Laundry treatment device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11459685-B2
Application number	US-201816608005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2018
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus. The laundry treating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit which controls the tub to rotate at a first speed in a case of a blanket dehydration mode, to rotate at a second speed lower than the first speed so that the plurality of balls are dispersed when amount of eccentricity in the first speed rotation is equal to or greater than a first reference value, and to rotate at a third speed higher than the first speed when the amount of eccentricity in the first speed rotation is less than the first reference value. Accordingly, in a blanket dehydration mode, it is possible to stably perform dehydration by preventing the plurality of balls from operating unbalanced.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a casing;
a tub disposed in the casing and configured to receive laundry;
a ball balancer disposed in at least one side of the tub, the ball balancer comprising a plurality of balls and a guide part that is configured to guide movement of the plurality of balls;
a door attached to the casing and configured to be opened and closed;
a motor configured to rotate the tub; and
a control unit configured to:
control the tub to rotate at a first speed in a blanket dehydration mode, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the first speed, gather and rotate along the guide part,
control the tub to rotate at a second speed lower than the first speed based on an amount of eccentricity of the laundry in the tub becoming greater than or equal to a first reference value while the tub rotates at the first speed, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the second speed, separate from one another and rotate along the guide part, and
control the tub to rotate at a third speed higher than the first speed based on the amount of eccentricity of the laundry in the tub becoming less than or equal to a second reference value while the tub rotates at the second speed, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the third speed, separate from one another and rotate along the guide part.

2. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase a speed of the tub to pass through a transient resonance section, in a state in which the plurality of balls are dispersed.

3. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a vibration detection unit configured to detect vibration of the tub,
wherein the control unit is configured to:
control the tub to stop based on a vibration amount of the tub detected by the vibration detection unit being greater than or equal to a third reference value while the tub rotating at the third speed, and
control the tub to rotate at a fourth speed higher than the third speed based on the vibration amount of the tub detected by the vibration detection unit being less than the third reference value.

4. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
determine a cloth amount in the tub in the blanket dehydration mode,
control the tub to rotate at the second speed lower than the first speed based on the cloth amount being less than or equal to a certain value and the amount of eccentricity becoming greater than or equal to the first reference value while the tub rotates at the first speed.

5. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
determine the amount of eccentricity while the tub rotates at the first speed, and
determine the cloth amount before determining the amount of eccentricity.

6. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
rotate the tub at the first speed before determining the amount of eccentricity, and
determine the cloth amount while the tub rotates at the first speed.

7. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to rotate the tub at the first speed to allow the laundry to be attached to the tub.

8. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the tub to rotate at the third speed higher than the first speed based on the amount of eccentricity becoming less than the first reference value while the tub rotates at the first speed.

9. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
control the tub to rotate at the first speed a normal dehydration mode, and
control the tub to rotate at the third speed higher than the first speed based on the amount of eccentricity becoming less than or equal to an allowable value while the tub rotates at the first speed in the normal dehydration mode.

10. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the plurality of balls while the tub rotates at the first speed is less than a distance between the plurality of balls while the tub rotates at the second speed or the third speed.

11. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second reference value is greater than the first reference value.

12. A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a casing;
a tub disposed in the casing and configured to receive laundry;
a ball balancer disposed in at least one side of the tub, the ball balancer comprising a plurality of balls and a guide part that is configured to guide movement of the plurality of balls;
a door attached to the casing and configured to be opened and closed;
a motor configured to rotate the tub; and
a control unit configured to:
control the tub to rotate at a first speed in a blanket dehydration mode, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the first speed, gather and rotate along the guide part,
control the tub to rotate at a second speed lower than the first speed based on an amount of eccentricity becoming greater than or equal to a first reference value while the tub rotates at the first speed, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the second speed, be spaced apart from one another and rotate along the guide part, and
control the tub to rotate at a third speed higher than the first speed based on the amount of eccentricity becoming less than the first reference value while the tub rotates at the first speed, wherein the plurality of balls are configured to, based on the tub rotating at the third speed, be spaced apart from one another and rotate along the guide part.

13. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a vibration detection unit configured to detect vibration of the tub,
wherein the control unit is configured to:
control the tub to rotate at the third speed higher than the first speed based on the amount of eccentricity becoming less than or equal to a second reference value while the tub rotates at the second speed, and
control the tub to rotate at a fourth speed higher than the third speed based on a vibration amount of the tub detected by the vibration detection unit being less than a third reference value.

14. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase a speed of the tub to pass through a transient resonance section, in a state in which the plurality of balls are dispersed.

15. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the second reference value is greater than the first reference value.

16. The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a distance between the plurality of balls while the tub rotates at the first speed is less than a distance between the plurality of balls while the tub rotates at the second speed or the third speed.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Moonsuk

Classifications

• D06F37/36

  for rotating the receptacle at more than one speed {(D06F37/304, D06F37/308 take precedence)} · CPC title

• D06F2103/24

  Spin speed; Drum movements · CPC title

• F16F2232/02

  Rotary · CPC title

• D06F2103/68

  Operation mode; Program phase · CPC title

• Y02B40/00

  Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers · CPC title