Clothing processing apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clothing processing apparatus that provides various optimized drum motion combinations capable of preventing damage to or shrinkage of laundry in a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, a falling-rate drying period, and a cooling period, respectively.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate laundry therein, a driver configured to rotate the drum, a circulation flow channel providing a space where air of the drum is circulated or moisture contained in air is condensed, and a heat exchanger assembly configured to heat air flowing through the circulation flow channel, the method comprising:
 an air supply step of supplying heated air to the drum via the heat exchanger assembly; and   a rotation step of rotating the drum during the air supply,   wherein the rotation step is composed of a high-speed period for rotating the drum such that the laundry rotates in a state of being attached to an inner wall of the drum and a low-speed period for rotating the drum such that the laundry rotates while falling from the inner wall of the drum,   wherein a ratio of the high-speed period to the low-speed period is set differently for each specific period during the air supply step.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,
 wherein the preheating period is set to be a period from a time the heat exchanger assembly operates until a temperature of a refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger assembly reaches a specific temperature from a starting temperature or a period until a reference time elapses after the heat exchanger assembly operates,   wherein the high-speed period and the low-speed period are repeatedly arranged in the preheating period.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a sum time period of the high-speed periods is set to be longer than a sum time period of the low-speed periods in the preheating period. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein a duration of the high-speed period is set to be longer than a duration of the low-speed period in the preheating period. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the low-speed period includes:
 a constant-speed period where the drum is rotated such that the laundry falls between a high point of the drum and a center of the drum; and   a deceleration period where a rotation speed of the drum is lower than in the constant-speed period,   wherein the high-speed period, the constant-speed period, and the deceleration period are periodically arranged in the preheating period.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the deceleration period is set to have a shorter duration than the constant-speed period. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,
 wherein the constant-rate drying period is entered when a temperature of a refrigerant of the heat exchanger assembly reaches a reference value in the preheating period or when the heat exchanger assembly operates for a reference time,   wherein the low-speed period is set to be longer than the high-speed period in the constant-rate drying period.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the rotation step further includes a variable period where a rotation speed of the drum is variable,
 wherein the variable period is disposed in the constant-rate drying period.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the falling-rate drying period is entered when a discharge temperature of the circulation flow channel rises to a reference temperature or higher or dryness of the laundry reaches a set value,
 wherein the variable period is performed before entering the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the laundry treating apparatus further includes a dryness sensor configured to detect dryness of the laundry,
 wherein the variable period is entered when the dryness reaches a target value after entering the constant-rate drying period.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the variable period is entered when a reference time elapses after entering the constant-rate drying period. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the variable period varies the rotation speed of the drum in the high-speed period and the low-speed period,
 wherein the low-speed period is further divided into a constant-speed period and a deceleration period where the rotation speed is lower than in the constant-speed period.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the constant-speed period, the high-speed period, and the deceleration period are periodically arranged in the variable period. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the low-speed period is continuously disposed in the constant-rate drying period until entering the variable period. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a duration of the low-speed period before entering the variable period is set to be longer than a duration of the entire variable period. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the high-speed period and the low-speed period are periodically and repeatedly arranged between the low-speed period and the variable period. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,
 wherein the falling-rate drying period is entered when a discharge temperature of the circulation flow channel rises to a reference temperature or higher or dryness of the laundry reaches a set value,   wherein a duration of the low-speed period is set to be longer than a duration of the high-speed period in the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein a rotation speed of the drum is set such that the laundry falls from a vertical level lower than a vertical level of a center of the drum in the low-speed period of the falling-rate drying period. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the low-speed period is continuously disposed when entering the falling-rate drying period. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the high-speed period is disposed after the low-speed period in the falling-rate drying period. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein when the high-speed period is entered in the falling-rate drying period, the high-speed period and the low-speed period are periodically arranged until the falling-rate drying period is completed. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the laundry treating apparatus further includes a dryness sensor configured to detect the dryness of the laundry,
 wherein a time point for entry into the high-speed period is set to be a time point when the dryness reaches a specific value higher than the set value.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the falling-rate drying period is terminated when the dryness reaches a completion value higher than the specific value. 
     
     
         24 . A method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate laundry therein, a driver configured to rotate the drum, a circulation flow channel providing a space where air of the drum is circulated or moisture contained in air is condensed, and a heat exchanger assembly configured to heat air flowing through the circulation flow channel, and configured to perform a fabric protection course to prevent damage to fabric, the method comprising:
 wherein the fabric protection course includes:
 an air supply step of supplying heated air to the drum via the heat exchanger assembly; and 
 a rotation step of rotating the drum while performing the air supply, 
   wherein the rotation includes:
 a prevention step including a high-speed period of rotating the drum at a speed equal to or higher than a first speed for the laundry to rotate while being attached to an inner wall of the drum; and 
 a protection step including a limit period of rotating the drum at a limit speed for preventing the laundry from ascending to a vertical level higher than a vertical level of a center of the drum. 
   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the prevention step further includes a low-speed period of rotating the drum at a second speed higher than the limit speed and lower than the first speed,
 wherein the high-speed period and the low-speed period are periodically repeated in the prevention step.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,
 wherein the prevention step is performed in the preheating period, the constant-rate drying period, and the falling-rate drying period,   wherein in the prevention step, a ratio of the high-speed period to the low-speed period is set to be greater in the preheating period than in the constant-rate drying period and the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the rotation step includes an exposure step of exposing the laundry to air by rotating the drum at a speed higher than the limit speed and lower than the first speed in the constant-rate drying period,
 wherein the prevention step is performed after the exposure step.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the rotation step further includes a separation of periodically repeating increasing the speed of the drum from the second speed and decreasing the speed to a speed lower than the second speed in the constant-rate drying period,
 wherein the prevention step is performed before the separation.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,
 wherein the protection step is performed in the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the protection step is performed and then the prevention step is performed in the falling-rate drying period. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the laundry treating apparatus further includes a dryness sensor configured to detect dryness of the laundry by being in contact with the laundry,
 wherein the prevention step is performed when the dryness reaches a specific value during the protection in the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the fabric protection course further includes a temperature control step of controlling a temperature of air supplied to the drum during the air supply,
 wherein the temperature control step is provided to prevent the temperature of air from exceeding a limit temperature.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly includes a heat exchanger disposed in the circulation flow channel and configured to heat air, and a compressor disposed outside the circulation flow channel to supply a heated refrigerant to the heat exchanger,
 wherein the air supply step is divided into a preheating period, a constant-rate drying period, and a falling-rate drying period,   wherein the temperature control step is provided to lower an operating rpm of the compressor in stages whenever the preheating period, the constant-rate drying period, and the falling-rate drying period.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the temperature control includes:
 operating the compressor by increasing the operating rpm of the compressor to a maximum rpm in the preheating period;   operating the compressor at a constant-rate rpm lower than the maximum rpm in the constant-rate drying period; and   operating the compressor at a falling-rate rpm lower than the constant-rate rpm in the falling-rate drying period.