CLOTHES CARE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

The disclosure includes a water supply tank configured to store water; a steam generator including a case for receiving the water from the water supply tank, a heater for heating the water in the case, and a water level sensor for sensing a water level in the case; a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case; an input configured to receive one steam course from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and a controller configured to control the water supplier so that water supply at the water level corresponding to the one steam course starts from a reference water level of the case and controls the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0090225, filed on Jul. 25, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a clothes care apparatus and a control method thereof for removing dust or odors attached to clothes.

2. Description of the Related Art

A clothes care apparatus is a device that performs clothes care, such as drying wet clothes, removing dust or odors attached to clothes, and reducing wrinkles of clothes.

The clothes care apparatus may include a heat exchange device that supplies hot air to a management room where clothes are accommodated to dry clothes, and may include a steam generator configured to perform a refresh function such as wrinkle removal, odor removal, static electricity removal, etc. of clothing.

At this time, the steam generator may include a case configured to receive water therein and a water level sensor separable from the case to sense a water level in the case.

A conventional steam generator stores an adequate amount of water in the case, and then heats all the stored water and uses some of the heated water to generate steam.

However, according to the conventional steam generator, there is a problem in that energy is generated because water is heated that is not required for steam generation.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an aspect of the disclosure to provide a clothes care apparatus and a control method for supplying and heating a minimum amount of water required for steam generation.

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

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a clothes care apparatus may include: a water supply tank configured to store water; a steam generator including a case for receiving the water from the water supply tank, a heater for heating the water in the case, and a water level sensor for sensing a water level in the case; a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case; an input configured to receive one steam course from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and a controller configured to control the water supplier so that water supply at the water level corresponding to the one steam course starts from a reference water level of the case and controls the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input.

The controller may detect that the water level of the case is the reference water level in which the water supply starts, and control a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course at the reference water level.

The controller may control the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

The clothes care apparatus may further include a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the steam course; and the controller may control the water supplier to supply the water for the stored driving time.

The clothes care apparatus may further include a steam injector for spraying steam generated in a steam generating device to a chamber; and the controller may control the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.

The controller may stop the steam jetting of the steam injector when it is detected that the water level of the case has reached the reference water level from the target water level.

The water level sensor may include a housing coupled to the case; and a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing; and the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode sensing a high water level and a second electrode sensing a low water level, and the first electrode may sense the reference water level at which the water supply starts, and the second electrode may sense a safety level.

The controller may detect that the water level of the case is the reference level through the first electrode, and control the driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course from the reference water level.

The controller may control the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

The clothes care apparatus may further include a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the steam course; and the controller may control the water supplier to supply the water during the stored driving time.

The clothes care apparatus may further include a steam injector for spraying steam generated in a steam generating device to a chamber; and the controller may control the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.

The controller may stop the steam jetting of the steam injector when it is detected that the water level of the case has reached the reference water level from the target water level.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a controlling method of a clothes care apparatus may include receiving one steam course among a plurality of steam courses from a user; detecting a water level in a case; controlling a water supplier such that water supply at the water level corresponding to the one steam course starts from a reference water level of the case when the one steam course is input; and controlling a heater to heat water in the case.

The detecting of the water level in the case may include detecting that the water level of the case is the reference water level in which the water supply starts, and the controlling the water supplier may include controlling a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course at the reference water level.

The controlling of the water supplier may include controlling the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

The controlling of the water supplier may include controlling the water supplier to supply the water during the driving time previously stored for each type of the steam course.

The method may further include controlling a steam injector to jet steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier

The controlling of the steam jetting of the steam injector may include stopping the steam jetting of the steam injector when it is detected that the water level of the case has reached the reference water level from the target water level.

