Laundry treating apparatus with heat pump and control method thereof

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus having a heat pump may include a drum, and a heat pump that cools air received from the drum and then heats the cooled air. A heater may heat air transmitted from the heat pump to the drum. A sensing device may sense a state of a heating medium, such as temperature or pressure, and a controller may control the heater based on the sensed state of the heating medium. Speed drying may be performed, energy efficiency may be increased, and durability of the heat pump may be enhanced.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus, comprising:
 a drum;   a heat pump circulating a heating medium, the heat pump including a compressor configured to compress the heating medium, a condenser configured to heat air to be supplied to the drum, an expander configured to expand the heating medium, and an evaporator configured to cool air received from the drum;   a heater configured to heat air transmitted from the heat pump to the drum;   a sensing device configured to sense at least one characteristic of the heating medium; and   a controller configured to control the heater based on the sensed characteristic of the heating medium.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the heating medium includes at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the heating medium. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a temperature and/or a pressure of the heating medium is greater than or equal to a predetermined numerical value. 
     
     
         4 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a current temperature variation of the heating medium corresponding to a current period of time is less than an initial temperature variation of the heating medium corresponding to an initial period of time by more than a predetermined numerical value, and/or
 wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a current pressure variation of the heating medium corresponding to a current period of time is less than an initial pressure variation of the heating medium corresponding to an initial period of time by more than a predetermined numerical value.   
     
     
         5 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a temperature difference between a currently sensed temperature and a previously sensed temperature of the heating medium is less than a predetermined numerical value, and/or
 wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a pressure difference between a currently sensed pressure and a previously sensed pressure of the heating medium is less than a predetermined numerical value.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a current temperature variation of the heating medium corresponding to a current period of time is less than a previous temperature variation of the heating medium corresponding to a previous period of time by more than a predetermined numerical value, and/or
 wherein the controller is configured to discontinue a supply of power to the heater when a current pressure variation of the heating medium corresponding to a current period is less than a previous pressure variation of the heating medium corresponding to a previous period of time by more than a predetermined numerical value.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the sensing device comprises at least one of a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the heating medium, and a pressure sensor configured to sense a pressure of the heating medium. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor is installed in a flow path of the heating medium between the compressor and the condenser. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the temperature sensor is installed adjacent to the compressor. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the temperature sensor is installed in a flow path of the heating medium within the condenser. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor is installed at an intermediate portion of the flow path of the heating medium within the condenser. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the pressure sensor is installed in at least one of a flow path of the heating medium between the compressor and the condenser, a flow path of the heating medium within the condenser, and a flow path of the heating medium between the condenser and an expander. 
     
     
         13 . A method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus having a heat pump and a heater, the method comprising:
 applying power to the heat pump and the heater to heat air, and supplying the heated air to a drum;   sensing at least one predetermined characteristic of a heating medium circulating in the heat pump; and   controlling power to the heater based on the sensed predetermined characteristic of the heating medium.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined characteristic of the heating medium includes at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the heating medium. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein controlling power to the heater based on the sensed predetermined characteristic of the heating medium comprises discontinuing a supply of power to the heater when a sensed temperature and/or a sensed pressure of the heating medium is greater than or equal to a predetermined numerical value. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein controlling power to the heater based on the sensed predetermined characteristic of the heating medium comprises discontinuing a supply of power to the heater when a current temperature variation corresponding to a current period of time is less than a previous temperature variation corresponding to a previous period of time by more than a predetermined numerical value. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a temperature of the heating medium comprises at least one of a temperature of the heating medium as it is discharged from a compressor of the heat pump or a temperature of the heating medium as it flows within a condenser of the heat pump. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein a pressure of the heating medium comprises at least one of pressure of the heating medium as it flows from the compressor of the heat pump to the condenser of the heat pump, pressure of the heating medium as it flows within the condenser, or pressure of the heating medium as it flows from the condenser to an expander of the heat pump.