CN118302571A

CN118302571A - Clothes dryer and control method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN118302571A
Application number: CN202280077317.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 石惠畯; 李亨雨; 郑旻俊
Original assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-12-30
Filing date: 2022-10-28
Publication date: 2024-07-05
Also published as: US20240271348A1; WO2023128204A1; EP4411054A4; KR20230102608A; EP4411054A1

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a clothes dryer that automatically identifies characteristics of items to be dried in an initial step after a drying process is started, and appropriately classifies the items to be dried into one of a plurality of predetermined categories based on the identified characteristics. To this end, the clothes dryer may include: a drum for accommodating the items to be dried; a dryness level detection unit for detecting the dryness level of the items to be dried in the drum; and a control unit for obtaining the dryness level of the items to be dried detected by the dryness level detection unit while performing a first initial drying process, determining the items to be dried as one of a plurality of weight categories based on the obtained dryness level, obtaining control information determined based on the determined weight category, and controlling the execution of a main drying process according to the control information.

Description

Clothes dryer and control method thereof

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a laundry dryer, and more particularly, to a laundry dryer and a control method thereof, which provide optimal drying by automatically determining characteristics (e.g., weight and material characteristics) of cloth as laundry and classifying the laundry accordingly.

Background

A laundry dryer is an apparatus for drying articles by supplying hot air into a drum containing various kinds of laundry (including various materials of clothes, towels, blankets) while rotating the drum. Generally, laundry dryers operate to dry laundry based on respective drying times and temperatures determined by option selections (e.g., basic courses, shirt courses, jeans courses, or light load courses) made by a user before starting a drying cycle. Therefore, each time the laundry dryer is used for drying, the user needs to know the characteristics of the laundry and select an appropriate option.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical proposal

Depending on the characteristics of the laundry (e.g., total weight or material), the drying temperature or time appropriate for the laundry may vary significantly. If the drying time for performing the drying course is not suitable for the laundry, the drying cycle may be completed without the laundry being completely dried, or power loss may occur due to an excessive drying cycle progression. If the drying process is performed at a temperature unsuitable for laundry, material damage/shape change due to overheating or incomplete drying may occur. This can be cumbersome and difficult for a user if the user must select an option to provide an appropriate drying time and temperature by identifying characteristics of each laundry while performing drying.

