed portion 420 is formed at the rear of the flat portion 412, and the recessed portion may have a smaller thickness than the surrounding area. Therefore, infrared rays easily penetrate into the sensing unit 460 through the recessed portion 420, and the sensing unit 460 can easily sense the infrared rays.

In addition, since the depressed portion 420 forms a recessed shape at the rear of the flat portion 412, the protruding shape of the sensing unit 460 is disposed due to the recessed portion 420, and the sensing unit ( 460) can be secured.

The cover 410 includes a rib 420 for fixing an installation angle of the sensor unit 450 . The rib 420 may be provided so as to protrude toward the rear of the cover 410, and disposed so that one end comes into contact with the sensor unit 450.

The rib 420 may include a first member 422 disposed on an upper side and a second member 424 spaced apart from the first member 422 and disposed on a lower side. The first member 422 and the second member 424 protrude from the rear surface of the cover 410 in a rectangular shape, so that one end may be extended to contact the PCB 454 .

Since the first member 422 is shorter than the second member 424, the sensor unit 450 may be fixed to be inclined. At this time, when the sensing unit 460 is installed, the sensor unit 450 may be disposed so as to face downward, so that the sensing unit 460 may be disposed to look downward at the rear rather than at the rear of the drum.

The holder 480 may come into contact with the other surface of the PCB 454 where the LED 470 is not disposed to fix an installation angle of the PCB 454 . That is, the front side of the PCB 454 is pressed by the rib 420 and the rear side of the PCB 454 is pressed by the holder 480, so that the position and arrangement angle of the PCB 454 can be determined. there is.

The cover 410 may include a fixing groove 430 , and the holder 480 may include a protrusion 482 inserted into the fixing groove 430 . The fixing groove 430 is provided behind a portion where the PCB 454 is disposed on the cover 410 . Therefore, the position where the fixing groove 430 and the protrusion 482 are coupled is disposed at the rear of the PCB 454 .

The holder 480 has the shape of a cylinder with a hole formed in the center as a whole, so that a space to which a wire can be connected to the sensor unit 450 can be secured. An electric wire extending from the PCB 454 may be arranged to pass through a central portion of the holder 480 .

The first surface 482 of the holder 480 may support the rear surface of the PCB 454 . The PCB 454 is pressed by the first surface 482 so that a position and installation angle between the holder 482 and the cover 410 may be fixed.

Also, the second surface 484 of the holder 480 may be inserted into a slit provided in the cover 410 . Meanwhile, protrusions 482 protruding outward from the second surface 484 are provided so that they can be inserted into fixing grooves 430 formed in the cover 410 .

That is, the protrusion 482 is formed on both the upper and lower sides of the holder 480, and the fixing groove 430 is also formed on both the upper and lower sides of the cover 410, so that the cover 410 and the holder (480) may be combined from both the upper and lower sides.

The cover 410 is provided with a flange 440 formed along a front circumference, and the flange 440 is surface-contacted and coupled to the support panel 121 . The flange 440 is disposed outside the flat part 412 so that the surface of the cover 410 becomes larger, so that moisture remaining on clothes may be prevented from flowing into the rear of the cover 410 . That is, the front surface of the cover 410 extends from the flat portion 412 to the flange 440, and the portion where the flange 440 extends is larger than the size of the PCB 454. Accordingly, the flange 440 extends beyond the PCB 454 , and a rear surface of the flange 440 contacts and is coupled to the support panel 121 .

The cover 410 is made of a polypropylene (PP) material and may be formed by an injection process. Accordingly, the cover 410 can prevent water from entering the PCB 454 through the cover 410 .

Meanwhile, it is possible to include an electrode sensor 520 that measures a voltage signal corresponding to the impedance while contacting the clothes accommodated in the drum. The signal collected by the electrode sensor 520 is transmitted to the controller 500, and the controller 500 can determine the dryness of clothes based on the electrode sensor 520.

The control unit 500 may not use the temperature sensed by the sensing unit 460 while the LED 470 is operating. When the LED 470 is driven to irradiate light into the drum, the internal temperature of the drum may increase due to the heat generated by the LED 470 . That is, since the LED 470 can generate noise to accurately measure the internal temperature of the drum, the controller 500 controls the temperature through the sensing unit 460 when the LED 470 operates. It is possible not to detect

The controller 500 may perform control using the temperature sensed by the sensing unit 460 after a predetermined time elapses after the LED 470 operates. When the LED 470 is driven, heat is generated by the LED 470. Even if the LED 470 stops driving, the heat applied by the LED 470 may not immediately disappear. Therefore, in order to increase the accuracy of the temperature measured by the sensing unit 460, it is possible to sense the temperature through the sensing unit 460 after a predetermined time elapses after the LED 470 operates.

