US-20260126229-A1 - SHOE CARE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

US20260126229A1US 20260126229 A1US20260126229 A1US 20260126229A1US-20260126229-A1

Abstract

A shoe care apparatus includes a chamber for accommodating shoes; a heat pump device including a condenser for heating air to be supplied to the chamber, and a compressor for discharging a coolant to the condenser; a fan for supplying the heated air to the chamber; a temperature sensor for acquiring the temperature of the air to be supplied to the chamber; and a controller. The controller performs a synchronous operation mode controlling the compressor and the fan to operate together, based on receipt of a signal from the temperature sensor, and performs an asynchronous operation mode in which the fan is operated without operating the compressor in response to a predetermined time period having elapsed after the stop of the operation of the compressor.

Inventors

Minsoo Kim
Joongwon NA
Heemoon JEONG
Kookjeong SEO

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251231
Priority Date: 20210602

Claims (16)

1 . A shoe care apparatus, comprising: a chamber configured to accommodate shoes; a heater configured to heat air supplied to the chamber; a fan configured to supply the heated air to the chamber; a temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature of the air supplied to the chamber; and a controller configured to periodically perform a cycle, the cycle comprising, in sequence: controlling the fan to operate, based on a predetermined first time period having elapsed after the fan starts operating, controlling the heater to operate, based on a determination that the temperature of the air is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined target temperature, controlling the heater to stop operating, based on a predetermined second time period having elapsed after the heater stops operating, controlling the fan to stop operating, in a state in which the heater and the fan have stopped operating, based on a predetermined third time period having elapsed after the heater stops operating, controlling the fan to operate without operating the heater, and based on a determination that the temperature of the air is substantially equal to or less than a predetermined minimum temperature, controlling the heater to operate.
2 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined first time period is substantially equal to the predetermined second time period.
3 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined second time period is shorter than the predetermined third time period.
4 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined first time period is different from the predetermined second time period, and wherein the predetermined second time period is shorter than the predetermined third time period.
5 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined first time period is substantially equal to the predetermined second time period, and wherein the predetermined second time period is shorter than the predetermined third time period.
6 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a control input device configured to receive a shoe care course input from a user for selecting a shoe care course among a plurality of shoe care courses, the input corresponding to an operation time based on the selected shoe care course, wherein the controller is further configured to execute the shoe care course by periodically performing the cycle according to the operation time, in response to receipt of the shoe care course input.
7 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to complete execution of the shoe care course after controlling the fan to operate without operating the heater for a duration of a predetermined fourth time period, and wherein the predetermined fourth time period is shorter than the predetermined third time period.
8 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a deodorizer configured to remove an odor from air discharged from the chamber, wherein the controller is further configured to control the deodorizer to operate in response to controlling the fan to operate without operating the heater.
9 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the deodorizer comprises a light source configured to emit ultraviolet light.
10 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sterilizer configured to sterilize air discharged from the chamber, wherein the controller is further configured to control the sterilizer to operate in response to controlling the fan to operate without operating the heater.
11 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the sterilizer comprises a xenon lamp.
12 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a holder detachably mounted on the chamber, wherein the heated air is supplied to the chamber via the holder.
13 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the holder comprises: a support body, at least one support frame protruding from the support body and configured to hold a shoe, a coupler configured to connect to an air inlet of the chamber and to guide the heated air from the air inlet to the at least one support frame through the support body, and at least one nozzle formed on a bottom surface of the at least one support frame and configured to supply the heated air to the chamber.
14 . A shoe care apparatus, comprising: a chamber configured to accommodate shoes; a heat pump device comprising a compressor, an evaporator, and a condenser; a fan configured to supply air, heated by the condenser, to the chamber; an air temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the air supplied to the chamber; a refrigerant temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of a refrigerant supplied to the evaporator; and a controller configured to periodically perform a cycle, the cycle comprising, in sequence: controlling the fan to operate, based on a predetermined first time period having elapsed after the fan starts operating, controlling the compressor to operate, based on a determination that the temperature of the air is substantially equal to or greater than a predetermined target temperature, controlling the compressor to stop operating, based on a predetermined second time period having elapsed after a the compressor stops operating, controlling the fan to stop operating, in a state in which the compressor and the fan have stopped operating, based on a determination that the temperature of the refrigerant is substantially equal to or less than a predetermined reference temperature, controlling the fan to operate without operating the compressor for a predetermined third time period, and based on a determination that the temperature of the air is substantially equal to or less than a predetermined minimum temperature, controlling the compressor to operate.