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a laundry dryer and a method for controlling the same, which automatically grasps characteristics of laundry put into a drum at an initial stage after a drying cycle starts, and appropriately classifies the laundry into one of a plurality of predetermined categories based on the grasped characteristics.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a laundry dryer and a method for controlling the same, which appropriately classifies laundry into one of a plurality of categories according to laundry characteristics at an initial stage after a start of a drying cycle, and then performs a remaining drying cycle according to a temperature and time appropriate for the classified category.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a laundry dryer may include a drum in which laundry may be accommodated, a humidity detector for detecting a dryness level of the laundry in the drum, and a controller configured to: the method includes obtaining a drying level of laundry detected by a humidity detector while performing a first initial drying cycle, determining a weight category of the laundry from a plurality of weight categories of the laundry based on the obtained drying level, obtaining control information based on the determined weight category, and controlling the performing of a main drying cycle according to the obtained control information.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a drying operation of a laundry dryer including a drum in which laundry may be accommodated, a heater for heating air supplied into the drum, a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the air in the drum, a driving motor for driving rotation of the drum, and a pair of touch electrode sensors provided in the drum, outputting a pulse signal indicating a water content of the laundry when the pair of touch electrode sensors are contacted by the laundry in the drum, may include: receiving a drying start command; in response to receiving a drying start command, performing a first initial drying cycle; receiving a pulse signal output from the pair of touch electrode sensors while the first initial drying period is performed, and counting a first number of times the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value during each of a plurality of first time units in which the first initial drying period is performed; determining a first average value of a first number of times counted for a plurality of first time units performing a first initial drying period; comparing the first average value with a first threshold value; and determining a weight category of the laundry in the drum from among a plurality of weight categories of the laundry according to a result of comparing the first average value.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the laundry dryer may provide drying at an appropriate temperature and time matched to characteristics of each laundry even without user intervention, thereby enhancing user convenience. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the laundry dryer may automatically confirm characteristics of laundry put into a drum from an initial stage after a start of a drying cycle and provide optimal drying for the laundry based on the characteristics, thereby minimizing damage to the laundry and improving drying quality without wasting electric power.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the foregoing, and other effects not mentioned will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description. In other words, those of ordinary skill in the art may also obtain, from the embodiments of the present disclosure, unexpected results in practicing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a laundry dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view illustrating the laundry dryer 100 of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating an operation control function of the laundry dryer 100 of fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart schematically illustrating an overall process for drying laundry by the laundry dryer 100 under the control of the controller 220 of fig. 3 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of each piece of control information for an initial drying cycle for determining an optimal drying mode and a drying cycle performed accordingly after the optimal drying mode is determined according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart more specifically illustrating a process of weight category classification of laundry in step 408 of fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart more specifically illustrating a process of classifying the material class of the laundry in step 410 of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in a manner that will be readily practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in other various forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same or similar reference numbers may be used throughout the specification and the drawings to refer to the same or similar elements. Moreover, well-known functions and configurations are not described in the figures and associated description for clarity and conciseness.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an external appearance of a laundry dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view illustrating the laundry dryer 100 of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 1 and2, a laundry dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: the drum type washing machine includes a casing 110 forming an external appearance, a drum 120 rotatably provided in the casing 110 and configured to accommodate laundry, a drum driver 130 driving the drum 120 to rotate, a hot air flow path 140 generating hot air and supplying the hot air into the drum 120, and an exhaust flow path 150 guiding air discharged from the drum 120 to the outside of the casing 110.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the case 110 may have a substantially hexahedral shape, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the housing 110 may include a base plate 111, a front cover 112, a top cover 113, and side/rear covers 114. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the front cover 112 may include an opening 115 formed at the center. The door 116 may be rotatably mounted on the front cover 112 in a position corresponding to the opening 115. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the opening 115 may be opened or closed by opening and closing the door 116.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, an input part 117 for receiving a control input from a user and a display 118 for displaying a screen for guiding the user's input or various information related to the operation of the dryer 100 may be provided at an upper end of the front cover 112 of the housing 110. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 1, the input part 117 may include at least one of a shuttle or dial type input part 117a and a touch pad or key/button type input part 117b, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the display 118 may include various types of display panels (e.g., LCD, LED, OLED or QLEDs) and have a touch pad on a front surface thereof to be implemented as a touch screen, but the present disclosure is not limited to a particular type of display.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum 120 may have a cylindrical shape including an open front surface and a rear surface and disposed horizontally. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the front and rear surfaces of the drum 120 may be rotatably supported by the front and rear panels 121 and 122 fixed to the housing 110, respectively. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the opening portion 123 may be formed in the center of the front panel 121 at a position corresponding to the above-described opening 115 of the case 110. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the opening 115 of the case 110 and the opening portion 123 on the front panel 121 may be opened and closed together with the opening and closing of the door 116 described above. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, laundry may be put into the inside of the drum 120 when the opening 115 and the opening portion 123 are opened. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, on the rear panel 122 supporting the rear surface of the drum 120, a hot air inlet 124 may be formed, and hot drying air flows into the drum 120 through the hot air inlet 124.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum 120 may include a plurality of lifters 125 protruding on an inner circumferential surface, as shown in fig. 2. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the lifter 125 on the inner surface of the drum 120 may lift laundry while performing a drying process while the drum 120 rotates, thereby allowing a plurality of surfaces of the laundry to be uniformly dried.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum 120 may include a humidity detector 126 for detecting a dryness level of laundry contained therein. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 2, the drum 120 may include a humidity detector 126 at a front lower side (e.g., near the exhaust port 151), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the humidity detector 126 may be in contact with laundry inside the drum 120, and the moisture content of the laundry may be detected by the contact. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the humidity detector 126 may generate an electrical signal indicating the water content (i.e., the dryness level of the laundry contained in the drum 120). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the humidity detector 126 may include two electrode sensors spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval (in this case, the two electrode sensors may be strip-type touch electrode sensors, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, if the moisture content of laundry in contact with the two electrode sensors constituting the humidity detector 126 increases, current may flow more smoothly so that an electrical signal having a higher voltage or current value may be output from the humidity detector 126, whereas when the moisture content of laundry decreases, current flow is not smooth so that an electrical signal having a low voltage and current value may be output. As such, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the humidity detector 126 may output an electric pulse signal indicating a dryness level of laundry contained in the drum 120.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum 120 may include a temperature sensor 127 for detecting the temperature of air inside the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, as shown in fig. 2, a temperature sensor 127 may be provided at a rear lower side of the drum 120, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature sensor 127 may be disposed, for example, near the hot air inlet 124 through which the high temperature drying air flows into the drum 120, or in a predetermined position on the hot air flow path 140 described below, but the present disclosure is not limited to the temperature sensor 127 of a specific position.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum driver 130 may include a driving motor 131 disposed under the drum 120 within the housing 110, and a driving pulley 132 connected to the driving motor 131 and receiving power from the driving motor 131 to rotate. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum driver 130 may include a belt 133, and the belt 133 rotates the drum 120 while being rotated by the rotation of the driving pulley 132. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the belt 133 may be installed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the driving pulley 132 and the outer surface of the drum 120, and the drum 120 may rotate as the driving pulley 132 is driven to rotate by the driving motor 131. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the drum 120 may rotate clockwise and/or counterclockwise when the driving motor 131 is driven.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the hot air flow path 140 may include a heater 141 disposed under the drum 120 for heating the ambient air within the outer case 110, and a hot air duct 142 for guiding the hot air to the hot air inlet 124 such that the air heated by the heater 141 is introduced into the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2, the heater 141 may include two coil heaters H _big and H _small, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the heater 141 may include a gas combustion heating device instead of a coil heater, but the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the heaters H _big and H _small of the heater 141 may have different maximum output power capacities, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, heater H _big and heater H _small of heater 141 may have a power to capacity ratio of, for example, 7:3. For example, when the total power capacity is 5.3kW, the heater H _big may have a capacity of 70% of the total power capacity (i.e., about 3.7 kW), while the heater H _small may have a capacity of the remaining 30% (i.e., 1.6 kW), but the disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the heater 141 may have only one heater, or may include a plurality of heaters having the same output capacity. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the heater 141 may include a heater having an output capacity of various output ratios, but the present disclosure is not limited to a heater having an output capacity of a specific ratio. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the hot air duct 142 may connect the heater 141 with the above-described hot air inlet 124 on the rear panel 122 supporting the rear surface of the drum 120. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, air heated by the heater 141 may be introduced into the inside of the drum 120 through the hot air duct 142 and the hot air inlet 124.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the exhaust flow path 150 may include: an air outlet 151 formed on the lower side of the front panel 121 of the drum 120, a blower fan 152 guiding air from the inside of the drum 120 to circulate to the outside and provided in a lower region of the drum 120, and a blower fan case 153 for accommodating the blower fan 152. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 2, the blower 152 may be connected to the driving motor 131 for driving the drum 120 to rotate by the rotation of the driving motor 131, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a separate motor (not shown) may also be provided in the housing 110 to drive the blower 152. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the exhaust flow path 150 may include a front exhaust duct 154 connecting the exhaust port 151 and the fan housing 153. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, rotation of the blower 152 may generate air circulation, thereby generating air flow in a direction from the inside of the drum 120 toward the blower 152 through the exhaust port 151. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the exhaust flow path 150 may further include a rear exhaust duct 155 for communicating a downstream portion of the blower 152 to the outside of the rear cover 114 of the housing 110. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the exhaust flow path 150 may include a filter 156 disposed in the front exhaust duct 154. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the filter 156 may filter foreign matters (e.g., dust or lint derived from laundry inside the drum 120) contained in the air discharged from the inside of the drum 120 through the air outlet 151. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the air discharged from the inside of the drum 120 may also be provided at a position near the exhaust port 151 of the front exhaust duct 154, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating an operation control function of the laundry dryer 100 of fig. 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For convenience of description, the description with reference to the drawings may focus mainly on components necessary for understanding the operation control function according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, while omitting other functions. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 3, the laundry dryer 100 may include: an input part 117 receiving a user control command, a humidity detector 126 detecting a moisture content of laundry contained in the drum 120, a pulse measurer 210 comparing an electric pulse signal output from the humidity detector 126 with a threshold value to count the number of pulse signals exceeding the threshold value, a temperature sensor 127 measuring a temperature of air introduced into the inside of the drum 120 through the hot air inlet 124, a driving motor 131 driving rotation of the drum 120 and the blower 152, a heater 141 heating the air introduced into the drum 120 through the hot air inlet 124 on the hot air flow path 140, a controller 220 controlling an overall operation of each component of the laundry dryer 100, a memory 230 storing various information required to control the laundry dryer 100, and a display 118 displaying information related to an operation state of the laundry dryer 100.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the input section 117 may receive various inputs/commands from a user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input part 117 may receive a selection for the drying mode from the user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input part 117 may receive a selection for an optimal drying mode or a manual mode from a user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input part 117 may obtain selection information about a desired target drying level from a user. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input 117 may receive a selection of one desired level among five levels (e.g., wet, less dry, normal dry, relatively dry, and very dry (by way of example only, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto)) for a plurality of predetermined target dry levels from a user. For example, the five grades (wet, less dry, normally dry, relatively dry and very dry) described above may in turn indicate increasingly higher dry grades. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the input part 117 may receive a command to start and/or stop the drying operation from a user.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above with reference to fig. 1, the humidity detector 126 may contact the laundry within the drum 120 to output an electric pulse signal (e.g., a voltage or current pulse signal) according to the moisture content of the laundry. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above with reference to fig. 1, the humidity detector 126 may include two touch electrode sensors spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and when laundry in a wet state contacts the two touch electrode sensors, the two touch electrodes may be short-circuited by the laundry to output a predetermined electrical signal. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the higher the moisture content of the laundry contacting the humidity detector 126, the more smoothly the current flows, thereby outputting an electric pulse signal having a large voltage or current value. In contrast, the lower the moisture content of the laundry, the less fluent the flow of current, thereby outputting an electric pulse signal having a low voltage or current value.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may continuously receive the electric pulse signal output from the humidity detector 126. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may compare the electric pulse signal received from the humidity detector 126 with a predetermined threshold value, and count the number (the number of occurrences) of the electric pulse signal greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold value. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may count the number of electric pulse signals equal to or greater than the above-described predetermined threshold value per predetermined unit time (e.g., 1 minute).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature sensor 127 may detect the temperature of the air within the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature sensor 127 may be disposed at a lower position of the rear side of the drum 120 described above with reference to fig. 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature sensor may be disposed at a predetermined position on the hot air flow path 140 (e.g., near the hot air inlet 124 or near the heater 141). Meanwhile, in the drawings and the specification, it is only mentioned that the laundry dryer 100 includes the temperature sensor 127 for measuring the temperature of the air inside the drum 120, but according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the laundry dryer 100 may include the temperature sensor provided at a predetermined position on the exhaust flow path 150 and configured to measure the temperature of the humid air discharged from the inside of the drum 120.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving motor 131 may be rotated clockwise and/or counterclockwise according to a control signal from the controller 220 to be described below. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above in connection with fig. 1, the rotation of the driving motor 131 may rotate the drum 120 through the driving pulley 132 and the belt 133 of the drum driver 130. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving motor 131 may also be connected to the blower 152 to rotate the blower 152, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above with reference to fig. 1, the heater 141 may be disposed at a predetermined position on the hot air flow path 140 to heat the air supplied into the drum 120. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above with reference to fig. 1, the heater 141 may include two coil heaters H _big and H _small having different maximum output power capacities, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each of the heaters H _big and H _small of the heater 141 may be controlled to be turned on/off simultaneously or according to a control signal of the controller 220 described below. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature of the air supplied into the drum 120 may be controlled according to the on/off control of each heater H _big or H _small of the heater 141.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may receive various inputs or commands from a user received through the input part 117 from the input part 117 described above. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may receive target dryness level selection information of the user, for example, information about a dryness level selected by the user from among five levels of wet, less dry, normal dry, relatively dry, and very dry, from the input part 117. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may receive a drying operation start and/or stop command from a user through the input part 117.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may start an initial drying cycle for selecting an optimal drying mode when a drying start command is received through the input part 117. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may obtain information to be used during an initial drying period, such as operation control information related to the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141, various time information and threshold information for the initial drying period, and the like, from the memory 230. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may perform a process for selecting an optimal drying mode by controlling the operation of the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 based on the operation control information obtained from the memory 230.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pulse measurer 210 may count the number of electric pulse signals from the predetermined threshold value or more of the humidity detector 126 in each time unit (e.g., 1 minute) as described above while performing the initial drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may continuously obtain a pulse signal count per unit time from the pulse measurer 210 for a predetermined time (e.g., a first initial drying cycle time) while performing an initial drying cycle, and may classify or determine a weight category of laundry within the drum 120 based thereon. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may classify laundry into various weight categories, for example, a small load and a general load, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into more finely divided weight categories, but the present disclosure is not limited to the specific case.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, after classifying the weight categories of laundry in the drum 120, the controller 220 may continuously obtain the pulse signal count per unit time from the pulse measurer 210 at another predetermined time (e.g., the second initial drying cycle time), and may classify the material categories of laundry in the drum 120 based thereon. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may classify laundry into one of a plurality of material categories, for example, a fine fiber category (or a material category having a fast drying speed and a low moisture content), a synthetic fiber category (or a material category having a general drying speed and a general moisture content), and a cotton fiber category (or a material category having a slow drying speed and a high moisture content), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may classify the laundry into one of a greater or lesser number of material categories.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may determine an optimal drying mode for laundry according to the classified weight category and material category. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may retrieve and obtain various control information, such as information of a subsequent drying cycle performed according to the determined drying mode, such as operation control information related to the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 for each drying mode, and drying time determination information for each drying mode, from the memory 230. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may generate an operation control command of each component (e.g., the driving motor 131 and the heater 141) of the laundry dryer 100 based on the information retrieved and obtained from the memory 230, and may control the execution of a drying cycle optimal for laundry.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the memory 230 may store various types of information required to control the operation of the laundry dryer 100. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above, the memory 230 may store a plurality of pieces of control information, such as control information used while an initial drying period is performed after a drying start command is input from a user (e.g., operation control information related to the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 during the initial drying period, and various time information and threshold information for the initial drying period), control information used while a drying period is performed according to a drying mode after each drying mode is determined (e.g., operation control information related to the driving motor 131 and/or the heater 141 for each drying mode during the drying period after the drying mode is determined).