The control unit 500 can measure time elapsed through the timer 510 . When temperature is sensed by the sensing unit 460, it is possible to process a signal by detecting a change in temperature over time by the timer 510.

10 is a diagram explaining a drying process of clothes.

Referring to FIG. 10 , when the temperature of the clothes being dried in the drum is measured by the infrared sensor while the clothes are being dried, it can be confirmed that the pattern shown in FIG. 10 is formed.

That is, as the drying time elapses, the overall temperature of the clothes tends to rise. However, there are several sets of clothes inside the drum, and the drying speed of the clothes is different depending on the type, size or location of the clothes. That is, although clothes are dried for the same time in the same drum, some clothes may be dried while other clothes are not dried.

As the drying time of the clothes elapses, the temperature of the clothes measured by the infrared sensor 400 may change while having a temperature amplitude within a maximum temperature of the clothes and a minimum temperature of the clothes. As the drum rotates, the clothes are dried. Depending on the arrangement of the clothes, the temperature is measured at a certain moment when measured by the infrared sensor 400, while the temperature is measured again at a low temperature after that moment. When temperature is measured over time by the infrared sensor 400, the highest measured temperature may be defined as the highest temperature of clothing, and the lowest measured temperature may be defined as the lowest temperature of clothing. The temperature of the clothing may change according to the measurement time within the range of the maximum temperature and the minimum temperature.

At the beginning of the drying process, the maximum temperature and minimum temperature of the clothes increase rapidly over time, but the increase in temperature is delayed after a certain period of time. In addition, there may be a section where the highest temperature of clothes increases faster than the minimum temperature of clothes measured by an infrared sensor during drying. In this section, it can be defined as a delay section as a transitional section in which the dryness can be increased.

When drying is continuously performed and the delay period is passed, the minimum temperature of the clothes and the maximum temperature of the clothes converge, and the clothes may be sufficiently dried. As several sets of clothes are all dried inside the drum, even if the drum is rotated and the position of the clothes is changed, the range of change in the temperature measured by the infrared sensor 400 is reduced.

Meanwhile, the difference between the highest temperature of clothing and the lowest temperature of clothing may be defined as temperature amplitude, and the temperature amplitude may be expressed as shown in FIG. 10 over time. While drying is initially started, since all clothes put into the drum are not dried, the temperatures of all clothes are equally low, so the temperature amplitude is small. In addition, it can be seen that at the time when drying is completed, since all clothes put into the drum are in a state in which drying has been completed, the temperatures of all clothes are uniformly high and the temperature amplitude is reduced. It can be seen that the temperature amplitude slightly increases during drying compared to the early and late stages of drying.

11 is a diagram illustrating a control flow according to an exemplary embodiment, and FIGS. 12 to 30 are diagrams specifically illustrating a process of determining a dryness level while drying clothes.

Overall, the method for determining the dryness of clothes includes measuring the temperature of the clothes; calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the clothing; Classifying the temperature amplitude according to the reference value to classify the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric; Calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between dry cloth and wet cloth of the clothes; calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature; and determining the dryness of the clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio.

First, drying of the clothes may be started after washing of the clothes is completed. In contrast, when only drying clothes is desired, the drying process may be started after the clothes are put into the clothes treatment device.

While the clothes are being dried, the controller 500 measures the temperature of the clothes inside the drum through the infrared sensor 400 (S10). The drum 2 continuously rotates to provide hot air to the clothes or air with low humidity to separate the moisture contained in the clothes from the clothes.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the temperature measured by the infrared sensor 400 while drying clothes may change over time. It can be confirmed that the temperature measured by the infrared sensor increases over time. In this embodiment, the dryness of clothes can be determined by measuring the temperature that changes over time.

A temperature amplitude is calculated using the measured temperature value (S20). As shown in FIG. 13 , a temperature value obtained by low-pass filtering the measured infrared temperature may be obtained. The part marked with a dotted line is the value obtained by processing the measured infrared temperature using a low-pass filter. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion corresponding to the initial part in FIG. 13 .

