Clothes care apparatus and control method thereof

Abstract

The disclosure includes a water supply tank configured to store water; a steam generator including a case for receiving the water from the water supply tank, a heater for heating the water in the case, and a water level sensor for sensing a water level in the case; a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case; an input configured to receive one steam course from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and a controller configured to control the water supplier so that water supply at the water level corresponding to the one steam course starts from a reference water level of the case and controls the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes care apparatus comprising:
 a water supply tank configured to store water;   a steam generator including a case to receive the water from the water supply tank, a heater to heat the water in the case, and a water level sensor to sense a water level in the case;   a water supplier configured to supply the water stored in the water supply tank to the case;   an input configured to receive one steam course selected from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and   a controller configured to control the water supplier so that water supplied by the water supplier corresponding to the one steam course selected starts from a reference water level, and control the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reference water level at which the water supplied starts is the water level sensed in the case, and
 the controller controls a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course from the reference water level.   
     
     
         3 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the plurality of steam courses, and 
 wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water during the stored driving time. 
 
     
     
         5 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a steam injector configured to spray steam generated in a steam generator to a chamber, 
 wherein the controller controls the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier. 
 
     
     
         6 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the controller stops the steam jetting of the steam injector when the water level of the case is detected to have reached the reference water level from the target water level. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the water level sensor includes:
 a housing coupleable to the case; and   a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing,   wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode sensing a high water level and a second electrode sensing a low water level, and wherein the first electrode senses the reference water level at which the water supply starts, and the second electrode senses a safety level.   
     
     
         8 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the controller detects that the water level of the case is the reference level through the first electrode, and controls the driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course from the reference water level. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the plurality of steam courses,   wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water during the stored driving time.   
     
     
         11 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a steam injector configured to spray steam generated in a steam generator to a chamber; and wherein the controller controls the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.   
     
     
         12 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller stops the steam jetting of the steam injector when the water level of the case is detected to have reached the reference water level from the target water level. 
     
     
         13 . A method of controlling a clothes care apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving one steam course selected among a plurality of steam courses from a user;   detecting a water level in a case;   controlling a water supplier such that water supplied by the water supplier corresponding to the one steam course selected starts from a reference water level when the one steam course is input; and   controlling a heater to heat the water in the case.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the detecting of the water level in the case includes detecting that the water level of the case is the reference water level at which the water supply starts, and
 the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level from the reference water level.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling the water supplier to supply the water during the driving time previously stored for a type of the steam course. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising controlling a steam injector to jet steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the controlling of the steam jetting of the steam injector includes stopping the steam jetting of the steam injector when it is detected that the water level of the case has reached the reference water level from the target water level. 
     
     
         19 . A clothes care apparatus comprising:
 a water supply tank configured to store water;   a steam generator including a case to receive the water from the water supply tank, a heater to heat the water in the case, and a water level sensor to sense a water level in the case;   a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case;   a discharger configured to discharge the water of the case to an outside;   an input configured to receive one steam course selected from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and   a controller configured to:
 control the discharger, when the one steam course is input and the water level in the case exceeds a reference level at which water supply starts, to discharge the water in the case to reach the reference water level, 
 control the water supplier so that water supplied by the water supplier corresponds to the one steam course selected, and
 control the heater to heat the water in the case. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . The clothes care apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the water level sensor includes:
 a housing coupleable to the case; and   a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing,   wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode sensing a high water level, a second electrode sensing a low water level, and a third electrode sensing a full water level, and the first electrode senses a reference water level at which water supply starts, the second electrode senses the safety water level, and the third electrode senses the reference level being exceeded.