Laundry Treating Apparatus and Control Method Thereof

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus capable of washing and drying laundry and a control method therefore are disclosed. The laundry treating apparatus includes a first laundry treating device ( 100 ) configured to process laundry based on preset operating conditions, a second laundry treating device ( 200 ) installed adjacent to the first laundry treating device ( 100 ) and configured to process laundry based on preset operating conditions independently of the first laundry treating device ( 100 ), first and second heaters installed respectively in the first ( 100 ) and second ( 200 ) laundry treating devices, and a control device to determine the order of priority upon operations of the first and second heaters in consideration of the preset operating conditions and to selectively operate only any one of the first and second heaters after operating the determined heater first.

1 . A control method of a laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 putting laundry to be processed into a first laundry treating device and a second laundry treating device installed adjacent to the first laundry treating device respectively;   instructing the first and second laundry treating devices to operate;   determining a heater to be operated first in a first heater installed in the first laundry treating device and a second heater installed in the second laundry treating device in consideration of preset operating conditions; and   selectively operating only any one of the first and second heaters after the determined heater is operated first.   
     
     
         2 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the instruction step includes instructing the first and second laundry treating devices to operate simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the instruction step includes:
 instructing any one of the first and second laundry treating devices to operate first; and   instructing the other one of the first and second laundry treating devices to operate after a predetermined time passes.   
     
     
         4 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein the determination step includes:
 comparing preset operating conditions of the first laundry treating device with preset operating conditions of the second laundry treating device; and   selecting one of the first and second heaters to be operated first based on the result of comparison.   
     
     
         5 . The control method according to  claim 4 , wherein the comparison step includes comparing the quantities of laundry to be processed, preset operating times, or preset operating courses of the first and second laundry treating devices, or required wattages or target heating temperatures of the first and second heaters with each other. 
     
     
         6 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein, when a user sets detailed operating conditions of only any one of the first and second laundry treating devices, the determination step determines that the heater of the corresponding laundry treating device will be operated first. 
     
     
         7 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein, when an operating time of any one of the first and second laundry treating devices is shorter than an operating time of the other one of the first and second laundry treating devices, the determination step determines that the heater of the laundry treating device having the shorter operating time will be operated first. 
     
     
         8 . The control method according to  claim 1 , wherein, when a user previously determines an operating sequence of the first and second laundry treating devices, the determination step determines an operating sequence of the heaters based on the previously determined operating sequence of the laundry treating devices. 
     
     
         9 . The control method according to  claim 2 , wherein the operation step includes:
 continuously operating any one of the first and second heaters that is determined in the determination step until an object to be heated is heated to a preset temperature; and   operating the other one of the first and second heaters until an object to be heated is heated to a preset temperature after the operation of the determined heater.   
     
     
         10 . The control method according to  claim 2 , wherein the operation step includes alternately operating the first and second heaters for predetermined times respectively until corresponding objects to be heated are heated to preset temperatures,
 wherein the heater determined in the determination step initiates an operation first.   
     
     
         11 . The control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the operation step includes:
 stopping the operation of the heater when the operated heater is not the one determined in the determination step; and   operating the determined heater in the first and second heaters.   
     
     
         12 . The control method according to  claim 11 , wherein the operation step includes alternately operating the first and second heaters for predetermined times respectively until corresponding heating objects are heated to preset temperatures after the operation of the determined heater. 
     
     
         13 . The control method according to  claim 3 , wherein the operation step includes continuously operating the heater when the operated heater is one of the first and second heaters determined in the determination step. 
     
     
         14 . The control method according to  claim 13 , wherein the operation step includes:
 continuously operating the determined heater first until a corresponding object to be heated is heated to a preset temperature; and   operating the other one of the first and second heaters until a corresponding object to be heated is heated to a preset temperature after the operation of the determined heater.   
     
     
         15 . The control method according to  claim 13 , wherein the operation step includes alternately operating the first and second heaters for predetermined times respectively until corresponding objects to be heated are heated to preset temperatures after the operation of the determined heater. 
     
     
         16 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a first laundry treating device configured to process laundry based on preset operating conditions;   a second laundry treating device installed adjacent to the first laundry treating device and configured to process laundry based on preset operating conditions independently of the first laundry treating device;   first and second heaters installed respectively in the first and second laundry treating devices; and   a control device to determine the heater to be operated first in the first and second heaters in consideration of the preset operating conditions and to selectively operate only any one of the first and second heaters after operating the determined heater first.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein any one of the first and second laundry treating devices is any one of a washing machine, a drying machine, and a washing machine having a drying function. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second laundry treating devices are arranged in parallel to each other, or are vertically stacked one above another. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein any one of the first and second heaters heats wash water to a preset temperature, or heats drying air to a preset temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the control device compares the preset operating conditions of the first laundry treating device with the preset operating conditions of the second laundry treating device, and selects one of the first and second heaters to be operated first based on the result of comparison. 
     
     
         21 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the control device compares the quantities of laundry to be processed, preset operating times, or preset operating courses of the first and second laundry treating devices, or required wattages or target heating temperatures of the first and second heaters with each other. 
     
     
         22 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein, when a user sets detailed operating conditions of only any one of the first and second laundry treating devices, the control device operates first the set heater of the corresponding laundry treating device. 
     
     
         23 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein, when an operating time of any one of the first and second laundry treating devices is shorter than an operating time of the other one of the first and second laundry treating devices, the control device operates first the heater of the laundry treating device having the shorter operating time. 
     
     
         24 . The laundry treating apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein, when a user previously instructs an operating sequence of the first and second laundry treating devices, the control device determines an operating sequence of the heaters based on the previously instructed operating sequence of the laundry treating devices.