The low-pass filter used at this time can attenuate the high frequency of the measured clothing temperature. If the maximum and minimum values of the measured clothing temperature fluctuate greatly, it is likely to be false noise. Accordingly, consistency of data may be improved through a step of removing unnecessary noise using a low-pass filter. The temperature value that has passed through the low-pass filter can determine the trend of temperature change of clothing within the measured temperature range of clothing.

15 is a diagram showing the distribution of infrared temperature values measured based on the values passed through the low-pass filter. Calculating the temperature amplitude may include subtracting a temperature value that has passed through a low-pass filter from the measured temperature of the clothes.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16 , calculating the temperature amplitude may include calculating an absolute value of the subtracted temperature value. That is, based on the value passed through the low-pass filter, the absolute values of the low and high temperatures of the clothing can be obtained. By taking the absolute value, it is possible to calculate the temperature amplitude as shown in FIG. 16 by expressing only the magnitude of the temperature of the clothing measured over time. That is, the low-pass filter can be calculated according to the temperature value of clothing over time.

The value passed through the low-pass filter may change as the dryness of the clothes changes and the temperature of the clothes changes.

For the temperature amplitude calculated as shown in FIG. 16, a reference value may be calculated as indicated by a solid line in FIG. 17 (S30). In this case, the reference value may be a value that changes over time as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 . FIG. 18 shows only the reference value in FIG. 17 separately, and the reference value may show a trend of rising and then falling again as time elapses.

Meanwhile, using the calculated reference value, clothes may be classified into dry fabric and wet fabric. If the temperature amplitude of the measured clothing is smaller than the reference value, the clothing is dry fabric, but if the temperature amplitude is large, it may be wet fabric. Since the clothes still contain a lot of moisture, the clothes are not sufficiently dried and the amplitude of the measured temperature is large, so it can be determined that the fabric is a wet fabric. On the other hand, if the clothes do not contain a lot of moisture, the temperature change during drying is small, and thus the temperature amplitude is small, so it can be classified as dry fabric. In other words, in the step of classifying the clothes into dry fabrics and wet fabrics, it is possible to determine that the clothes are wet fabrics if the clothes are larger than the reference value and to be dry fabrics if the clothes are smaller than the reference value.

In this case, the reference value may be calculated by a low-pass filter calculated according to the calculated temperature amplitude over time. The reference value calculated as drying progresses is not fixed at a constant value, so it can be changed according to whether or not the dryness of the clothes is dry, and as a result, the dryness of the clothes can be accurately determined.

19 is expressed based on the reference value in FIG. 17, and the part where the temperature amplitude value is located on the upper side based on the reference value expressed as a straight line is determined to be a wet cloth, and the part where the temperature amplitude value is located on the lower side based on the reference value can be determined as raisins.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 20 , it is possible to fix the reference value after a certain period of time has elapsed. As shown in FIG. 20 , details of fixing the reference value will be additionally described later.

A first ratio is calculated based on the reference value calculated in S30 (S40). The first ratio may be defined as a ratio of dry cloth to wet cloth.

The first ratio may be measured at predetermined time intervals. The first ratio may be calculated every time based on a predetermined time, that is, one cycle, so that the first ratio may be calculated while drying is performed. In addition, the first ratio may be calculated each time a predetermined time period ends. That is, the first ratio is calculated at a predetermined time interval, that is, at each cycle end point, so that the ratio of the wet cloth to the dry cloth can be calculated each time based on one cycle.

As shown in FIG. 21 , the first ratio can be calculated as the time ratio of wet cloth and dry cloth within a reference time. As shown in FIG. 21, a portion having a temperature amplitude located above the reference value in one cycle time may be defined as a wet fabric, and a portion having a temperature amplitude located below the reference value may be defined as a dry fabric. During the time of one cycle time, the time defined by the wet cloth and the dry cloth is calculated respectively. At this time, the first ratio can be calculated by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the time determined as wet fabric by the time determined as dry fabric from 1. When the first ratio is close to 1, it can be determined that the time corresponding to the wet cloth decreases and the time corresponding to the dry cloth increases. For reference, a portion represented by a curve in FIG. 21 is a value representing the temperature amplitude of clothing. This method considers only the time when the wet or dry cloth is determined, and the temperature amplitude is not considered when the wet or dry cloth is determined, and the calculation can be easily processed.

