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EP-4741556-A1 - CLOTHING PROCESSING DEVICE

EP4741556A1EP 4741556 A1EP4741556 A1EP 4741556A1EP-4741556-A1

Abstract

Abstract: A clothing processing device is disclosed. The clothing processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a cabinet; a drum; a driving unit; a door, a door opening unit for moving the door to an open state; and a control unit for controlling the door opening unit. The control unit: controls the driving unit to rotate the drum so as to perform one of a plurality of processing courses for processing clothing; when a first course among the plurality of processing courses is completed, controls the door opening unit to move the door from the closed state to the open state; and when a second course different from the first course among the plurality of processing courses is completed, maintains the door in the closed state

Inventors

  • CHUNG, Sangin

Assignees

  • LG Electronics Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240710

Claims (15)

  1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising: a cabinet including a laundry inlet; a drum provided inside the cabinet and accommodating laundry input through the laundry inlet; a driving part connected to the drum and providing rotational force to the drum; a door provided movably in the cabinet and moved to correspond to one of a closed state in which the laundry inlet is closed and an open state in which the laundry inlet is open; a door opening part provided in the cabinet and configured to move the door from the closed state to the open state; and a controller provided inside the cabinet and configured to control the door opening part, wherein the controller is configured to perform one of a plurality of laundry treatment courses by controlling the driving part to rotate the drum, is configured to control the door opening part to move the door from the closed state to the open state, when a first course among the plurality of laundry treatment courses is completed, is configured maintain the door in the closed state, when a second course different from the first course among the plurality of laundry treatment courses is completed.
  2. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein according to whether operation of the door opening part for the first course is set by a user, the controller controls the door opening part to move the door to the open state after the first course is completed.
  3. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laundry treatment courses include a wash course for washing laundry and a dry course for drying laundry, and wherein the first course corresponds to the wash course, and the second course corresponds to the dry course.
  4. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of laundry treatment courses further include a wash and dry course for successively washing and drying laundry, and wherein the second course corresponds to the dry course or the wash and dry course.
  5. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein after one of the plurality of laundry treatment courses is completed, the controller selectively performs a care course for caring laundry processed by the one laundry treatment course, and wherein when the care course is performed after the first course, the controller performs the care course, while maintaining the door in the closed state after the first course is completed, and moves the door to the open state after the care course is completed.
  6. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein a plurality of care courses are stored in the controller, and wherein one of the plurality of care courses is available only after the first course, and another one is available after the first course or the second course is completed.
  7. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one of the plurality of care courses corresponds to a laundry care course including a rinse cycle for the laundry after the first course is completed.
  8. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the other one of the plurality of care courses corresponds to a wrinkle suppression course configured to suppress wrinkles of the laundry by rotating the drum after the first course or the second course is completed.
  9. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of care courses include a laundry care course including a rinse cycle for the laundry and a wrinkle suppression course suppressing wrinkles of the laundry by rotating the drum, and wherein when the care courses include both the laundry care course and the wrinkle suppression course, the controller performs the wrinkle suppression course after the laundry care course is completed.
  10. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output part provided in the cabinet and outputting a screen, wherein when the door is moved to the open state by the door opening part, the controller controls the output part to output an open message notifying a user of the open state, and when the door is maintained in the closed state, the controller controls the output part to output a recommendation message recommending that the user open the door.
  11. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an input part provided in the cabinet and generating an input signal by being manipulated by the user, wherein the output part outputs a settings object selected based on the input signal, and upon selection of the settings object, outputs a settings screen displaying a plurality of setting items, and wherein the plurality of setting items include a setting item for setting whether to operate the door opening part.
  12. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the setting item for setting whether to operate the door opening part is set by the input part, only when the first course among the plurality of processing courses is performed.
  13. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the door opening part is set to be inoperable for the first course, the output part outputs a message recommending the user to set the door opening part to an operable state.
  14. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output part provided in the cabinet and outputting a screen, wherein the output part outputs a message recommending a user to set the door opening part to an operable state, after the first course is completed.
  15. The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to perform one of a first mode in which the first course is available and a second mode in which the second course is available, and wherein upon selection of the setting item for setting whether to operate the door opening part, the output part outputs a message notifying the user that the door opening part is operable only in the first mode or that the door opening part is inoperable in the second mode.