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a clothes care apparatus may include a water supply tank configured to store water; a steam generator including a case for receiving the water from the water supply tank, a heater for heating the water in the case, and a water level sensor for sensing a water level in the case; a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case; a discharger for discharging the water of the case to the outside; an input configured to receive one steam course from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and a controller configured to control the discharger to discharge the water in the case to reach a reference water level, control the water supplier so that water supply at the water level corresponding to the one steam course starts from the reference water level of the case, and control the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input and the water level in the case exceeds the reference level at which the water supply starts.

The water level sensor may include a housing coupled to the case; and a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing; and wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode sensing a high water level, a second electrode sensing a low water level and a third electrode sensing a full water level, and the first electrode senses a safety level, the second electrode senses the safety level, and the third electrode senses that the reference level exceeds the water level.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, water that is not used for steam generation is not heated, and only a required amount of water is heated, thereby preventing energy waste.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the clothes care apparatus according to the embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the clothes care apparatus according to the embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a steam generator of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a steam generator of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a water level sensor of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method of controlling the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 9 is a table for determining a water supply time for each steam course.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification. Well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure one or more of the exemplar embodiments with unnecessary detail. Terms such as “unit,” “module,” “member,” and “block” may be embodied as hardware or software. According to embodiments, a plurality of “units,” “modules,” “members,” or “blocks” may be implemented as a single component or a single “unit,” “module,” “member,” or “block” may include a plurality of components.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” to another element, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other element, wherein the indirect connection includes “connection” via a wireless communication network.

Also, when a part “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there is a particular description contrary thereto, the part may further include other elements, not excluding the other elements.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, it should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element.

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.

An identification code is used for the convenience of the description but is not intended to illustrate the order of each step. Each of the steps may be implemented in an order different from the illustrated order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the clothes care apparatus according to the embodiment of the disclosure and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the clothes care apparatus according to the embodiment of the disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a clothes care apparatus 1 may include a body 10, a chamber 12a provided in the body 10 to receive clothes and perform clothes care, a door 20 configured to open and close the chamber 12a by being rotatably coupled to the body 10, and a hanger 30 provided inside the chamber 12a for hanging clothes.

Referring to FIG. 3, a machine room 11b may include a lower heat exchanger 60 constituting a refrigeration cycle. The lower heat exchanger 60 may include a compressor 61, heat exchangers 62 and 63, and an expansion valve (not shown). The heat exchangers 62 and 63 may include the condenser 62 and the evaporator 63.

The machine room 11b may include lower ducts 55 and 56 configured to guide air sucked by a lower fan 151, and a steam generating device 180 configured to generate steam. The lower fan 151 may be provided as a centrifugal fan that sucks air in the axial direction and discharges air radially outward, but is not limited thereto.

In addition, it is illustrated that the single lower fan 151 is provided, but it is not limited thereto, and a plurality of the lower fans may be provided according to the design.

The air flowing through the lower fan 151 may be dried through the lower heat exchanger 60, and thus the clothes placed in the chamber 12a may be supplied with dried air from under the chamber 12a. A description thereof will be described later.

The door 20 may be rotatably installed on one side of the front surface of the body 10. The door 20 is rotated to open and close the chamber 12a.

The door 20 may include an inputter 110 configured to allow a user to select an operation of the clothes care apparatus 1. The inputter 110 may be installed on the front surface of the door. The inputter 110 may include a button 110a configured to allow the user to select an operation of the clothes care apparatus 1 by being touched or pushed by the user, and a display 110b configured to display an operation status of the clothes care apparatus 1. Alternatively, without separation between the buttons and the display, the inputter 110 may be provided as the display configured to receive a touch input.

An inner frame 12 may include the chamber 12a having the front surface opened, an upper cover 12b forming a space, in which an upper blower 40 is included, above the chamber 12a, and a lower cover 12c extending downward from a front lower end of the chamber 12a and covering the front of the machine room 11b.

That is, the upper blower 40 may be positioned above the chamber 12a and behind the upper cover 12b. The upper blower 40 may include an upper motor 41 configured to generate a rotational force, a pair of upper fans 42 configured to be rotated by the upper motor 41, and a pair of fan cases 43 configured to include the pair of upper fans 42.