Meanwhile, the first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a ratio of cumulative temperature amplitude values of the wet cloth and the dry cloth within the reference time period from 1. Specifically, the first ratio may be obtained by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the accumulated temperature amplitude value of wet fabric by the accumulated temperature amplitude value of dry fabric from 1. According to this method, even if it is judged as a wet cloth and a dry cloth, since the temperature amplitude value of the wet cloth and the temperature amplitude value of the dry cloth are used, the dryness is judged more accurately according to the size of the temperature amplitude of the wet cloth and the temperature amplitude of the dry cloth. It can be. Unlike the above-described first ratio, since a temperature amplitude value is used instead of a time value, a different first ratio can be calculated even when the same time ratio as the above-described example is used. Rather than the above-described example, a change in temperature amplitude value may be reflected.

As shown in FIG. 22, the first ratio can be obtained by subtracting a value obtained by dividing the cumulative value of the temperature amplitude of the wet cloth from 1 by the value obtained by multiplying the reference value by the time determined as the dry cloth. That is, the denominator is a value obtained by multiplying the reference value by the time determined as raisin, and is calculated without considering the temperature amplitude value. On the other hand, it is possible to determine the molecule by considering the temperature amplitude value of the part determined to be a wet cloth. In the first ratio calculated according to the third method, the denominator does not consider the temperature amplitude value, but the numerator considers the temperature amplitude value. Therefore, in the third method, the ratio of the wet fabric to the dry fabric can be calculated by considering the temperature amplitude value in the part determined to be the wet fabric and further reflecting the information during the time when the fabric is determined to be the wet fabric. Therefore, while data processing for the denominator is simplified, it is possible to calculate a more accurate first ratio by reflecting the size change of the value for the wet cloth.

Meanwhile, the first ratio calculated by the above method is shown as a value that changes over time as shown in FIG. 23 . For convenience of calculation, it is possible to determine the reference time and calculate the first ratio for each reference time. In this case, the reference time constitutes one cycle, and the first ratio may be calculated for a plurality of cycles while drying is performed. As shown in FIG. 24 , the final first ratio value may be calculated by obtaining an average of the first ratio values calculated in real time for each reference time.

FIG. 24 shows a value obtained by changing the first ratio calculated in real time for each reference time to an average value for each reference time, and FIG. 25 enlarges and expresses a part of FIG. 24 . In FIG. 26, only the final first ratio value is separately shown in FIG. 24, and the form in which the first ratio value is calculated for each reference time is expressed.

Meanwhile, in parallel with the process of calculating the first ratio in S40, the second ratio is calculated using the measured temperature of the clothing (S50). The second ratio may be calculated by normalizing the temperature measured by the infrared sensor 400 .

The second ratio may set a first temperature that is a low temperature and a second temperature that is a high temperature, and normalize the measured temperature within 0 to 1 based on the first temperature and the second temperature. In this case, the first temperature and the second temperature may be set by a manufacturer of the laundry treatment apparatus or a user using the laundry treatment apparatus. In addition, it is possible to use values measured by various sensors. Normalization corresponds to a value closer to 0 as the temperature measured by the infrared sensor is closer to the first temperature, and corresponds to a value closer to 1 as the temperature measured by the infrared sensor is closer to the second temperature. .

The first temperature may be set lower than the measured temperature. Therefore, even a low temperature measured by the infrared sensor may be matched to a value close to 0 without departing from the normalized value range.

The second temperature may be set higher than the measured temperature. Accordingly, a high temperature measured by the infrared sensor may be matched to a value close to 1 without departing from the normalized value range.

The temperature measured by the infrared sensor 400 is lower than the temperature provided by the drying unit of the laundry treatment apparatus. Accordingly, the second temperature may be set similar to or lower than the temperature provided by the drying unit.

Meanwhile, the first temperature may be set higher than an external temperature of the laundry treatment apparatus. It is not very likely that the clothes will descend to a temperature lower than the outside temperature of the clothes handling device. Therefore, calculation can be simplified when calculating the second ratio by limiting the normalized temperature range.

Meanwhile, it is possible to calculate the second ratio for each reference time by measuring the temperature of the drying unit as shown in FIG. 27 instead of using the infrared sensor 400 . 27 shows the temperature of the duct, that is, the drying part. FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a second ratio calculated by normalizing the temperature measured in FIG. 27 . In FIG. 28, normalization was performed by setting the second temperature to 55 degrees and the first temperature to 20 degrees.

