Dryer and Method for Controlling Same

This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under 35 U.S.C. § 365 (c), of an International application No. PCT/KR2023/019797, filed on Dec. 4, 2023, which is based on and claims the benefit of a Korean patent application number 10-2023-0015194, filed on Feb. 3, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The disclosure relates to a dryer and a method for controlling the same. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a dryer and a method for controlling the same that may provide optimized drying specifications and save energy.

A dryer is a device that dries laundry by supplying hot air into a drum containing laundry, such as clothes, towels, blankets, and the like, while rotating the drum.

In general, a clothes dryer operates to dry an object to be dried based on a drying time and temperature according to an option selection of a user (e.g., standard course, shirt course, delicate fiber course, small load course, etc.) made before the start of a drying process.

Existing dryers dry an object to be dried based on a drying time and temperature set for the course selected by a user at the start of an initial process. As a result, more drying time and energy is used than required for an object with a relatively fast drying speed.

In addition, in utilizing weight detection values during a drying process, excessive drying time and energy may be used even in a case where an error in weight detection values according to a usage environment is not reflected.

The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide a dryer. The dryer and a method for controlling the same that may detect a weight and a moisture content of an object to be dried during a drying process and provide an optimized drying time and drying specifications, thereby performing an optimized drying process.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide a dryer and a method for controlling the same that may automatically maintain or change a drying course based on a user's drying history, thereby providing a drying process optimized for an object to be dried and improving energy efficiency.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a dryer is provided. The dryer includes a main body, a drum provided inside the main body, memory, comprising one or more storage media, storing instructions, drying process history information and a drying course according to a weight of an object to be dried, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the dryer to select a drying course of an object to be dried accommodated in the drum based on the drying course stored in the memory, perform the selected drying course, and maintain or change the drying course being performed based on the drying process history information.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure a method performed by a dryer including a main body, a drum provided inside the main body, memory and at least one processor is provided. The method includes selecting, by the dryer, a drying course of an object to be dried accommodated in the drum based on a drying course stored in the memory, performing, by the dryer, the selected drying course, and maintaining or changing, by the dryer, the drying course being performed based on drying process history information stored in the memory.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a dryer individually or collectively, cause the dryer to perform operations are provided. The operations include selecting, by the dryer, a drying course of an object to be dried accommodated in a drum of the dryer based on a drying course stored in memory, performing, by the dryer, the selected drying course, and maintaining or changing, by the dryer, the drying course being performed based on drying process history information stored in the memory.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

Embodiments described in the disclosure and configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples of the disclosure, and various modifications may replace the embodiments and the drawings of the disclosure at the time of filing of the application.

In addition, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

In addition, the terms used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. It will be understood that when the terms “includes”, “comprises”, “including”, and/or “comprising” are used in the disclosure, they specify the presence of the specified features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, figures, steps, operations, components, members, or combinations thereof.

In addition, it is to be understood that when a certain component is referred to as being “connected to,” or “coupled with,” another component, it means that the component may be connected to or coupled with the other component directly or indirectly via a third component.

In addition, although the terms “first”, “second”, etc. may be used to describe various components, the terms do not limit the corresponding components, but are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the technical spirit or essential features of the disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It should be appreciated that the blocks in each flowchart and combinations of the flowcharts may be performed by one or more computer programs which include instructions. The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device or the one or more computer programs may be divided with different portions stored in different multiple memory devices.

Any of the functions or operations described herein can be processed by one processor or a combination of processors. The one processor or the combination of processors is circuitry performing processing and includes circuitry like an application processor (AP, e.g. a central processing unit (CPU)), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a finger-print sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an IC, or the like.

Hereinafter, an operating principle and embodiments of the disclosure will now be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

is an external view illustrating a dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

is a side sectional view illustrating a dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring totogether, a dryeraccording to an embodiment includes a cabinetaccommodating components of the dryerand a drumrotatably installed in the cabinet. An object to be dried (hereinafter also referred to as “laundry”) may be accommodated in the drum.

The cabinetmay include a base plate, a front cover, a top cover, and a side/rear cover.

The front covermay be provided with an openingand the openingmay be opened and closed by a doorrotatably installed on the front cover. The drumprovided in a cylindrical shape with an open front may also be opened and closed by the door.