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the display 118 may display information related to the operation state of the laundry dryer 100. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, while the laundry dryer 100 performs the initial drying cycle for selecting the optimal drying mode under the control of the controller 220, the display 118 may display a progress state of the initial drying cycle, for example, an actual case in which the initial drying cycle is performed, weight category information determined when the weight category is determined, and expected remaining time information related to the initial drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the laundry dryer 100 performs the main drying cycle according to the selection of the optimal drying mode under the control of the controller 220, the display 118 may display the progress state of the main drying cycle, for example, a corresponding drying mode related to the drying cycle, an elapsed drying time, and expected remaining time information.

First, in step 402, the controller 220 may determine whether a drying grade selection command (e.g., one user target drying grade selected from five grades of wet, less dry, normal dry, relatively dry, and very dry) and a drying start command are obtained from the input part 117. When it is determined in step 402 that the drying level selection and the drying start command are received, the process may proceed to step 404. In step 404, the controller 220 may retrieve and obtain initial control information to be used during the execution of the initial drying cycle from the memory 230 in order to prepare for executing the initial drying cycle to classify the category (and determine the optimal drying mode) for each characteristic of the laundry. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the initial control information retrieved and obtained from the memory 230 may include, for example, allowable temperature range information (e.g., upper and lower limit temperatures) of the heater 141, information about heaters used by the heaters H _big and H _small of the heater 141, driving duration information of the driving motor 131, and/or various time information and threshold information.

In this regard, fig. 5 illustrates an example of each control information for an initial drying period for determining the optimal drying mode and a drying period (main drying period) which is correspondingly performed after the optimal drying mode is determined according to an embodiment. For example, in column 510 of fig. 5, an example of initial control information for an initial drying period for determining an optimal drying mode is shown. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in column 510 of fig. 5, during the initial drying period, the upper limit temperature of the heater 141 may be defined as temp1, and the lower limit temperature may be defined as temp2 (temp 1 > temp 2). As shown in column 510 of fig. 5, it may be defined that all of the heaters H _big and H _small of the heaters 141 are used during the initial drying cycle. As shown in column 510 of fig. 5, the driving state of the driving motor 131 during the initial drying period may be defined as fully On (Full On) (i.e., continuous driving). Each initial control information displayed in column 510 of fig. 5 is merely an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring back to fig. 4, in step 406, the controller 220 may control the operation of the driving motor 131 and the heater 141 based on the initial control information obtained in step 404 to start an initial drying cycle (and determine an optimal drying mode) for classifying laundry according to characteristics. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may control the on/off of the driving motor 131 according to initial control information (particularly initial driving time information for the driving motor 131) while performing an initial drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may control on/off of each of the heaters H _big and H _small of the heater 141 according to initial control information (i.e., allowable temperature range information) during an initial drying period. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, the controller 220 may continuously receive temperature information detected from the temperature sensor 127 during an initial drying cycle, and may control on/off of each heater H _big or H _small of the heater 141 according to a comparison between the temperature information received from the temperature sensor 127 and allowable temperature range information of the heater 141. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 127 reaches the upper limit temperature of the allowable temperature range, the controller 220 may turn off all or part of the heater 141. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 127 reaches the lower limit temperature of the allowable temperature range, the controller 220 may turn on all or part of the heater 141. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, during the initial drying period, the controller 220 may continuously obtain the number of pulses from the humidity detector 126 counted in each unit time (e.g., 1 minute) that is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value from the pulse measurer 210.

According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the initial drying cycle may include a first step (e.g., a first initial drying cycle) of classifying a weight category (e.g., a small load or a normal load) of laundry, and a second step (e.g., a second initial drying cycle) of classifying a material category (e.g., a fine fiber, a synthetic fiber, or a cotton fiber category). In step 408, weight category classification of laundry may be performed under the control of the controller 220. Fig. 6 shows in more detail the process of classifying the weight categories of the laundry in step 408.

Referring to fig. 6, the controller 220 may obtain an average number of pulses equal to or greater than a threshold value per time unit obtained from the pulse measurer 210 for a first predetermined time T1 (e.g., 5 minutes) after the initial drying cycle starts in step 602, and may compare the average value with a first reference value (e.g., 300) in step 604.

When the average number of pulses equal to or greater than the threshold value is less than the first reference value as a result of the comparison in step 604, the process proceeds to step 606, and the controller 220 may classify the laundry into a small load category. When the average number of pulses equal to or greater than the threshold value is equal to or greater than the first reference value as a result of the comparison in step 604, the process may proceed to step 608, and the controller 220 may classify the laundry into a general load category.

Returning to fig. 4, after the weight class classification of the laundry is performed in step 408, as described above, the process proceeds to step 410, and the material class classification of the laundry may be performed under the control of the controller 220. Fig. 7 shows the process of classifying the material class of the laundry in step 410 in more detail.

