Clothes treating apparatus and method for controlling the same

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus and a method for controlling the same. A clothes treating apparatus may include a tub, a drum rotatable in the tub, and a dryer. The dryer may include a fan and a heat pump configured to supply heated air into the tub. Further, the clothes treating apparatus may include a controller configured to rotate the drum at a preset maximum speed for a preset time based on a start of a spin-drying process and operate the fan to blow air into the tub while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes treating apparatus, comprising:
 a tub;   a drum rotatable in the tub;   a dryer including a fan and a heat pump configured to supply heated air into the tub; and   a controller configured to rotate the drum at a preset maximum speed for a preset time based on a start of a spin-drying process and operate the fan to blow air into the tub while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the spin-drying process includes a low-speed spin-drying section in which the drum rotates at a preset intermediate speed lower than the preset maximum speed, and a high-speed spin-drying section in which the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed, and
 the controller is further configured to control the fan to be maintained in a stopped state in the low-speed spin-drying section and to rotate the fan in the high-speed spin-drying section.   
     
     
         3 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn on the fan in response to a rotation speed of the drum reaching a reference speed higher than the preset intermediate speed and lower than the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn on the fan based on a rotation speed of the drum reaching the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn on the fan in response to an elapse of a defined time after the rotation speed of the drum reaches the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to turn off the fan in response to the drum being stopped. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured not to operate the heat pump in the spin-drying process. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water supply device configured to spray water toward the drum,   wherein the controller is further configured to control the water supply device to spray water toward the drum in response to a rotation speed of the drum reaching a target speed lower than the preset maximum speed.   
     
     
         9 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the water supply device to spray water toward the drum before the fan is turned on. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a circulation flow path configured to guide water discharged from the tub into the tub; and   a circulation valve configured to open and close the circulation flow path,   wherein the controller is further configured to control the circulation valve to close the circulation flow path based on the start of the spin-drying process.   
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling a clothes treating apparatus comprising a tub, a drum rotatable in the tub, and a dryer including a fan and a heat pump configured to supply heated air into the tub, the method comprising:
 rotating the drum at a preset maximum speed for a preset time based on a start of a spin-drying process; and   operating the fan to blow air into the tub while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the spin-drying process includes a low-speed spin-drying section in which the drum rotates at a preset intermediate speed lower than the preset maximum speed, and a high-speed spin-drying section in which the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed, the method further comprising:
 controlling the fan to be maintained in a stopped state in the low-speed spin-drying section,   wherein the operating of the fan while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed comprises operating the fan in the high-speed spin-drying section.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the operating of the fan while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed further comprises turning on the fan in response to a rotation speed of the drum reaching a reference speed higher than the preset intermediate speed and lower than the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the operating of the fan while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed further comprises turning on the fan based on a rotation speed of the drum reaching the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the operating of the fan while the drum rotates at the preset maximum speed further comprises turning on the fan in response to an elapse of a defined time after a rotation speed of the drum reaches the preset maximum speed. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising turning off the fan in response to the drum being stopped. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising not operating the heat pump in the spin-drying process. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the clothes treating apparatus further comprises a water supply device configured to spray water toward the drum, the method further comprising:
 controlling the water supply device to spray water toward the drum in response to a rotation speed of the drum reaching a target speed lower than the preset maximum speed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising controlling the water supply device to spray water toward the drum before the fan is turned on. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the clothes treating apparatus further comprises a circulation flow path configured to guide water discharged from the tub into the tub and a circulation valve configured to open and close the circulation flow path, the method further comprising:
 controlling the circulation valve to close the circulation flow path based on the start of the spin-drying process.