Control method of laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604887-B2
Application number	US-201815861814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2018
Priority date	Jan 6, 2017
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus is disclosed which includes a course setting procedure receiving a control command including RPM control data of an impeller, RPM control data of a compressor or opening degree control data of an expansion valve, a hot air supply procedure for supplying heated air to a drum through control of the impeller, compressor and expansion valve, a temperature measurement procedure measuring temperature of air introduced into the drum during execution of the hot air supply procedure, a first control procedure for controlling the impeller, compressor and expansion valve based on the control command when the measured temperature is equal to or higher than a reference temperature, and a second control procedure controlling the impeller, compressor and expansion valve based on a control command different from the control command set in the course setting procedure when the measured temperature is lower than the reference temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus that includes a drum, a duct at an outside of the drum and configured to guide air exhausted from the drum, an impeller disposed in the duct and configured to circulate air, a refrigerant tube configured to form a circulation path of refrigerant, an evaporator disposed in the duct and configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and air introduced into the duct so as to evaporate the refrigerant, a condenser disposed in the duct and configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and air passing around the evaporator so as to condense the refrigerant, a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant from the evaporator and to supply the compressed refrigerant to the condenser, an expansion valve configured to adjust a pressure of the refrigerant transferred from the condenser to the evaporator based on control of an opening degree of the refrigerant tube, and a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the air from the drum, comprising:
a course setting procedure for receiving a control command that includes at least one of data for control of RPM of the impeller, data for control of RPM of the compressor, and data for control of opening degree of the expansion valve;
a hot air supply procedure including an operation for supplying heated air to the drum based on control of the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve;
a temperature measurement procedure for sensing, by the temperature sensor, a temperature of the air in the duct during the hot air supply procedure;
a first control procedure for controlling the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on the control command when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference temperature; and
a second control procedure for controlling the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on a control command different from the control command in the course setting procedure when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is less than the predetermined reference temperature,
wherein the second control procedure includes:
an operation for varying, to maximum values, all the data for control of RPM of the impeller, the data for control of RPM of the compressor and the data for control of opening degree of the expansion valve, respectively;
an operation for controlling the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on the varied data;
a primary dryness measurement operation for determining a first dryness of laundry;
an operation for setting a reference time based on a time taken until the determined first dryness reaches a predetermined first reference dryness when the determined first dryness is equal to or higher than the predetermined first reference dryness;
a secondary dryness measurement operation for determining a second dryness of the laundry before the reference time elapses; and
an operation for completing operation of the compressor when the determined second dryness before the reference time elapses is equal to or higher than a predetermined second reference dryness.

2. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the second control procedure includes:
a reference time re-setting operation for setting an additional time for increase of the reference time when the determined second dryness before the reference time elapses does not reach the second reference dryness; and
an operation for completing operation of the compressor when the determined second dryness of the laundry before the additional time elapses is equal to or higher than the second reference dryness.

3. The control method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control procedure includes:
a dryness measurement operation for determining a third dryness of the laundry;
an operation for setting a reference time to increase based on a time taken until the determined third dryness reaches the first reference dryness when the determined third dryness is equal to or higher than the first reference dryness; and
an operation for completing operation of the compressor when the reference time elapses.

4. The control method according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature measurement procedure begins within 1-2 minutes after start of the hot air supply procedure.

5. The control method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the hot air supply procedure includes an operation for rotating the drum; and
each of the dryness measurement operation, the primary dryness measurement operation and the secondary dryness measurement operation includes an operation for determining the dryness to reach the reference dryness set in the associated dryness measurement operation when a value of a voltage enabling flow of current is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference value.

6. The control method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the hot air supply procedure includes an operation for rotating the drum; and
each of the dryness measurement operation, the primary dryness measurement operation and the secondary dryness measurement operation includes an operation for determining the dryness to reach the reference dryness set in the associated dryness measurement operation when a value of current output is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference value.

7. A control method of a laundry treatment apparatus that includes a drum, a duct at an outside of the drum and configured to guide air exhausted from the drum, an impeller disposed in the duct and configured to circulate air, a refrigerant tube, an evaporator disposed in the duct and configured to allow heat exchange between refrigerant and air introduced into the duct, a condenser disposed in the duct and configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and air passing around the evaporator, a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant from the evaporator and to supply the compressed refrigerant to the condenser, an expansion valve configured to adjust a pressure of the refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator based on an opening of the refrigerant tube, and a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the air from the drum, comprising:
receiving a first control command that includes at least one of control data for RPM of the impeller, control data for RPM of the compressor, and control data for opening of the expansion valve;
supplying heated air to the drum based on control of the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve;
sensing, by the temperature sensor, a temperature of the air in the duct during the supplying of heated air to the drum;
first controlling of the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on the control command when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference temperature; and
second controlling of the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on a second control command different from the first control command when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is less than the predetermined reference temperature,
wherein the second controlling includes:
varying, to maximum values, all the control data for RPM of the impeller, the control data for RPM of the compressor and the control data for opening of the expansion valve, respectively;
controlling the impeller, the compressor and the expansion valve based on the varied control data;
determining a first dryness of laundry;
setting a reference time based on a time taken until the determined first dryness reaches a predetermined first reference dryness when the determined first dryness is equal to or higher than the predetermined first reference dryness;
determining a second dryness of

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yonghyun
• Heo Seonil

Classifications

• D06F58/40

  Control of the initial heating of the drying chamber to its operating temperature · CPC title

• D06F2105/24

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F2103/08

  Humidity · CPC title

• D06F2105/26

  Heat pumps · CPC title

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title