A shaft of the upper motor 41 protrudes toward opposite sides, and thus each of the upper fans 42 may be coupled to opposite ends of the shaft. With this structure, the pair of upper fans 42 may be rotated by the single upper motor 41.

The pair of upper fans 42 may be provided as a centrifugal fan that suctions air in the axial direction and discharges the air radially outward, but is not limited thereto.

It is illustrated that the pair of upper fans 42 is provided, but it is not limited thereto, and a plurality of the upper fans may be provided according to the design.

The pair of fan cases 43 is provided in such a way that an inlet (not shown) is provided on opposite lateral sides thereof and an outlet (not shown) is provided on the front side, and thus the pair of fan cases 43 guides air sucked from the opposite lateral sides, toward the front side.

A water supply tank 58 and a water drain tank 59 may be detachably installed on the lower cover 12c. The water supply tank 58 and the water drain tank 59 may be separated from the lower cover 12c, respectively. The water supply tank 58 and the water drain tank 59 may be coupled to the lower cover 12c, respectively. The water supply tank 58 may supply water to the steam generating device 180. The water drain tank 59 may store water that is condensed in such a way that humid air passes through the refrigeration cycle. The position of the water supply tank 58 and the water drain tank 59 may vary.

Referring to FIG. 3, a first inlet 12d configured to allow the air in the chamber 12a to flow into upper ducts 13 and 14 may be provided at the rear surface of the chamber 12a. A filter 12e configured to collect foreign matter such as dust may be provided on the front or rear of the first inlet 12d.

A first outlet 12f configured to discharge the air of the upper ducts 13 and 14 to the chamber 12a may be provided on the upper surface of the chamber 12a.

When the upper fan 42 rotates, the air inside the chamber 12a may flow into the first upper duct 13 through the first inlet 12d. Foreign matter such as fine dust may be removed by the filter 12e while the air in the chamber 12a flows into the first upper duct 13.

The air flowing into the first upper duct 13 may be moved upward along the first upper duct 13 and suctioned into the upper fan 42. The air discharged from the upper fan 42 may be moved along the second upper duct 14 and discharged into the chamber 12a through the first outlet 12f provided on the upper surface of the chamber 12a.

That is, a lower portion of the first upper duct 13 is connected to a lower rear portion of the chamber 12a, and an upper end of the first upper duct 13 is installed to cover the upper blower 40. The rear end of the second upper duct 14 is connected to the upper blower 40 and the front end of the second upper duct 14 is installed to cover the outer upper surface of the chamber 12a, thereby being connected to the first outlet 12f.

According to an embodiment, the first outlet 12f may include a first internal outlet (not shown) discharging air into the inside of the hanger 30, and a first external outlet (not shown) provided on opposite sides of the first internal outlet (not shown) and configured to discharge air toward the opposite sides of the clothes on the hanger 30.

It is illustrated that the single hanger 30 is provided, but it is not limited thereto, and a plurality of the hangers may be provided according to the design, which is provided to allow the clothes to be hanged inside of the chamber 12a. The first outlet 12f may include the first internal outlets configured to discharge air to the inside of the hangers, and the first external outlets provided among the first internal outlets and the opposite sides of the first internal outlets and configured to discharge air to opposite sides of the clothes on the hanger.

According to an embodiment, an upper heater 44 configured to heat air may be installed inside the second upper duct 14. The upper heater 44 may heat air. As air flowing by the upper fan 42 passes through the upper heater 44, hot air may be discharged into the chamber 12a through the first outlet 12f FIG. 3 illustrates only the upper heater 44, but the clothes care apparatus 1 may include a heat exchanger (not shown), which is provided to remove moisture in the air flowing by the upper fan 42 (not shown), instead of the upper heater 44. The heat exchanger may include a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator.