Referring to fig. 7, in step 702, the controller 220 may determine whether a termination condition of the initial drying cycle is reached. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for example, when laundry is a material having a very small amount and a very low water content, a considerable degree of drying may have been performed at the beginning of an initial drying cycle, and in this case, it may be determined whether a predetermined termination condition is reached in an initial stage of classification of a material category, so that the drying cycle may be terminated in advance. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the termination condition of the initial drying cycle may be predetermined for each drying level (e.g., one user selected target drying level selected from among wet, less dry, normal dry, relatively dry, and very dry) selected by the user (e.g., obtained in step 402). As described above, the number of pulses obtained from the pulse measurer 210 may indicate the dryness level of the laundry within the drum 120 (the smaller the number of pulses, the lower the water content of the laundry). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the termination condition of the initial drying cycle may be defined as obtaining less than a predetermined number of pulses from the pulse measurer 210 twice (or more) consecutively for each of the selected drying levels, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the termination condition of the initial drying cycle may be defined as, for example, obtaining pulses less than a (merely an example) times from the pulse measurer 210 twice in succession when the selected drying level is wet, or obtaining pulses less than b (merely an example) times, b being less than a, when the drying level is not too dry, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the termination condition of the initial drying cycle may be defined as, for example, when the selected drying level is normal dry, relatively dry or very dry, pulses less than c (less than b), less than d (less than c), or less than e (less than d), respectively, are obtained from the pulse measurer 210 twice consecutively (these are merely examples), but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the termination condition of the initial drying cycle defined for each target drying level may be stored in the memory 230, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

When it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is reached in step 702, the process proceeds to step 704, and the category of laundry is classified into a material category (e.g., fine fiber category) having a high drying speed. In step 702, when it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle has not been satisfied, the process may proceed to step 706. In step 706, the controller 220 may determine whether a second predetermined time T2 (e.g., 10 minutes) has elapsed for the total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts. In step 706, when it is determined that the total elapsed time after the start of the initial drying period has not elapsed the second predetermined time T2, the process may return to step 702 to again determine whether the condition for terminating the initial drying period is satisfied. In step 706, when it is determined that the total elapsed time has elapsed the second predetermined time T2, the process may proceed to step 708.

In step 708, the controller 220 may calculate an average number of pulses greater than or equal to a threshold value per unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 until a second predetermined time T2 elapses after the initial drying cycle starts. Then, in step 710, the controller may compare the difference between the average number of pulses equal to or greater than the threshold value per unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 in the first predetermined time T1 (e.g., five minutes) after the start of the initial drying period calculated in step 602 of fig. 6 and the average number of pulses equal to or greater than the threshold value per unit time obtained in the second predetermined time T2 (e.g., ten minutes) calculated in step 708 with the second reference value (e.g., 150).

When the calculated difference exceeds the second reference value as a result of the comparison in step 710, the process may proceed to step 704 to classify the material class of the laundry into a material class (e.g., fine fiber class) having a high drying speed. When it is determined that the difference calculated in step 710 does not exceed the second reference value, the process may proceed to step 712 to continue the process of classifying the material class of the laundry.

In step 712, the controller 220 may determine whether the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is reached again, as in step 702. When it is determined in step 712 that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle is reached, the process proceeds to step 714 to classify the material class of the laundry into a material class (e.g., synthetic fiber class) having a medium drying speed. In step 712, when it is determined that the termination condition of the initial drying cycle has not been satisfied, the process may proceed to step 716. In step 716, the controller 220 may determine whether a third predetermined time T3 (e.g., 15 minutes) has elapsed in total elapsed time after the initial drying cycle starts. In step 716, when it is determined that the total elapsed time after the start of the initial drying cycle has not elapsed the third predetermined time T3, the process may return to step 712 to again determine whether the condition for terminating the initial drying cycle is satisfied. In step 716, when it is determined that the total elapsed time has elapsed a third predetermined time T3, the process may proceed to step 718.

In step 718, the controller 220 may calculate an average number of pulses greater than or equal to a threshold value per unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 until a third predetermined time (e.g., 15 minutes) elapses after the initial drying cycle starts. Then, in step 720, the controller may compare the difference between the average number of pulses equal to or greater than the threshold value per unit time obtained from the pulse measurer 210 in the first predetermined time (e.g., five minutes) after the start of the initial drying period calculated in step 602 of fig. 6 and the average number of pulses obtained in the third predetermined time T3 calculated in step 718 with a third reference value (e.g., 100).

When the comparison result in step 720 is that the calculated difference exceeds the third reference value, the process may proceed to step 714 to classify the material class of the laundry into a material class (e.g., synthetic fiber class) having a medium drying speed. When it is determined that the difference calculated in step 720 does not exceed the third reference value, the process may proceed to step 722 to classify the material class of the laundry into a material class (e.g., cotton fiber class) having a slow drying speed.

As described above with reference to fig. 7, the process of steps 702 to 710 may be, for example, a process of determining whether the laundry belongs to a first material category (e.g., fine fiber category). Further, the process of steps 712 to 720 may be, for example, a process of determining whether the laundry belongs to the second material class (e.g., synthetic fiber class) (classified as the third material class (i.e., cotton fiber class) in the case that the laundry does not belong to the second material class (i.e., synthetic fiber class)). The processes of steps 702 to 710 and the processes of steps 712 to 720 differ only in terms of applied threshold time, reference value, etc., and are repeated in terms of operation. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as the number of material categories capable of classifying laundry increases, the similar process may be repeated more times.

Returning to fig. 4, after classifying the characteristic categories (weight and material) of the laundry through steps 408 and 410, the controller 220 may retrieve and obtain control information for the drying cycle of the laundry of the corresponding category from the memory 230 in step 412. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the control information of the drying cycle retrieved and obtained from the memory 230 may include allowable temperature range information (e.g., upper and lower limit temperatures) of the heater 141 applied during the drying cycle, heater information related to the heaters used by the heaters H _big and H _small of the heater 141, driving duration information of the driving motor 131, condition information for preliminary termination of the drying cycle, and/or various time information and threshold information.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the temperature inside the drum 120 may be controlled for each category to which laundry belongs. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the fine fiber class, the laundry may be damaged by heat, and thus the temperature within the drum 120 may be limited to a relatively low temperature range. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the cotton fiber class, the laundry is not easily damaged by heat and it is required to increase the drying speed, so the temperature in the drum 120 may be set to a relatively high temperature range. For example, when the laundry in the drum 120 belongs to the category of synthetic fibers, the temperature within the drum 120 may be limited to a relatively medium temperature range. Further, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the laundry belongs to the category of small-load fine fibers, only one heater H _big or H _small of the heaters of the heater 141 may be used to prevent the temperature from being sharply increased or the fibers from being damaged due to high heat. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the laundry belongs to the general load category, the risk of the abrupt temperature rise is reduced, and thus both the heater H _big having a high output capacity and the heater H _small having a low output capacity may be used. According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, when the laundry belongs to the small load category but belongs to the synthetic fiber category or the cotton fiber category, the risk of thermal damage is low, and thus both the heater H _big having a high output capacity and the heater H _small having a low output capacity may be used.

