Clothes treatment apparatus and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12320052-B2
Application number	US-202217953922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2022
Priority date	Dec 16, 2021
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

A clothes treatment apparatus for identifying a noise course in which abnormal noise occurs, the clothes treatment apparatus including: a frame forming a skeleton of a cabinet; a cover plate surrounding the frame to form an external appearance of the cabinet; a tub provided in the cabinet; a drum rotatably provided in the tub; a drum motor configured to rotate the drum; and a vibration sensor provided on the frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clothes treatment apparatus comprising:
a frame to form a skeleton of a cabinet;
a cover plate surrounding the frame and forming an external surface of the cabinet;
a tub in the cabinet;
a drum in the tub and configured to be rotatable;
a motor configured to rotate the drum;
a vibration sensor on the frame and configured to sense a vibration of the frame and output a vibration signal in a time domain related to the vibration of the frame; and
a processor configured to:
convert the vibration signal in the time domain into a vibration signal in a frequency domain,
classify, based on a rotation speed of the motor, the vibration signal in the frequency domain into a plurality of orders respectively corresponding to a plurality of noise sources of the clothes treatment apparatus, and
determine a noise source of the plurality of noise sources based on amplitudes of a plurality of amplitudes respectively corresponding to the plurality of orders.

2. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processor is further configured to:
compare, for each order of the plurality of orders, an amplitude of the plurality of amplitudes with a reference amplitude of a plurality of reference amplitudes respectively corresponding to the plurality of orders;
determine a defect order based on the amplitude exceeding the reference amplitude; and
determine an object corresponding to the defect order as the noise source.

3. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communicator configured to communicate with an external device,
wherein the processor is configured to control the communicator to transmit information about the noise source of the clothes treatment apparatus to the external device.

4. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a display,
wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display information about the noise source of the clothes treatment apparatus.

5. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an installation environment of the clothes treatment apparatus based on the vibration signal in the time domain.

6. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to adjust the rotation speed of the motor based on the vibration signal in the time domain.

7. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a door at a front of the cabinet,
wherein the frame includes a plurality of post frames corresponding to edges along a longitudinal direction of the cabinet, and
the vibration sensor is attached to a post frame of the plurality of post frames that is on a front side of the cabinet.

8. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the post frame includes:
a left side post frame including a first panel extending rightward with respect to a left side longitudinal edge of the cabinet and a second panel extending rearward with respect to the left side longitudinal edge of the cabinet, and
a right side post frame including a third panel extending leftward with respect to a right side longitudinal edge of the cabinet and a fourth panel extending rearward with respect to the right side longitudinal edge of the cabinet, and

the vibration sensor is attached to one of a rear surface of the first panel, a right surface of the second panel, a rear surface of the third panel, and a left surface of the fourth panel.

9. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the vibration sensor is attached to an upper side of the post frame.

10. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a door at a front of the cabinet,
wherein the frame includes a plurality of horizontal frames corresponding to edges in a traverse direction of the cabinet, and
the vibration sensor is attached to a horizontal frame of the plurality of horizontal frames that is an upper horizontal frame on a front side of the cabinet.

11. The clothes treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein
the cover plate includes a front plate corresponding to the front of the cabinet, and
the vibration sensor is attached to the horizontal frame without being in contact with the front plate.

12. A method of controlling a clothes treatment apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving a vibration signal in a time domain that is output from a vibration sensor attached to a frame forming a skeleton of a cabinet of the clothes treatment apparatus;
converting the vibration signal in the time domain into a vibration signal in a frequency domain;
classifying, based on a rotation speed of a motor, the vibration signal in the frequency domain into a plurality of orders respectively corresponding to a plurality of noise sources of the clothes treatment apparatus; and
determining a noise source of the plurality of noise sources based on amplitudes of a plurality of amplitudes respectively corresponding to the plurality of orders.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the determining of the noise source includes:
comparing, for each order of the plurality of orders, an amplitude of the plurality of amplitudes with a reference amplitude of a plurality of reference amplitudes respectively corresponding to the plurality of orders;
determining a defect order based on the amplitude exceeding the reference amplitude; and
determining an object corresponding to the defect order as the noise source.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting information about the noise source of the clothes treatment apparatus to an external device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sungjong
• Kim Hooijoong
• Park Junhyun
• Lee Moohyung

Classifications

• D06F23/02

  and rotating or oscillating about a horizontal axis · CPC title

• D06F2105/48

  Drum speed · CPC title

• D06F2103/26

  Imbalance; Noise level · CPC title

• G01M99/005

  Testing of complete machines, e.g. washing-machines or mobile phones (testing of machine parts G01M13/00; testing of electric apparatus or components G01R31/50) · CPC title

• D06F58/50

  Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of blowers · CPC title