Unlike this, since the temperature measured using the infrared sensor has been fully explained in FIGS. 12 to 14, data using the temperature of the drying unit in another embodiment will be described using FIGS. 27 and 28 in this specification. The method using the infrared sensor is sufficiently applicable to those skilled in the art based on the above description.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 20 , the second ratio may be used as a time point for fixing the reference value. That is, when the second ratio is 1, it is possible to fix the reference value without changing over time. When the second ratio becomes 1, the reference value does not change according to the temperature amplitude after that time, and it is possible to maintain the same as the reference value at that time.

On the other hand, by using the second ratio, it is possible to reduce an error of erroneously determining that drying has been completed in the initial stage of drying (a situation in which there are many wet products).

The dryness is calculated by multiplying the first ratio and the second ratio (S60). That is, in the step of determining the dryness, it is possible to multiply the first ratio by the second ratio.

A value calculated by multiplying the first ratio by the second ratio is shown in FIG. 30 .

When the calculated drying degree reaches a predetermined value, it is possible to determine that drying is completed (S70).

On the other hand, it is also possible to determine that drying is completed when the time when the drying degree reaches a predetermined value is maintained for a predetermined time. This determination is a condition for further requesting a predetermined time on the premise that the dryness level has reached a predetermined value.

When it is determined that drying is completed, it is possible to end the drying process after additional drying is performed for a predetermined time.

As described above, it is possible to determine the dryness of clothes using a temperature value measured using an infrared sensor. If it is determined based on the above-described determination that the clothes are sufficiently dried, it is possible to end the drying process and give an alarm that the drying process has ended to the user.

Meanwhile, the accuracy of determining the dryness of clothes may be improved by considering the value using the electrode sensor in addition to the temperature value measured using the infrared sensor.

31 is a diagram explaining an end point of a drying process according to an exemplary embodiment.

In FIG. 10 , the step of determining the dryness level of S70 includes a first determination step of determining the dryness level of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio; and a second determination step of determining the dryness of the clothes based on the voltage signal measured by the electrode sensor, and when both the first determination step and the second determination step are satisfied, a final determination is made of determining that drying is completed. can be divided into steps;

That is, in an embodiment, the dryness level may be determined using the temperature value measured using the infrared sensor, and the dryness level may be determined using the electrode sensor to finally determine whether to end the drying process. In one embodiment, since the dryness level can be determined using a plurality of sensors, the dryness level can be accurately determined.

Meanwhile, in the final determination step, if any one of the first determination step and the second determination step is not satisfied, it is possible to determine that drying is not completed. That is, only when it is determined that drying is completed through the dryness determination based on the value measured by the infrared sensor and when it is determined that the drying is completed through the dryness determination based on the value measured by the electrode sensor, drying is finally completed. It can be judged that

T1이 산출될 수 있다. 해당 시간 간격

T1와 설정된 값 Tsat를 서로 곱해서, 전극 센서에 의해서 판단한 종료 시점 A1을 산출할 수 있다. 이 과정에서 시간 간격

T1이 길어지면, A1이 늦어질 수 있는 반면에, 시간 간격

T1이 짧아지면 빠른 시간내에 건조도가 상승된다고 판단해서 A1이 빨라질 수 있다.Referring to the drying determination process according to FIG. 31, first, as the value measured by the electrode sensor progresses, the time interval at the time of reaching the first value and the time of reaching the second value

T1 can be calculated. the time interval

By multiplying T1 and the set value Tsat, the end point A1 determined by the electrode sensor can be calculated. Time interval in this process

When T1 becomes longer, the time interval, while A1 may be delayed,

If T1 is shortened, it is judged that the dryness increases in a short time, so A1 can be increased.

The drying level is determined using the infrared sensor 400 prior to time M1 based on the drying end point A1 determined by the electrode sensor. That is, if the dryness by infrared rays is determined before time M1 from A1 and it is determined that drying is completed, it is possible to end the drying process at the time of A1.

Of course, it is possible to determine the dryness level by the infrared sensor 400 not at the point in time from A1 to the time before M1, but under the condition that the dryness level is maintained high during the time period of M2 from then on. That is, when determining the dryness by the infrared sensor, if it is determined that the set dryness has been continuously reached during time M2, it is possible to end drying at the time point A1 determined by the electrode sensor.

On the other hand, even though the time point of A1 is set by the electrode sensor, if it is determined that the drying time is not sufficiently dried by the infrared sensor before time M1 of A1, the drying end point may be changed to A2 instead of A1. At this time, it is possible to select the point in time when the time from A1 to M3 has elapsed as A2. It is possible to determine the dryness by the infrared sensor at the time point A2 changed by the electrode sensor and before the time M2. If the dryness measured by the infrared sensor remains high enough for time M2, it is possible to end the drying process at time point A2.