A second inlet 53, a second outlet 54 and a steam outlet 184 may be provided on the upper surface of the machine room 11b that is the lower surface of the chamber 12a. The second inlet 53 may be arranged on the lower front of the chamber 12a. The second outlet 54 and the steam outlet 184 may be arranged on the lower rear side of the chamber 12a. The arrangement of the second inlet 53, the second outlet 54 and the steam outlet 184 may vary.

The evaporator 63 and the condenser 62 of the lower heat exchanger 60 may be arranged inside the second lower duct 56. The evaporator 63 may absorb heat from the air of the second lower duct 56. The moisture in the air may be condensed by passing through the evaporator 63, and condensed water may be stored in the water drain tank 59 through a predetermined path.

The condenser 62 may be installed on the downstream side of the evaporator 63 in an air flow path. Air having lowered humidity by passing through the evaporator 63 is heated by passing through the condenser 62. After passing through the evaporator 63 and the condenser 62, a temperature of the air becomes higher and humidity of the air becomes lower. Hot and dry air may flow into the chamber 12a through the second outlet 54.

That is, by using the condenser 62 and the evaporator 63 arranged in the second lower duct 56, the lower heat exchanger 60 may remove moisture in the air flowing by the lower fan 151. Therefore, the hot and dry air may flow from the lower side of the chamber 12a into the inside of the chamber 12a.

As mentioned above, the air inside the chamber 12a may flow through the second inlet 53 and pass through the refrigeration cycle and then the air may be discharged through the second outlet 54. By using the process, it is possible to dehumidify the inside of the chamber 12a and to dry the clothes.

The machine room 11b may include the compressor 61 of the lower heat exchanger 60.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the compressor 61 may be an inverter compressor capable of changing the rotation speed or the compression capacity. The inverter compressor is capable of changing the compression capacity through the rotation speed control, thereby controlling heat output of the condenser 62.

In addition, the machine room 11b may include the steam generating device 180. According to an embodiment, the steam generating device 180 may generate steam to be supplied to the chamber 12a and remove creases of the clothes by supplying the generated steam to the chamber 12a.

The steam generating device 180 may include the water supply tank 58 for storing water and the water supply tank 58 may be removably installed through the lower cover 12c.

The steam generating device 180 includes a steam generator 181 generating steam by receiving water by being connected to the water supply tank 58, and a steam supply pipe 182 guiding the generated steam to a steam injector 140. The steam injector 140 may be arranged at the lower rear portion of the chamber 12a.

A heater (not shown) is installed inside the steam generator 181 to heat the water.

The steam generated in the steam generating device 180 moves to the steam injector 140 through the steam supply pipe 182 and may be supplied to the chamber 12a through the steam outlet 184. At this time, the steam outlet 184 may be disposed at the lower rear portion of the chamber 12a and above the second outlet 54.

Hereinafter, a steam generator 130 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, and a water level sensor 132 which is a configuration of the steam generator 130 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

The steam generator 130 may include a case 72 configured to store water therein and a heater 131 disposed inside the case 72 to heat the water stored in the case 72. The heated water is generated by steam, but may include various solutions capable of enhancing the steam function in addition to water.

The case 72 may receive water from the water supply container 58 through a hose 121. The case 72 may include a lower case 72b in which the water is accommodated and an upper case 72a detachably coupled with the upper portion of the lower case 72b. The case 72 may be formed to have a volume that can accommodate a certain amount of water therein. The case 72 may have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 131 may be installed at a position adjacent to the bottom surface of the case 72 or at the bottom surface of the case 72 to heat the water regardless of the height of the water level accommodated in the case 72. Therefore, the heater 131 can directly heat the water in the locked state when water is introduced into the case 72.

For example, the heater 131 may be a sheath heater that has high thermal efficiency and can heat water in a relatively short period of time or a coil heater that heats water stored inside the case 72 and outside the case 72. However, it is not limited thereto.

The water supplier 120 is connected to the hose 121 to supply water to the inside of the case 72. Here, the water supplier 120 may be a pump that moves the water inside the water supply tank 58 to the case 72 by a pressure action. However, it is not limited to this.

