Laundry treatment apparatus and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11926950-B2
Application number	US-202117529945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2021
Priority date	Aug 9, 2017
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry treatment apparatus including a drum formed of a metal material and provided to accommodate laundry therein, an induction module spaced apart from a circumferential surface of the drum and provided to heat the circumferential surface of the drum via a magnetic field that is generated when current is applied to a coil, and a lifter formed of a metal material and provided in the drum to move the laundry inside the drum when the drum rotates. The lifter is provided so as to be recessed in a direction in which a distance between the induction module and the lifter, which face each other, increases.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a tub;
a drum disposed in the tub and configured to rotate about a rotation axis, the drum being made of metal and configured to accommodate laundry therein;
an induction module disposed at a first position of the tub and configured to heat the drum via induction using a magnetic field that is generated based on current being applied to a coil in the induction module;
at least one lifter disposed on the drum;
at least one magnet disposed at a position for determining a relative position of the at least one lifter with respect to the induction module;
a sensor disposed at a second position of the tub opposite to the first position with respect to the rotation axis of the drum, the sensor being configured to sense a position of the at least one lifter by sensing the position of the at least one magnet to thereby determine the relative position of the at least one lifter with respect to the induction module; and
at least one controller configured to control the induction module based on the relative position of the at least one lifter with respect to the induction module.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lifter includes a plurality of lifters,
wherein the at least one magnet includes a plurality of magnets, and
wherein the plurality of magnets is disposed between the plurality of lifters.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnet is disposed at a portion of the at least one lifter.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to start an operation based on the drum being driven.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned on and off repeatedly while the drum is driven.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned off at a point in time at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module while the drum is driven.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned on continuously without being turned off even if the at least one lifter is at a point in time at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module under a washing operation course.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned on continuously without being turned off even if the at least one lifter is at a point in time at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module when the drum is spin-driven.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned on based on the at least one lifter deviating from a range at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module while the drum is driven.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to reduce a drum heating amount at a position at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to increase the drum heating amount based on the at least one lifter deviating from the position at which the at least one lifter faces the induction module.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned off at least one time for one rotation of the drum.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be driven incontinuously while the drum is driven.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the induction module to be turned on continuously based on a rotational speed of the drum exceeding a predetermined speed.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined speed of the drum is 200 RPM.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Jae Hyuk
• Noh Hyunwoo
• Kim Changoh
• Kim Woo Re
• Hong Sangwook

Classifications

• D06F37/06 Primary

  Ribs, lifters, or rubbing means forming part of the receptacle · CPC title

• D06F25/00

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F37/065

  ribs or lifters having means for circulating the washing liquid · CPC title

• D06F39/04

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/26

  Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment (D06F58/18 takes precedence) · CPC title