Clothing treatment apparatus and control method of clothing treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothing treatment apparatus in which an induction module for generating a magnetic field and a water level sensor affected by the magnetic field are able to be used together without confusion, and to a control method thereof.

1 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet having an opening in a front thereof;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet to store water;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub to accommodate clothing, the drum comprising a conductor;   a drive part coupled to the tub to spin the drum;   an induction module coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the tub to form a magnetic field to heat the drum;   a water level sensor comprising a magnetic member and arranged in communication with the tub to sense a water level in the tub, a position of the water level sensor varying according to the water level; and   a controller configured to control at least one of the drive part or the induction module, the controller receiving the water level sensed by the water level sensor,   wherein the controller determines, as the water level in the tub, a water level sensed by the water level sensor with driving of the induction module stopped.   
     
     
         2 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, based on the driving of the induction module being stopped, the controller is configured to perform a control operation to stop spinning of the drum. 
     
     
         3 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water supply valve coupled to the cabinet to supply the water to the tub,   wherein, based on the water supply valve being opened, the controller is configured to control the water supply valve to close with the driving of the induction module stopped.   
     
     
         4 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to close the water supply valve after a first time elapses since the driving of the induction module is stopped. 
     
     
         5 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water supply valve to open with the driving of the induction module stopped. 
     
     
         6 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to control the water supply valve to open after a first time elapses since the driving of the induction module is stopped. 
     
     
         7 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drain pump arranged to communicate with the tub to discharge the water from the cabinet,   wherein, based on the drain pump being driven, the controller is configured to stop driving the drain pump with the driving of the induction module stopped.   
     
     
         8 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to stop driving the drain pump after a first time elapses since the driving of the induction module is stopped. 
     
     
         9 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to drive the drain pump with the driving of the induction module stopped. 
     
     
         10 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to drive the drain pump after a first time elapses since the driving of the induction module is stopped. 
     
     
         11 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first time is set to be less than or equal to 5 seconds. 
     
     
         12 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the induction module is disposed on an upper portion of the tub,
 wherein the magnetic member of the water level sensor is configured to be disposed above the opening.   
     
     
         13 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet having an opening in a front thereof;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet to store water;   a water supply valve coupled to the cabinet to supply the water to the tub;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub to accommodate clothing, the drum comprising a conductor;   a drive part coupled to the tub to spin the drum;   an induction module coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the tub to form a magnetic field to heat the drum;   a water level sensor comprising a magnetic member and arranged in communication with the tub to sense a water level in the tub, a position of the water level sensor varying according to the water level; and   a controller configured to control controlling at least one of the water supply valve, the drive part, or the induction module, the controller receiving the water level sensed by the water level sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to disregard the water level delivered from the water level sensor with the induction module driven.   
     
     
         14 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein, based on the sensed water level exceeding a critical water level, the controller is configured to block driving of at least one of the water supply valve, the drive part, or the induction module,
 wherein, based on the induction module being driven, the controller is configured to maintain the driving of the at least one of the water supply valve, the drive part, or the induction module even when the sensed water level exceeds the critical water level.   
     
     
         15 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein, after driving the induction module while controlling the water supply valve to close, the controller is configured to perform an operation comprising:
 based on an increase in the water level in the tub being sensed with driving of the induction module stopped, blocking driving of at least one of the drive part or the induction module.   
     
     
         16 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein, after driving the induction module while controlling the water supply valve to close, the controller is configured to perform an operation comprising:
 based on an increase in the water level in the tub being sensed with driving of the induction module stopped, blocking driving of at least one of the drive part and the induction module.   
     
     
         17 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a drain pump arranged to communicate with the tub to discharge the water from the cabinet,   wherein, based on an amount of change in the water level in the tub exceeding a reference value with driving of the water supply valve and the drain pump stopped, the controller is configured to block driving of at least one of the drive part or the induction module,   wherein, based on the induction module being driven, the controller is configured to maintain driving of at least one of the drive part or the induction module even when a sensed amount of change in the water level in the tub exceeds the reference value.   
     
     
         18 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet having an opening in a front thereof;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet to store water;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub to accommodate clothing, the drum comprising a conductor;   a drive part coupled to the tub to spin the drum;   an induction module coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the tub to form a magnetic field to heat the drum;   a water level sensor comprising a magnetic member and arranged in communication with the tub to sense a water level in the tub, a position of the water level sensor varying according to the water level; and   a controller configured to control at least one of the drive part or the induction module, the controller receiving the water level sensed by the water level sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to perform an operation comprising:   based on the induction module being driven, withholding determining the water level in the tub,   wherein, based on a spin speed of the drum changing beyond an acceptable range while the induction module is driven, the controller is configured to recognize that the water level in the tub changes.   
     
     
         19 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein, based on revolutions per minute (RPM) of the drum decreasing below an acceptable range or continuing to decrease during driving of the induction module, the controller determines that the water level in the tub is increasing, or determines that the water level in the tub is an excessive water level. 
     
     
         20 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein, based on the RPM of the drum decreasing below the acceptable range or continuing to decrease during the driving of the induction module, the controller is configured to block driving of at least one of the drive part or the induction module. 
     
     
         21 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein, based on the driving of the drive part and the induction module being blocked, the water level in the tub is re-sensed. 
     
     
         22 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein, based on the re-sensed water level in the tub being maintained in a state of the excessive water, the controller determines that bubbles have been generated inside the drum. 
     
     
         23 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a water supply valve controlled to supply the water to the tub,   wherein, upon determining that the re-sensed water level in the tub is increasing, the controller determines that the water supply valve has failed.   
     
     
         24 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a water supply valve controlled to supply the water to the tub,   wherein, based on a spin speed of the drum decreasing below a specific speed or continuing to decrease during driving of the induction module with the water supply valve controlled to close, the controller determines that the water supply valve has failed.   
     
     
         25 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a drain pump arranged to communicate with the tub to discharge the water from the cabinet,   wherein, based on the spin speed of the drum increasing beyond an acceptable range, the controller determines that water leakage has occurred in the tub, or that the drain pump is malfunctioning.   
     
     
         26 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein, based on revolutions per minute (RPM) of the drum increasing beyond an acceptable range or continuing to increase during driving of the induction module, the controller is configured to block driving of at least one of the drive part, the induction module, or the drain pump. 
     
     
         27 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein, based on the driving of the drive part, the induction module, and the drain pump being blocked, the water level in the tub is re-sensed. 
     
     
         28 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein, based on the re-sensed water level in the tub being maintained in a lowered state, the controller determines that the drain pump is malfunctioning. 
     
     
         29 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein, based on the re-sensed water level in the tub continuing to be lowered, the controller determines that water leakage has occurred in the tub.