A discharger 150 is installed at the bottom of the case 72 to discharge the water accommodated inside the case 72. For example, the discharger 150 may be a device capable of discharging fluid to the outside by opening and closing, such as a solenoid valve.

A steam supply pipe 142 forms a space in which the steam generated by heating the water is supplied to the inside of the case 72 by the heater 131, and a steam injector 140 sprays the steam generated inside the chamber.

The steam generator 130 may be provided with a separate temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the water contained in the case 72, and a heater temperature sensor (not shown) such as a thermo-fuse may be installed in the heater 131 to prevent the heater 131 from being overheated and damaged.

The steam generator 130 may be installed with the water level sensor 132 for measuring the water level of the case 72. Here, the water level refers to the water level stored in the case 72. Since the case 72 has a certain accommodation space, the controller can grasp the amount of water supplied and stored in the case 72 based on the water level measured by the water level sensor 132. Consequently, the amount of water in the case 72 is determined according to the water level.

The water level sensor 132 may supply water when the water level stored in the case 72 is lower than a reference value, and it may be connected to the controller to stop the supply or discharge the stored water when the level of the water stored therein is higher than the reference value.

The water level sensor 132 may support an electrode part extending toward the bottom surface of the lower case 72b, and a housing 133 detachably coupled to the upper case 72a may be included.

The housing 133 may be fixed with a bolt or the like on the outside of the upper case 72a, and a socket portion 134 for electrical connection with the outside may be provided on the upper side of the housing 133. A connector (not shown) configured to be connected to the control unit of the clothes care apparatus of the electrode unit 134 may be inserted into the socket unit 134.

The electrode portion may be installed with an appropriate height from the bottom surface of the lower case 72b to sense the level of water stored or supplied inside the case 72. When water is supplied to the inside of the case 72, the electrode part is turned on due to the supply of water, and the control unit senses the water level inside the case 72. The electrode portion may be formed of a conductive material through which current can flow.

The electrode portion may include a plurality of electrodes. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the plurality of electrodes may include a first electrode 1321 sensing a high water level and a second electrode 1322 sensing a low water level.

The first electrode 1321 is positioned higher than the second electrode 1322 to sense a reference water level. Here, the reference water level refers to the water level before the case 72 receives additional water. When the water of the case 72 is increased from the reference water level to a target water level, the steam generator 130 heats only the amount of water corresponding to the target water level and sprays only as much water as the difference between the target water level and the reference water level with steam.

The first electrode 1321 is installed at a higher position than the second electrode 1322, and may be extended from the upper case 72a by a predetermined length. At this time, when the first electrode 1321 is installed in a position close to the upper case 72a, the first electrode 1321 can detect that the water inside the case 72 becomes full. Alternatively, when the first electrode 1321 is extended by a predetermined length from the upper case 72a (for example, when the length of the first electrode 1321 is more than half the length of the second electrode 1322), the first electrode 1321 may detect the reference water level before the water inside the case 72 reaches the full water level.

The second electrode 1322 is positioned lower than the first electrode 1321 to sense a safety level. Here, the water safety level refers to the minimum water level inside the case 72 required to protect the heater 131 installed in the case 72. The second electrode 1322 may include a pair of electrodes, and sense the safety level by sensing that the pair of electrodes is submerged in water and energized.

A third electrode 1323 is positioned higher than the second electrode 1322 to detect that the case reaches the full water level so that the water in the case does not overflow to the outside.

Meanwhile, the reference water level may be set by various standards. For example, the reference water level can be set with reference to the length of the electrode. For example, when the length of the first electrode 1321 is 5 cm and the length of the second electrode 1322 is 8 cm (here, the length of the electrode is based on the lower end of the housing 133), the reference water level may be set to a position separated by 4 cm from the bottom of the housing 133 or to a location exceeding the location so that the amount of water contained in the case 72 does not exceed half. However, the above-described example is only an example, and the reference water level may be set to various water levels by changing the volume of the case 72 and the length of the electrode.

