Dryer and drying method thereof

Abstract

A dryer includes a drum receiving an object to be dried, a first sensor configured to sense a dry state of the object to be dried contained in the drum, a heater configured to heat air supplied into the drum, a blower including a fan forming a flow of air passing through the inside of the drum, a second sensor configured to sense a temperature of air discharged from the drum, and a processor configured to control, when a user input selecting a specific course is received, the drum, the heater, and the blower to perform a dry cycle, to control a rotation direction of the drum on the basis of a dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor when the dry cycle is started, and to control termination of the dry cycle on the basis of the temperature of air sensed by the second sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dryer comprising:
 a drum configured to receive a dry object;   a first sensor configured to sense a dry state of the dry object received in the drum;   a heater configured to heat air supplied into the drum;   a blower configured to form a flow of air passing through the inside of the drum;   a second sensor configured to sense a temperature of air discharged from the drum; and   a processor configured to, in response to a user input selecting a specific course of operation of the dryer being received,
 control the drum, the heater, and the blower to perform a dry cycle, 
 control a rotation direction of the drum on the basis of a dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor after the dry cycle is started, and 
 control termination of the dry cycle on the basis of a temperature of air sensed by the second sensor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to change the rotation direction of the drum on the basis of the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to rotate the drum in a first direction during the dry cycle, rotate the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction for a predetermined time in response to a value indicating the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor being equal to or less than a predetermined value, and additionally perform the dry cycle when the predetermined time elapses. 
     
     
         4 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein, in response to the value indicating the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor being equal to or less than the predetermined value after the dry cycle is additionally performed, the processor is configured to determine a time for which the dry cycle is to be further additionally performed on the basis of a time which has elapsed since the start of the dry cycle, and further additionally perform the dry cycle for the determined time. 
     
     
         5 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to rotate the drum in the second direction for the predetermined time at a specific predetermined time period during the further additionally performed dry cycle. 
     
     
         6 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the heater includes a compressor configured to heat air supplied into the drum. 
     
     
         7 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to control ON/OFF of the compressor on the basis of a temperature sensed by the second sensor during the dry cycle performed after the rotation direction of the drum is controlled, and control termination of the dry cycle on the basis of a control state of the compressor. 
     
     
         8 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the dry cycle performed after the rotation direction of the drum is controlled is set to be performed for a time determined on the basis of the time which has elapsed from the time point at which the dry cycle was started. 
     
     
         9 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein, in response to the number of times the compressor is turned off being a predetermined value, the processor is configured to terminate the dry cycle even before the determined time elapsed. 
     
     
         10 . The dryer as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to turn off the compressor in operation in response to the temperature sensed by the second sensor being a predetermined first temperature, and in response to a temperature sensed by the second sensor after the compressor is turned off being a predetermined second temperature, the processor is configured to turn on the compressor which is in an OFF state. 
     
     
         11 . A drying method of a dryer including a drum configured to receive a dry object, a first sensor configured to sense a dry state of the dry object received in the drum, and a second sensor configured to sense a temperature of air discharged from the drum, the drying method comprising:
 in response to a user input selecting a specific course of operation of the dryer being received,
 performing, by the dryer, a dry cycle, 
 controlling a rotation direction of the drum on the basis of a dry state of the dr object sensed by the first sensor after the dry cycle is started, and 
 controlling termination of the dry cycle on the basis of a temperature of air sensed by the second sensor. 
   
     
     
         12 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein
 the controlling of a rotation direction includes changing the rotation direction of the drum on the basis of the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor.   
     
     
         13 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein
 the controlling of a rotation direction includes rotating the drum in a first direction during the dry cycle and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction for a predetermined time in response to a value indicating the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor being equal to or less than a predetermined value,   wherein the drying method further comprising:   resuming the dry cycle after the lapse of the predetermined time to thereby additional perform the dry cycle.   
     
     
         14 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising:
 in response to a value indicating the dry state of the dry object sensed by the first sensor being equal to or less than the predetermined value after the dry cycle is additionally performed, determining a time for which the dry cycle is to be further additionally performed on the basis of a time which has elapsed since the start of the dry cycle, and further additionally performing the dry cycle for the determined time.   
     
     
         15 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the further additionally performing of the dry cycle further includes:
 rotating the drum in the second direction for the predetermined time at a specific predetermined time period during the further additionally performed dry cycle.   
     
     
         16 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the dryer further includes a compressor for heating the air supplied into the drum by a compressor. 
     
     
         17 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the controlling of termination of the dry cycle includes:
 controlling ON/OFF of the compressor on the basis of the temperature sensed by the second sensor during the dry cycle performed after the rotation direction of the drum is controlled, and controlling termination of the dry cycle on the basis of a control state of the compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the dry cycle performed after the rotation direction of the drum is controlled is set to be performed for a time determined on the basis of the time which has elapsed from the time point at which the dry cycle was started. 
     
     
         19 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein in the controlling of termination of the dry cycle, in response to the number of times the compressor is turned off being a predetermined value, the dry cycle is terminated even before the determined time has elapsed. 
     
     
         20 . The drying method as claimed in  claim 19 , further comprising:
 turning off the compressor in operation in response to the temperature sensed by the second sensor being a predetermined first temperature, and turning on the compressor which is in an OFF state in response to the temperature sensed by the second sensor after the compressor is turned off being a predetermined second temperature.