The front covermay be provided on an upper portion thereof with input portionsandfor receiving a user command, and a displayfor displaying various types of information related to the operation of the dryeror displaying a screen that guides user input.

The input portionsandmay be provided in the form of a jog shuttle or a dial such that the user may input a command by holding and turning, or pressing the input portionor may be provided in the form of a touch pad or button such that the user may input a command by touching or pressing the input portion

The displaymay be implemented by various display panels, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), an organic LED (OLED), a quantum dot LED (QLED), and the like, and may be implemented as a touch screen having a touch pad formed on a front side thereof.

A front framehaving a laundry inletmay be disposed on the front side of the drum, and laundry may be loaded into the drumthrough the laundry inletIn addition, the rear side of the drummay be closed by a rear frameprovided with an inletthrough which hot dry air is introduced.

The front framemay be provided with an outletthrough which air used to dry laundry is discharged, and a filterfor collecting foreign substances generated from the laundry may be installed in the outlet

In addition, at least one lifter may be formed in a protrusion manner on an inner wall of the drumto assist in tumbling of laundry.

The drummay be rotated by power provided from a drum motor. The drummay be connected to the drum motorby a belt, and the beltmay transmit power provided from the drum motorto the drum.

The drummay be disposed to allow the axis of rotation to be parallel to the ground, and the axis of rotation of the drummay be mounted on the rear frame.

As for methods of drying laundry by the dryer, a heater type is configured in a way to supply air heated by a heater to the inside of a drum to dry laundry, and a heat pump type is configured to remove moisture from laundry to dry the laundry. In the embodiment of the disclosure, a case in which the dryerdries laundry by a heat pump method will be described as an example.

In addition, as for methods of processing high-temperature and high-humidity air that has passed through the drum, an air-vent type is configured in a way to discharge high-temperature and high-humidity air to the outside of the dryer, and a condensing type is configured in a way to remove moisture from high-temperature and high-humidity air and then circulate the air back into the drum. In the embodiment of the disclosure, a case in which the dryeremploys a condensing method will be described as an example.

The dryermay include a fancirculating air inside the drum. The fanmay suction air from inside the drumand discharge the air through a duct. By the operation of the fan, air inside the drummay circulate between the drumand the duct.

A heat pumpmay be provided on the ductthrough which air inside the drummay circulate. The heat pumpmay include a compressor (not shown), a condenser, an evaporator, and an expander (not shown).

The compressor may compress a gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and discharge the compressed high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. For example, the compressor may compress the refrigerant through a reciprocating motion of a piston or a rotation motion of a rotary wheel. The discharged refrigerant is delivered to the condenser.

The condensermay condense the compressed gaseous refrigerant into a liquid while discharging heat to surroundings. The condensermay be provided on the duct, and the heat generated in the process of condensing the refrigerant may allow air to be heated. The heated air may be supplied to the drum. The liquid refrigerant condensed in the condensermay be delivered to an expander (not shown).

The expander may expand the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenserinto a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. Specifically, the expander may include a capillary tube and an electronic expansion valve, of which the opening degree may be varied by an electric signal, for adjusting the pressure of the liquid refrigerant.

The evaporatormay evaporate the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander. As a result, the evaporator may return the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the compressor.

The evaporatormay absorb heat from the surroundings through an evaporation process in which a low-pressure liquid refrigerant is converted into a gaseous refrigerant. The evaporatormay be provided on the ductso that air passing through the evaporatormay be cooled in the evaporation process.

The evaporatormay cause the ambient air to be cooled, and when the temperature of the ambient air becomes lower than the dew point, the air around the evaporatormay be condensed. The water condensed in the evaporatormay be collected by a water trap provided at a lower side of the evaporator. The water collected in the water trap may be moved to a separate storage or drained to the outside of the dryer.

Due to the condensation occurring around the evaporator, the absolute humidity of air passing through the evaporatormay be lowered. In other words, the amount of water vapor included in the air passing through the evaporatormay decrease. By using the condensation occurring around the evaporator, the dryermay reduce the amount of water vapor contained in the air inside the drumand dry laundry.