Meanwhile, the components and operations of the components of the clothes care apparatus according to the disclosure have been described above. Hereinafter, various control operations will be described in detail based on the aforementioned components.

FIG. 7 is a control block diagram of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The inputter 110 receives the user's course command (one or more instructions) and allows a controller 200 to control at least one of the water supplier 120, the steam generator 130, and the steam injector 140 according to the received course command.

The controller 200 includes a memory 220 for storing programs, instructions, and data for controlling the operation of the clothes care apparatus 1, and a processor 210 generating a control signal for controlling the operation of the clothes care apparatus 1 based on the programs, instructions, and data stored in the memory 220. The processor 210 and the memory 220 may be implemented as separate chips or may be implemented as a single chip. Also, the controller 200 may include a plurality of the processors and a plurality of the memories.

The processor 210 is hardware, and may include logic circuits and operation circuits. The processor 210 may process data according to the program and/or instructions provided from the memory 220 and generate the control signal according to the processing result. For example, when the user inputs a command for selecting the course command by manipulating the inputter 110, the clothes care apparatus 1 may perform clothing management corresponding to the selected course command.

The memory 220 includes a volatile memory such as static random access memory (S-RAM) and dynamic random access memory (D-RAM) for temporarily storing data, and a non-volatile memory, such as Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) for storing data for a long period of time.

The memory 220 may store a table on a method of supplying water for each course instruction. Therefore, the memory 220 allows the user to select a water supply method corresponding to the course command by referring to the table in which the controller 200 is stored when the user selects an input for selecting the course command. FIG. 9 is an example of data related to the table stored in the memory 220. However, it is of course not limited to the table shown in FIG. 9, and the method of supplying water for each of the course commands may be changed according to various variables such as the volume of the case 72 or the performance of the water supplier 120.

The controller 200 controls the operation of the water supplier 120 according to the user's course command received by the inputter 110. Specifically, the controller 200 can control the water level of the water in the case 72 by controlling the driving time of the water supplier 120. In other words, the controller 200 can control the capacity of the water supplied to the case 72 based on the driving time of the water supplier 120.

The water supplier 120 may move the water stored in the water supply tank 58 to supply the water to the case 72 through the hose 121. For example, the water supply unit may be a pump that moves fluid through a pressure action, but is not limited thereto, and may correspond to various devices such as a solenoid valve that can move fluid. At this time, if the water supplier 120 is a solenoid valve, it is possible to control the amount of water supply by adjusting the opening and closing cycle of the valve.

For example, when the water supplier 120 is a pump, the water supply per second of the pump may be 0.067 liters. The controller 200 may determine the amount of water supplied to the case 72 by controlling the driving time of the pump based on the amount of water supplied per second of the pump. However, the above-mentioned water supply per second of the pump is only one example, and of course, the water supply per second may vary depending on the type of pump. At this time, the controller 200 sets a separate driving time suitable for the water supply per second.

According to an embodiment, the controller 200 may control the driving of the water supplier 120 such that the water level of the case 72 reaches the target water level corresponding to the course command transmitted from the inputter 110. Here, the driving of the water supplier 120 may be the driving time of the pump and the pumping intensity of the pump. Accordingly, the steam generator 130 may be supplied with the amount of water required for the user's course command prior to heating to generate steam.

Meanwhile, as described with reference to FIG. 6, the controller 200 may sense the water level through the water level sensor 132 including the plurality of electrodes. Specifically, among the plurality of electrodes, the first electrode 1321 detects a high water level inside the case 72 to detect the reference water level, the second electrode 1322 detects a low water level inside the case 72 to sense the safety level, and the third electrode 1323 prevents the overflow of water in the case 72 by sensing the water level inside the case 72.