15 . A shoe care apparatus, comprising: a chamber configured to accommodate shoes; a heater configured to heat air supplied to the chamber; a fan configured to supply the heated air to the chamber; an air temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the air supplied to the chamber; and a controller configured to: receive an air temperature signal from the air temperature sensor indicating a current air temperature measurement value; and periodically perform a cycle, the cycle comprising, in sequence: controlling the fan to operate, controlling the heater to operate after the fan begins operating, based on a comparison of the current air temperature measurement value and a predetermined target temperature value, controlling the heater to stop operating, based on a predetermined second time period having elapsed after the heater stops operating, controlling the fan to stop operating, in a state in which the heater and the fan have stopped operating, based on a predetermined time period having elapsed after the heater stops operating, controlling the fan to operate without operating the heater, and based on a comparison of the current air temperature measurement value and a predetermined minimum temperature value, controlling the heater to operate.
16 . The shoe care apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a refrigerant temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of refrigerant supplied to the evaporator, wherein the controller is further configured to: receive a refrigerant temperature signal from a refrigerant temperature sensor indicating a current refrigerant temperature measurement value, and based on a comparison of the current refrigerant temperature measurement value and a predetermined reference temperature value, control the heater to stop operating and control the fan to operate without operating the heater.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application a continuation of U.S. application No. Ser. No. 18/372,464, filed Sep. 25, 2023, which is a bypass continuation application of International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2022/007461, filed on May 26, 2022, which is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0071780, filed on Jun. 2, 2021 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a shoe care apparatus capable of maintaining a constant temperature of air supplied into a chamber. 2. Description of Related Art Clothes treating apparatuses use a heat pump cycle to keep the air in the chamber circulating while performing functions such as drying and deodorizing clothes. Recently, in addition to such clothes treating apparatuses, shoe care apparatuses using a heat pump cycle have been developed. A shoe care apparatus is equipped with a sterilizer and a deodorizer as well as a drying function, thereby simultaneously dehumidifying, deodorizing, and sterilizing shoes which are more vulnerable to hygiene than clothing. SUMMARY In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a shoe care apparatus includes a chamber configured to accommodate shoes; a heat pump device including a condenser configured to heat air supplied to the chamber and a compressor configured to discharge a refrigerant to the condenser; a fan configured to supply the heated air to the chamber; a temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature of the air supplied to the chamber; and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a synchronous operation mode for controlling the compressor and the fan to operate together, based on receipt of a first signal from the temperature sensor, by controlling the fan to operate, controlling the compressor to operate in response to a predetermined first time period having elapsed after a start of operation of the fan, and controlling the compressor to stop operating based on receipt of a second signal from the temperature sensor; after performing the synchronous operation mode, control the fan to stop operating in response to a predetermined second time period having elapsed after a stop of an operation of the compressor; and perform an asynchronous operation mode for controlling the fan to operate without operating the compressor, by controlling the fan to operate in response to a predetermined third time period having elapsed after the stop of the operation of the compressor. The predetermined first time period may be substantially equal to the predetermined second time period. The second time period may be shorter than the predetermined third time period. The controller may be further configured to resume the synchronous operation mode based on receipt of the first signal from the temperature sensor while the asynchronous operation mode is performed. The predetermined first time period may be different from the predetermined second time period, and the predetermined second time period may be shorter than the predetermined third time period. The predetermined first time period may be substantially equal to the predetermined second time period, and the predetermined second time period may be shorter than the predetermined third time period. The shoe care apparatus may further include an control input device configured to receive a shoe care course input from a user for setting a shoe care course. The controller may be further configured to execute the shoe care course by performing each of the synchronous operation mode and the asynchronous operation mode, in response to receipt of the shoe care course input. The controller may be configured to complete execution of the shoe care course after performing the asynchronous operation mode for a duration of a predetermined fourth time period. The predetermined fourth time period may be shorter than the predetermined third time period. The shoe care apparatus may further include a deodorizer configured to remove an odor from air discharged from the chamber. The controller may be further configured to control the deodorizer to operate in response to performance of the asynchronous operation mode. The deodorizer may include a light source configured to emit ultraviolet light. The shoe care apparatus may further include a sterilizer configured to sterilize air discharged from the chamber. The controller may be further configured to control the sterilizer to operate in response to performance of the asynchronous operation mode. The sterilizer may include a xenon lamp. The shoe care apparatus may further include a holder detachably mounted on the chamber. The heated air may be supplied to the chamber via the holder. The holder may include a support body, at least one support frame protruding from the support body and configured to hold a shoe, a coupler configured to conne