Meanwhile, in the case of laundry whose weight category is classified into a small load category, a portion of the laundry may be fixed in an intermediate space of the lifter without passing back and forth through the lifter during a drying cycle, and in the case of such laundry, a surface in contact with air may be dried, but even if dried for a long time, a surface in contact with a drum surface or a folded surface may be less dry until the drying cycle ends. Thus, according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, during a drying cycle for laundry of a small load category, the position and placement of the laundry during drying may be changed, and accordingly, the drum 120 may be controlled to repeatedly rotate and stop so that drying is uniformly performed on a plurality of surfaces. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drying cycle control information of the laundry of the small load category may include a predetermined driving on-duration and a predetermined driving off-duration as driving duration information of the driving motor 131, and the drum 120 may be repeatedly rotated and stopped according to driving control of the driving motor 131 based on the driving time information. In this regard, the present disclosure mainly describes the use of the constant speed motor to drive the rotation of the drum 120, and repeats the stopping and rotation of the constant speed motor and the drum to enhance the drying efficiency of the above-described laundry of the small load category, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a variable frequency motor may be employed to drive the rotation of the drum, and since the rotation direction and speed of the variable frequency motor may be changed, the rotation direction and speed of the motor and the drum may be changed, thereby enhancing the drying efficiency of laundry of a small load category.

Referring to fig. 5, columns 520 to 570 show various exemplary control information for a drying cycle of each category after category classification of laundry is performed. Specifically, in column 520, control information about a drying cycle of the laundry of the small-load fine fiber class is shown. As shown in column 520 of fig. 5, the upper limit temperature of the heater 141 may be defined as temp3, and the lower limit temperature may be defined as temp4 (temp 3 > temp 4). The upper limit temperature temp3 and the lower limit temperature temp4 defined herein may be lower than the upper limit temperature temp1 and the lower limit temperature temp2, respectively, as initial control information in the column 710. As shown in column 520 of fig. 5, unlike the initial control information of all the heaters H _big and H _small defined as using the heater 141 in column 510, only one heater H _big is defined in column 520 for the drying cycle after the category classification. Further, as shown in column 520 of fig. 5, td time on and Ts time off (Td > Ts) may be defined as the driving duration information of the driving motor 131.

In column 530 of fig. 5, control information related to a drying cycle of laundry of a small load synthetic fiber type is shown. As shown in column 530 of fig. 5, the upper limit temperature of the heater 141 may be defined as temp5, and the lower limit temperature may be defined as temp6 (temp 5 > temp 6). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper limit temperature temp5 and the lower limit temperature temp6 defined herein may be values lower than the upper limit temperature temp1 and the lower limit temperature temp2, respectively, as initial control information in the column 510, and may be values higher than the upper limit temperature temp3 and the lower limit temperature temp4, respectively, described above for the small-load fine fiber category. As shown in column 530 of fig. 5, all the heaters H _big and H _small using the heater 141 may be defined, and Td time on and Ts time off (Td > Ts) may be defined as driving time information of the driving motor 131.

In column 540 of fig. 5, control information about the drying cycle of the laundry of the small load cotton fiber class is shown. As shown in column 540 of fig. 5, the upper limit temperature of the heater 141 may be defined as temp7, and the lower limit temperature may be defined as temp8 (temp 7 > temp 8). According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the upper and lower limit temperatures temp7 and temp8, as defined herein, may be higher than temp3 and temp4 of column 520 or temp5 and temp6 of column 530, respectively. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, temp7 and temp8 may be lower values than temp1 and temp2 of column 510, respectively, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. As shown in column 540 of fig. 5, all the heaters H _big and H _small using the heater 141 may be defined, and Td time on and Ts time off (Td > Ts) may be defined as driving time information of the driving motor 131.

In column 550 of fig. 5, control information related to a drying cycle of laundry of a general load fine fiber type is shown. As shown in column 550 of fig. 5, the upper and lower limit temperatures of the heater 141 may be defined as temp3 and temp4, as in the case of column 520. Common to columns 520 and 550 is that they are both control information for the fine fiber class, but there is a difference in weight of the load between the two, however for the purpose of preventing thermal damage to the fine fibers, a relatively low allowable temperature range may be defined for both, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. As shown in column 550 of fig. 5, all the heaters H _big and H _small using the heater 141 may be defined, and full on (i.e., continuous driving) may be defined as driving time information of the driving motor 131, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In column 560 of fig. 5, control information related to a drying cycle of laundry of a general load synthetic fiber class is shown. As shown in column 560 of fig. 5, the upper and lower limit temperatures of the heater 141 may be defined as temp5 and temp6, as in the case of column 530. As shown in column 560 of fig. 5, all the heaters H _big and H _small using the heater 141 may be defined, and full on (i.e., continuous driving) may be defined as driving time information of the driving motor 131, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In column 570 of fig. 5, control information related to a drying cycle of laundry of a general load cotton fiber class is shown. As shown in column 570 of fig. 5, the upper and lower limit temperatures of the heater 141 may be defined as temp1 and temp2, respectively, as initial control information in column 510. Since laundry belonging to the general load cotton fiber category often takes a long time to dry, but the risk of thermal damage is low, it is possible to define an allowable temperature range as high as possible. As shown in column 570 of fig. 5, all the heaters H _big and H _small using the heater 141 may be defined, and full on (i.e., continuous driving) may be defined as driving time information of the driving motor 131, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Each of the control information available for the initial drying period and/or the main drying period shown in each column of fig. 5 is only an example, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

Referring back to fig. 4, in step 414, the controller 220 may perform a main drying cycle based on the drying cycle control information retrieved and obtained in step 412. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may continuously receive temperature information detected from the temperature sensor 127, and may continuously control on/off of each heater of the heaters 141 according to a comparison between the temperature information received from the temperature sensor 127 and temperature range (upper limit temperature and lower limit temperature) information related to the obtained control information, such as in the case of an initial drying cycle, even while a main drying cycle is performed after category classification. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may control the on/off of the driving motor 131 based on the obtained control information, even while the main drying cycle is performed after the category classification, as in the case of the initial drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may continuously obtain the number of pulses counted for each unit time (e.g., 1 minute) from the humidity detector 126 equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold from the pulse measurer 210, as in the case of an initial drying cycle, even while the drying cycle is performed after the category classification.