According to an embodiment, the controller 200 detects that the water level of the case 72 is the reference water level, and may control the driving time of the water supplier 120 so that the water level of the case 72 reaches the target water level from the reference water level. Here, the controller 200 may detect that the water level inside the case 72 is the reference water level through the first electrode 1321. The amount of water inside the case 72 may be determined by the water level, and the controller 200 detects that it is the reference water level, by controlling the case 72 to be supplied with water for a predetermined driving time, the amount of water required for the course command is supplied, and let the water level of the case 72 reach the target water level. That is, the controller 200 causes the water supplier 120 to supply the water to the case 72 during the driving time.

According to an embodiment, the controller 200 may control the driving time of the water supplier 120 by referring to the table on the method of supplying water for each of the course commands stored in the memory 220. The controller 200 may control the amount of water supplied according to the driving time stored for each of the course commands, thereby providing the case 72 with the amount of water corresponding to the steam purpose.

According to an embodiment, the controller 200 may control the driving time of the water supplier 120 by referring to the table on the method of supplying water for each of the course commands stored in the memory 220. The controller 200 may control the amount of water supplied according to the driving time stored for each of the course commands, thereby providing the case 72 with the amount of water corresponding to the steam purpose.

According to an embodiment, the controller 200 determines that the water level of the case 72 has reached the target level after the driving time of the water supplier 120 has passed, and controls the heater 131 to be turned on. When the driving time of the water supplier 120 passes, the controller 200 may determine that the driving of the water supplier 120 is stopped, and that supply of water to the case 72 is stopped. In this case, since only the amount of water required for the steam stroke is accommodated inside the case 72, the heater 131 performs heating for generating steam from the time when the driving time of the water supplier 120 has passed, thereby achieving efficient energy consumption.

The clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment may further include the steam injector 140 that injects steam generated by the steam generator 130 into the chamber. At this time, the controller 200 controls the steam injector 140 to inject the steam generated from the amount of water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier 120. Since the steam injector 140 injects only the steam corresponding to the supplied amount of water, water of the reference level is left inside the case 72 again. At this time, in order to more accurately perform the control according to the present embodiment, the controller 200 may control to stop the steam injection of the steam injector 140 when it detects that the water level of the case 72 has reached the reference water level from the target water level.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method of controlling the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment. However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the object of the disclosure, and of course, some steps may be added or deleted as necessary.

When the controller 200 receives one steam course among a plurality of steam courses from the user (801), in order to heat the proper amount of water, the water level of the case 72 is sensed (802).

At this time, the controller 200 allows the supply of water if the water level of the case 72 is the reference water level (803), and the controller 200 controls the driving time of the pump so that the water level of the case 72 reaches the target water level from the reference water level (805). Specifically, the controller 200 determines the driving time of the water supplier 120, and controls the water supplier 120 to be turned on for the determined driving time.

The controller 200 determines that the water level of the case 72 has reached the target level after the driving time, and controls the heater to be turned on (806). The heater heats the water inside the case 72 to generate steam.

The controller 200 controls the steam injector to inject the steam generated from the supplied amount of water (807).

If the water level of the water in the case 72 is the reference water level (808), the controller 200 determines that all of the added amount of water is exhausted by the steam injection, and stops the steam injection of the steam injection unit (809).

On the other hand, when water is supplied in a state where the water level of the case 72 exceeds the reference water level, more than the necessary amount of water is heated and energy is wasted. Therefore, when the controller 200 detects that the water level of the case 72 exceeds the reference level (810), the water inside the case 72 is discharged so that the water level of the case 72 becomes the reference level. At this time, the water may be discharged through the discharger 150 provided in the case 72, or may be moved to the water supply tank through a countercurrent action of the hose 121 connected to the water supply tank. Here, when the controller 200 detects that the water level of the case 72 is the reference level, the controller 200 controls to stop the discharge and movement of the water.

On the other hand, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium for storing instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of a program code, and when executed by a processor, may generate a program module to perform the operations of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.

