Laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, which senses laundry weight so as to display information related to the laundry weight before an input on a performance unit for performing a course.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet having an opening defined in a front surface thereof;   a drum disposed inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry therein;   a drive unit connected to the drum and configured to rotate the drum;   a controller configured to control the drive unit to sense an amount of the laundry and perform arbitrary courses to treat the laundry; and   a control panel having an execution unit configured to receive an execution command to execute one of the arbitrary courses, and a display unit configured to externally display a state of the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry before a selection unit or the execution unit is pressed,   wherein the display unit is controlled to display one or more of a weight, an amount of detergent, and a course execution time corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry by controlling the drive unit such that the drum rotates less than once. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the weight, the detergent amount, and the course execution time corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry are displayed before the execution unit is pressed. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit is configured to directly display the weight corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit is configured to display the weight corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry in an approximate range. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the approximate range corresponds to a threshold range for changing one or more of a detergent amount corresponding to the weight and a course execution time corresponding to the weight. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit is configured to display the weight corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry in a weight unit or a weight range written on the detergent. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a door pivotably coupled to the cabinet to open and close the opening;   a sensor disposed on the cabinet and configured to sense whether the door is opened or closed; and   a locker configured to lock the door to the opening,   wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry when sensing that the door opens and closes the opening,   wherein the display unit is configured to correct and display the one or more of the weight, the detergent amount, and the course execution time corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the locker is controlled to lock the door to the cabinet when the execution unit is pressed. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control panel further includes a power unit configured to receive a power command to supply power to the controller,
 wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry when the power unit pressed,   wherein the display unit is configured to correct and display the one or more of the weight, the detergent amount, and the course execution time corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry when sensing that a power unit is pressed and the door opens and closes the opening. 
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to sense the amount of the laundry again when the door is opened and closed again,
 wherein the display unit is configured to display information related to the amount of the laundry sensed again.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the display unit is configured to simultaneously display the weight and the course execution time corresponding to the sensed amount of the laundry. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to control the drive unit such that the drum rotates at an angle equal to or smaller than an angle allowing the laundry to be separated from an inner wall of the drum or an arrangement of the laundry to be varied when sensing the amount of the laundry.