In step 416, the controller 220 may determine whether a preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is reached. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the condition for the preliminary termination of the drying cycle may be included in the control information retrieved and obtained in step 412, for example. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be defined that the number of pulses smaller than the predetermined number is obtained from, for example, the pulse measurer 210 twice (or more) consecutively, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Referring to columns 520 to 570 of fig. 5, it is defined that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is satisfied when pulses are not obtained from the pulse measurer 210 two or more times in succession. Here, the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle does not represent a condition of completely stopping the drying cycle, but may represent that when such a condition is satisfied, an appropriate additional drying time is determined in consideration of, for example, a target drying level selected later by a user and a category to which laundry belongs, and the drying cycle is further performed by the determined additional drying time, and then the drying is terminated.

If it is determined in step 416 that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is not satisfied, the process may return to step 414 and continue the drying cycle. When it is determined in step 416 that the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is satisfied, the process may proceed to step 418 to determine additional drying time and accordingly continue the drying cycle. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as described above, the controller 220 may determine the additional drying time according to a predetermined standard considering a target drying level selected by a user and a category to which laundry belongs. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target drying level selected by the user is a relatively low drying level (e.g., wet or not too dry), the controller 220 may determine that additional drying time is not required regardless of the laundry category in step 418, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the target drying level selected by the user is "normal dry", "relatively dry", or "very dry" of a higher drying level, it may be determined that it has progressively longer additional drying times in turn according to a predetermined criterion, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 220 may determine the additional drying time according to a predetermined criterion considering a target drying level selected by a user and a category to which laundry belongs, and a time when the preliminary termination condition of the drying cycle is satisfied (i.e., a time elapsed from the start of the drying cycle to a corresponding determination time) determined in step 416. According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, various methods for determining additional drying time suitable for each case may be considered, but the present disclosure is not limited to a specific type.

In step 420, the controller 220 may determine whether the additional drying time determined in step 418 has elapsed, and when it is determined that the additional drying time has elapsed, the controller 220 may proceed to step 422 to perform the cooling process for a predetermined time. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the cooling process is performed, the controller 220 may control the drum 120 and the blower 152 to continue to rotate even in a state where each of the heaters constituting the heater 141 is turned off, thereby discharging heat in the drum 120 to the outside. When it is determined in step 420 that the additional drying time has not elapsed, the process may return to step 418 and continue the drying cycle.

In the present disclosure, it is described that the weight categories of laundry are divided into two categories: small load and normal load, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the weight categories of laundry may be classified into a greater number of categories. In the disclosure, classification of material categories of laundry into three categories is described: fine fibers, synthetic fibers, and cotton fibers, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the material categories of laundry may be classified into more diverse and numerous categories.

In the present disclosure, the exhaust type laundry dryer is mainly described, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The present disclosure may also be applied to a condensing laundry dryer.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing some embodiments thereof only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as "a or B", "at least one of a and B", "at least one of a or B", "at least one of A, B or C", "A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C" may include all possible combinations of items listed together in the corresponding one of these phrases. As used herein, the term "and/or" should be understood to encompass any and all possible combinations of one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive of the presence of features, components, portions, or combinations thereof described herein, but use of the term does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, components, portions, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms "first" and "second" may modify various components regardless of importance and/or order and are used to distinguish one component from another without limitation.

As used herein, the term "configured to" may be used interchangeably with the terms "adapted to", "having … … capabilities", "designed to", "adapted to", "making … …" or "capable of … …", depending on the context. The term "configured to" does not essentially mean "specially designed in hardware". Rather, the term "configured to" may mean that one device is capable of performing an operation with another device or component. For example, a "device configured (or arranged) to perform A, B and C" may be a dedicated device for performing the corresponding operation or may represent a general-purpose device capable of performing various operations including the corresponding operation.

As used herein, the term "portion" or "module" may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "component" or "circuit"). A portion or module may be a single integrated component or a minimal unit or portion thereof adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, a "portion" or "module" may be implemented in the form of an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC).

According to various embodiments, each of the above-described components (e.g., modules or programs) may include a single entity or multiple entities. Some of the plurality of entities may be provided separately in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components in the same or similar manner as performed by a corresponding one of the plurality of components prior to integration. According to various embodiments, operations performed by a module, a program, or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

In the present disclosure, the foregoing description has been directed mainly to specific embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments, but rather should be understood to cover all various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. A clothes drying machine, comprising:

A drum, capable of containing the laundry;

a humidity detector for detecting a dryness level of the laundry in the drum; and

The controller is configured as:

while executing the first initial drying cycle, obtaining a dryness level of the laundry detected by the humidity detector,

determining a weight category of the laundry from a plurality of weight categories of the laundry based on the obtained dryness level,

obtaining control information based on the determined weight category, and

The main drying cycle is controlled and executed according to the obtained control information.

2. The clothes drying machine according to claim 1, wherein

The humidity detector includes a pair of touch electrode sensors in the drum, and

The pair of touch electrode sensors outputs a pulse signal indicating the moisture content of the clothes when contacted by the clothes in the drum.

3. The clothes drying machine according to claim 1, wherein

The humidity detector includes an electrode sensor for outputting a pulse signal indicating the moisture content of the laundry, and

The controller is also configured to:

During each of a plurality of time units of executing the first initial drying cycle, counting the number of times the pulse signal output from the electrode sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value,

determining an average value of the number of times counted for the plurality of time units for performing the first initial drying cycle,

determining whether the average value is less than a first threshold, and

Based on determining whether the average value is less than a first threshold, a weight category of the laundry is determined from among the plurality of weight categories.

4. The clothes drying machine according to claim 1, wherein

The controller is also configured to:

After determining the weight category, while executing the second initial drying cycle, obtaining a pulse signal output by the electrode sensor,

determining a material category of the clothing from a plurality of material categories based on the obtained pulse signal,

obtaining the control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category, and

The main drying cycle is controlled to be executed according to the obtained control information based on the determined weight category and the determined material category.

5. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, wherein

The controller is also configured to:

During each of a plurality of first time units of executing the first initial drying cycle, counting a first number of times that the pulse signal output from the electrode sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value,

determining a first average value of the first number of times counted for the plurality of first time units for performing the first initial drying cycle,

During each of a plurality of second time units of executing the second initial drying cycle, counting a second number of times that the pulse signal output from the electrode sensor is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value,

determining a second average of the first number of times counted and the second number of times counted for the plurality of first time units for performing the first initial drying cycle and the plurality of second time units for performing the second initial drying cycle, and

A material category of the laundry is determined from among the plurality of material categories based on whether a difference between the first average value and the second average value is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.

6. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

An input unit is used to receive a target dryness level selected by a user from among a plurality of dryness levels, wherein

The controller is also configured to:

During each of a plurality of time units of executing the second initial drying cycle, counting the number of times the pulse signal output from the electrode sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value,

while executing the second initial drying cycle, determining whether the counted number of times being less than or equal to a value corresponding to the target dryness level continuously occurs for a number greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times, wherein the value corresponding to the target dryness level is determined from among a plurality of predetermined values respectively corresponding to the plurality of dryness levels, and

When the counted number of times is less than or equal to the value corresponding to the target dryness level continuously occurs for more than or equal to a predetermined number of times, the second initial drying cycle is terminated, and a material category of the laundry is determined from among the plurality of material categories.

7. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

a heater for heating air supplied to the drum;

a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air in the drum; and

A driving motor is used to drive the rotation of the drum, wherein

The controller is also configured to:

obtaining an upper limit temperature, a lower limit temperature and a driving reference value of the driving motor for the first initial drying cycle and the second initial drying cycle; and

While executing the first initial drying cycle and the second initial drying cycle:

obtaining a measured temperature from the temperature sensor,

When the obtained temperature is greater than or equal to the upper limit temperature, the heater is controlled to be turned off,

When the obtained temperature is less than or equal to the lower limit temperature, controlling the heater to turn on, and

The driving motor is controlled according to the driving reference value to drive the rotation of the drum.

8. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

a heater for heating air supplied into the drum; and

a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air in the drum, and

A driving motor is used to drive the rotation of the drum, wherein

The obtained control information for the main drying cycle includes an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature corresponding to each of a plurality of combinations of a weight category in the plurality of weight categories and a material category in the plurality of material categories, respectively, and

The controller is further configured to:

obtaining the temperature from the temperature sensor,

comparing the obtained temperature with an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature for a combination of a plurality of combinations of the determined weight category and the determined material category,

controlling the heater to turn on or off according to the result of the temperature comparison, and

The driving motor is controlled to be turned on or off based on the driving-on duration or the driving-off duration of the driving motor.

9. The clothes drying machine according to claim 8, wherein

The multiple material categories include:

a first category having a first drying speed and a first moisture content, and

a second category having a second drying speed lower than the first drying speed and a second moisture content lower than the first moisture content, and

When the determined material category of the laundry is the second category, the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature of the obtained control information for the main drying cycle are respectively lower than the upper limit temperature and the lower limit temperature when the determined material category of the laundry is the first category.

10. The clothes drying machine according to claim 8, wherein

The heater further includes a first heater and a second heater, and

The obtained control information for the main drying cycle includes information on which of the first heater and the second heater is to be used during the main drying cycle.

11. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

A driving motor for driving the rotation of the drum,

The obtained control information for the main drying cycle includes: based on the determined weight category of the clothes, performing one of the following operations: repeatedly turning on and off the drive motor based on a predetermined time reference value, and continuously keeping the drive motor in an on state.

12. The clothes drying machine according to claim 4, further comprising:

The controller is also configured to:

While executing the main drying cycle, during each of a plurality of time units of executing the main drying cycle, counting the number of times that the pulse signal output from the electrode sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, and determining whether the counted number of times is less than or equal to the predetermined value occurs greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times;

When the counted number of times is less than or equal to the predetermined value and the counted number of times is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, an additional drying time is set based on at least one of the corresponding determined time, the determined weight category and the determined material category, and the target drying level, and

The main drying cycle is controlled to continue to execute the set additional drying time.

13. A method for controlling a drying operation of a clothes dryer, wherein the clothes dryer comprises a drum capable of accommodating clothes therein, a heater for heating air supplied into the drum, a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the air in the drum, a drive motor for driving the rotation of the drum, and a pair of touch electrode sensors provided in the drum, the pair of touch electrode sensors outputting a pulse signal indicating the moisture content of the clothes when contacted by the clothes in the drum,

The method comprises:

Receiving a drying start command from the outside;

In response to receiving the drying start command, executing a first initial drying cycle;

receiving the pulse signal output from the pair of touch electrode sensors while executing the first initial drying cycle, and counting a first number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value during each of a plurality of first time units of executing the first initial drying cycle;

determining a first average of first numbers counted for the plurality of first time units for performing the first initial drying cycle;

comparing the first average value to a first threshold; and

The weight category of the laundry is determined from a plurality of weight categories according to a result of comparing the first average value.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

executing a second initial drying cycle after executing the first initial drying cycle;

while executing the second initial drying cycle, receiving a pulse signal output from the pair of touch electrode sensors, and counting a second number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to the predetermined reference value during each of a plurality of second time units of executing the second initial drying cycle;

determining a second average of second numbers of times counted for the plurality of second time units for performing the second initial drying cycle;

comparing the difference between the first average value and the second average value to a second threshold value; and

The material category of the clothing is determined from a plurality of material categories according to a result of comparing the difference values.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a target dryness level selected by a user from among a plurality of dryness levels;

During each of a plurality of third time units in executing the main drying cycle, counting a third number of times that the pulse signal is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value;

determining whether the third counted number is less than or equal to the predetermined value occurs greater than or equal to a predetermined number of times;

Based on determining that the counted third number is less than or equal to the predetermined value occurs greater than or equal to the predetermined number of times, setting an additional drying time based on at least one of a corresponding determined time, a determined weight category and a determined material category, and the target dryness level; and

executing the additional drying time determined by the main drying cycle, and

After the main drying cycle of the determined additional drying time is completed, the heater is turned off and a cooling cycle is performed.