The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording media having stored thereon instructions which can be read by a computer. For example, there may be read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk, flash memory, an optical data storage device, and the like.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, water that is not used for steam generation is not heated, and only a required amount of water is heated, thereby preventing energy waste.

Although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A clothes care apparatus comprising:

a water supply tank configured to store water;

a steam generator including a case to receive the water from the water supply tank, a heater to heat the water in the case, and a water level sensor to sense a water level in the case;

a water supplier configured to supply the water stored in the water supply tank to the case;

an input configured to receive one steam course selected from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and

a controller configured to control the water supplier so that water supplied by the water supplier corresponding to the one steam course selected starts from a reference water level, and control the heater to heat the water in the case when the one steam course is input.

2. The clothes care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference water level at which the water supplied starts is the water level sensed in the case, and

the controller controls a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course from the reference water level.

3. The clothes care apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

4. The clothes care apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the plurality of steam courses, and

wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water during the stored driving time.

5. The clothes care apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a steam injector configured to spray steam generated in a steam generator to a chamber,

wherein the controller controls the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.

6. The clothes care apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller stops the steam jetting of the steam injector when the water level of the case is detected to have reached the reference water level from the target water level.

7. The clothes care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the water level sensor includes:

a housing coupleable to the case; and

a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing,

wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode sensing a high water level and a second electrode sensing a low water level, and wherein the first electrode senses the reference water level at which the water supply starts, and the second electrode senses a safety level.

8. The clothes care apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller detects that the water level of the case is the reference level through the first electrode, and controls the driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level corresponding to the one steam course from the reference water level.

9. The clothes care apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

10. The clothes care apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a memory configured to store the driving time of the water supplier for each type of the plurality of steam courses,

wherein the controller controls the water supplier to supply the water during the stored driving time.

11. The clothes care apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a steam injector configured to spray steam generated in a steam generator to a chamber; and wherein the controller controls the steam injector to jet the steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.

12. The clothes care apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller stops the steam jetting of the steam injector when the water level of the case is detected to have reached the reference water level from the target water level.

13. A method of controlling a clothes care apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving one steam course selected among a plurality of steam courses from a user;

detecting a water level in a case;

controlling a water supplier such that water supplied by the water supplier corresponding to the one steam course selected starts from a reference water level when the one steam course is input; and

controlling a heater to heat the water in the case.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the detecting of the water level in the case includes detecting that the water level of the case is the reference water level at which the water supply starts, and

the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling a driving time of the water supplier so that the water level of the case reaches a target water level from the reference water level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling the water supplier to supply the water to the case during the driving time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling of the water supplier includes controlling the water supplier to supply the water during the driving time previously stored for a type of the steam course.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling a steam injector to jet steam generated from the water supplied during the driving time of the water supplier.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling of the steam jetting of the steam injector includes stopping the steam jetting of the steam injector when it is detected that the water level of the case has reached the reference water level from the target water level.

19. A clothes care apparatus comprising:

a water supply tank configured to store water;

a steam generator including a case to receive the water from the water supply tank, a heater to heat the water in the case, and a water level sensor to sense a water level in the case;

a water supplier configured to move the water stored in the water supply tank to the case;

a discharger configured to discharge the water of the case to an outside;

an input configured to receive one steam course selected from among a plurality of steam courses from a user; and

a controller configured to: control the discharger, when the one steam course is input and the water level in the case exceeds a reference level at which water supply starts, to discharge the water in the case to reach the reference water level, control the water supplier so that water supplied by the water supplier corresponds to the one steam course selected, and control the heater to heat the water in the case.

20. The clothes care apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the water level sensor includes:

a housing coupleable to the case; and

a plurality of electrodes supported by the housing,

wherein the plurality of electrodes includes a first electrode sensing a high water level, a second electrode sensing a low water level, and a third electrode sensing a full water level, and the first electrode senses a reference water level at which water supply starts, the second electrode senses the safety water level, and the third electrode senses the reference level being exceeded.