Clothes treating apparatus and method for controlling clothes treating apparatus

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus includes a tub, a drying device configured to supply hot air to the tub, a drainage pump configured to discharge water stored in the tub to an outside of the clothes treating apparatus, a temperature sensor located at a predetermined height from a bottom surface of the tub, and a controller configured to: operate the drying device in response to a start of a drying process; operate the drainage pump for a predetermined time in response to a predetermined condition detected by the temperature sensor; and determine a termination time point of the drying process based on an operation cycle of the drainage pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes treating apparatus comprising:
 a tub;   a drying device configured to supply hot air to the tub;   a drainage pump configured to discharge water stored in the tub to an outside of the clothes treating apparatus;   a temperature sensor located at a predetermined height from a bottom surface of the tub; and   a controller configured to:
 operate the drying device in response to a start of a drying process; 
 operate the drainage pump for a predetermined time in response to a predetermined condition detected by the temperature sensor; and 
 determine a termination time point of the drying process based on an operation cycle of the drainage pump. 
   
     
     
         2 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to terminate the drying process in response to determining that the drainage pump has not been operating for a reference time period. 
     
     
         3 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined condition comprises a rate of change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor being greater than or equal to a predetermined value. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the drying device comprises:
 a heat exchanger; and 
 a nozzle device configured to spray water toward the heat exchanger; 
   the clothes treating apparatus further comprises:
 a water supply device configured to supply water to the nozzle device; and 
 a water level sensor configured to measure a water level in the tub; and 
   the controller is further configured to control the water supply device to supply water to the nozzle device so that the water level in the tub reaches to at least a minimum water level measurable by the water level sensor, after the operation of the drainage pump.   
     
     
         5 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein controller is configured to:
 in response to a determination that the water level sensor is not in a failed state, determine the termination time point of the drying process based on the water level in the tub measured by the water level sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the termination time point of the drying process based on a rate of change in the water level in the tub after controlling the water supply device. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to terminate the drying process based on the rate of change in the water level in the tub being less than or equal to a reference value. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a water level sensor configured to measure a water level in the tub,
 wherein the controller is further configured to, in response to a determination the water level sensor is not in a failed state, terminate the drying process based on a determination that the water level in the tub remained lower than a minimum water level measurable by the water level sensor for a reference time period after the operation of the drainage pump.   
     
     
         9 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water level sensor configured to measure a water level in the tub,   wherein the controller is further configured to operate the drainage pump for the predetermined time in response to the predetermined condition being detected by the temperature sensor only in response to a determination that the water level sensor is in a failed state.   
     
     
         10 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprises
 a water level sensor configured to measure a water level in the tub,   wherein the controller is further configured to operate the drainage pump for the predetermined time in response to at least one of:
 a determination the water level in the tub measured by the water level sensor reached a predetermined water level, or 
 a determination the temperature sensor detected the predetermined condition. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling a clothes treating apparatus, the method comprising:
 operating a drying device in response to a start of a drying process;   operating a drainage pump for a predetermined time in response to a predetermined condition detected by a temperature sensor located at a predetermined height from a bottom surface of a tub; and   determining a termination time point of the drying process based on an operation cycle of the drainage pump.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 terminating the drying process in response to determining that the drainage pump has not been operating for a reference time period.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein
 the predetermined condition comprises a rate of change in temperature measured by the temperature being greater than or equal to a predetermined value.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprises
 controlling a water supply device so that the water level in the tub reaches to at least a minimum water level measurable by the water level sensor, after the operation of the drainage pump.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the water level sensor is not in a failed state, determining the termination time point of the drying process based on the water level in the tub measured by the water level sensor,   wherein the determining of the termination time point of the drying process based on the operation cycle of the drainage pump is performed only in response to a determination that the water level sensor is in the failed state.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining the termination time point of the drying process based on a rate of change in the water level in the tub after controlling the water supply device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 terminating the drying process based on the rate of change in the water level in the tub being less than or equal to a reference value.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 measuring, by a water level sensor within the clothes treating apparatus, a water level in the tub; and   in response to a determination the water level sensor is not in a failed state, terminating the drying process based on a determination that the water level in the tub remained lower than a minimum water level measurable by the water level sensor for a reference time period after the operation of the drainage pump.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 measuring, by a water level sensor within the clothes treating apparatus, a water level in the tub; and   operating the drainage pump for the predetermined time in response to the predetermined condition being detected by the temperature sensor only in response to a determination that the water level sensor is in a failed state.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 measuring, by a water level sensor within the clothes treating apparatus, a water level in the tub; and   operating the drainage pump for the predetermined time in response to at least one of:
 a determination the water level in the tub measured by the water level sensor reached a predetermined water level, or 
 a determination the temperature sensor detected the predetermined condition.