That is, in one embodiment, when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value in the second determination step, the expected end point A1 is selected.

In this case, it is possible to determine the first determination step from before the second set time M1 based on the expected end point A1. In the first determination step, if the dryness level reaches the predetermined value and is maintained for the predetermined time period M2, drying may be terminated at the expected end time point A1. The expected end point A1 is a point in time when it is determined that drying is completed by the electrode sensor and also when it is determined that drying is completed by the infrared sensor.

On the other hand, if the time at which the dryness level reaches the predetermined value is not maintained for a predetermined time, it is possible to delay the expected end point A1 by the third set time period M3. At this time, the time point at which A1 is delayed by the third set time M3 is A2, and as A2 becomes the expected end point again, the dryness level determination by the infrared sensor may be performed before time M1 of A2.

According to the method described above, it is possible to reduce an error in determining that drying is completed even though the drying of the clothes has not been sufficiently performed.

32 is a diagram explaining an end point of a drying process according to another embodiment.

32 is the same as that of FIG. 31 in the process of determining the end of drying by an electrode sensor.

That is, in the second determination step, when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value, the second expected end point B2 is selected. At this time, since the dryness is determined only by the electrode sensor, exchange of other signals with the infrared sensor does not occur.

Similarly, in the first determination step, if the time at which the dryness reaches the predetermined value is maintained for a predetermined time, it is possible to select the first expected end point B1.

Based on these data, in the final judgment step, it is possible to determine that drying is completed at a later time point between the first expected time point B1 and the second expected time point B2. In this case, the point at which the final drying is completed becomes the second expected point in time B2, which is late.

Unlike the above-described method, in the first determination step, the first expected end point may be selected as a time point when a first set time period M4 has elapsed from the time when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value. Accordingly, the first expected end point may be selected as B3. B3 is a viewpoint located after M4 compared to B1. For reference, the first set time M4 may be shorter than a predetermined time. That is, it is possible to sufficiently secure time for determining the dryness level by the infrared sensor by selecting the expected end point at a later point in time rather than the time for determining that the dryness level is maintained by the infrared sensor.

According to the above-described method, it is possible to quickly determine the end point of drying, so that the end of drying can be accelerated.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and as can be seen from the appended claims, modifications can be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs, and such modifications fall within the scope of the present invention.

100: clothes handling device 1: cabinet
11: front panel 111: inlet
113: door 115: control panel

Claims (14)

measuring the temperature of the clothing;
calculating a temperature amplitude according to the measured temperature of the clothing;
comparing the temperature amplitude with the size of the reference value, and classifying the clothes into dry fabric and wet fabric;
Calculating a first ratio, which is a ratio between dry cloth and wet cloth of the clothes;
calculating a second ratio for normalizing the measured temperature;
and determining dryness of clothes using the first ratio and the second ratio. According to claim 1,
In the step of classifying the clothing into dry cloth and wet cloth,
If the clothing is larger than the reference value, it is determined as a wet cloth,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that determining that the laundry is dry if the clothing is smaller than the reference value. According to claim 1,
The reference value is
A control method of a clothes handling apparatus, characterized in that the calculation is performed by a low-pass filter calculated according to the temperature amplitude calculated over time. According to claim 1,
The control method of the laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the reference value is changed according to time. According to claim 4,
The control method of the laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the reference value is maintained constant after a predetermined time elapses. According to claim 5,
The second ratio sets a first temperature that is a low temperature and a second temperature that is a high temperature,
and normalizing the measured temperature within 0 to 1 based on the first temperature and the second temperature. According to claim 6,
When the second ratio is 1,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that maintaining the reference value constant. According to claim 1,
The control method of the clothes treatment apparatus, characterized in that the temperature of the clothes is measured by an infrared sensor. According to claim 1,
The control method of the laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that the first ratio is measured at predetermined time intervals. According to claim 1,
The first ratio is calculated as a time ratio of wet cloth and dry cloth within a reference time. According to claim 1,
The step of determining the dryness is,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus, wherein the first ratio is multiplied by the second ratio. According to claim 1,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that it is determined that drying is completed when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value. According to claim 1,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus comprising: determining that drying is completed when the dryness level reaches a predetermined value and is maintained for a predetermined period of time. According to claim 1,
A control method of a clothes handling apparatus, wherein, when it is determined that drying is completed, additional drying is performed for a predetermined time and then the drying process is terminated.

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