Description

[Technical Field] The disclosure relates to a laundry treatment apparatus, and to a laundry treatment apparatus including a door opening part that moves a door from a closed state to an open state. [Background] A laundry treatment apparatus is a device that performs a laundry treatment process, such as removing contamination from laundry by putting clothing, bedding, and so on (hereinafter, referred to as laundry) into a drum. The laundry treatment apparatus may perform processes such as washing, rinsing, spinning, and drying laundry. Laundry treatment apparatuses may be classified into a top loader type and a front loader type depending on how laundry is into a drum. The laundry treatment apparatus may include a cabinet including a laundry inlet, a tub accommodated inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably mounted inside the tub and accommodating laundry input through the laundry inlet, a door movably provided on the cabinet and moving according to opening and closing of the laundry inlet, and a detergent supply supplying detergent into the drum. In the case where the laundry treatment apparatus is provided to wash laundry, when the drum is rotated by a motor while water and detergent are supplied to laundry contained in the drum, dirt on the laundry may be removed by friction between the drum and the washing water. The detergent supply is equipped with a detergent supply function to enhance the washing effect. Detergent refers to a substance that enhances the washing effect, such as fabric detergent, fabric softener, and fabric bleach. The detergent may be in a powder form or a liquid form. In the case where the laundry treatment apparatus is provided to dry laundry, the laundry treatment apparatus may remove moisture from the laundry by providing dry air to the laundry. The laundry treatment apparatus may be configured to include the cabinet, the drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet, and a heater for heating or drying air provided to laundry. As dry air is supplied to the laundry contained in the drum, moisture may be evaporated from the laundry by the dry air, thereby removing the moisture from the laundry. When the door is not opened after completion of a laundry treatment process such as washing or drying in the above laundry treatment apparatus, problems may occur, such as bad odor caused by bacterial growth in laundry after washing, and wrinkles in the laundry after drying. A relevant document KR 10-2022-0164591 discloses a laundry treatment apparatus including a door opening part. After a laundry treatment course is completed, the door opening part may move a door to the open state to prevent odor from laundry. However, when the door is automatically opened after drying, heated air in a drum leaks to the outside, which may cause safety issues or affect the temperature of external air. Therefore, it is preferable for safety as well as user convenience to disable an automatic door opening function after drying and recommend a user to open the door. In addition, even if the door is automatically opened, when the opening is not indicated to the user by a notification, the user may not recognize the completion of laundry treatment and thus leave the laundry in the laundry treatment apparatus for long. Moreover, when a care course for caring processed laundry is added after a laundry treatment course, the door opening part may need to maintain the door in the closed state, and output a message notifying opening of the door after a message notifying that the care course is in progress. As a consequence, a different care course may be performed for each laundry treatment course, and the user may clearly recognize an ongoing care course and then complete laundry treatment by checking whether the door is open. Accordingly, it is an important issue in the technical field of the disclosure to distinguish laundry treatment courses from each other, make different settings regarding whether to operate the door opening part for different laundry treatment courses, and output an appropriate message in consideration of whether the door opening part operates and the progress of an additional care course in the laundry treatment apparatus, which ensures the user's safety and increases satisfaction with laundry treatment. [Summary] [Technical Problem] Embodiments of the disclosure provide a safe laundry treatment apparatus by allowing a different setting regarding whether to operate a door opening part for each laundry treatment course. Embodiments of the disclosure provide a laundry treatment apparatus that increases satisfaction with laundry treatment by notifying a user whether a door has been opened after a laundry treatment course is completed. Embodiments of the disclosure provide a laundry treatment apparatus that increases satisfaction with laundry treatment by outputting a message notifying that a door has been opened by a door opening part after a course is completed. Embodiments of the disclosure provide a