Laundry treating apparatus and control method for the same

Abstract

A laundry treating apparatus (clothing processing apparatus) and a control method for the same are disclosed, and the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a cabinet; a tub: a drum; and a control unit provided to control rotation of the drum and perform a spin-drying cycle of clothes, wherein: the spin-drying cycle includes a first spin-drying cycle and a second spin-drying cycle; in the first spin-drying cycle, the rpm of the drum decreases immediately after increasing up to a peak rpm set in the control unit, so as to perform a peak motion of the drum; and in the second spin-drying cycle, the rpm of the drum increases up to a hold rpm set in the control unit, is kept at the hold rpm for a predetermined time, and then decreases, so as to perform a hold motion of the drum.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed in the cabinet and configured to accommodate water;   a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to accommodate clothes, the drum having a plurality of through-holes configured to communicate the water in the tub with an inner space of the drum; and   a control unit configured to control rotation of the drum and to perform a dehydration cycle including a first dehydration cycle and a second dehydration cycle,   wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in the first dehydration cycle, perform a peak motion of the drum by increasing revolutions per minute (RPM) of the drum to a peak RPM and then decreasing the RPM of the drum from the peak RPM, and 
 in the second dehydration cycle, perform a maintenance motion of the drum by increasing the RPM of the drum to a maintenance RPM, maintaining the RPM of the drum at the maintenance RPM for a predetermined time, and then decreasing the RPM of the drum from the maintenance RPM. 
   
     
     
         24 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a drive unit disposed in the cabinet and connected to the drum, the drive unit being configured to provide rotational force to the drum,   wherein the control unit is configured to control the drive unit to adjust the RPM of the drum.   
     
     
         25 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in the first dehydration cycle, control rotation of the drum to sequentially perform (i) a first acceleration period for increasing the RPM of the drum to the peak RPM and then (ii) a first deceleration period for decreasing the drum RPM from the peak RPM after the first acceleration period.   
     
     
         26 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in the second dehydration cycle, control rotation of the drum to sequentially perform (i) a second acceleration period by increasing the RPM of the drum to the maintenance RPM, (ii) a maintenance period by maintaining the RPM of the drum at the maintenance RPM for the predetermined time after the second acceleration period, and then (iii) a second deceleration period by decreasing the RPM of the drum from the maintenance RPM after the maintenance period.   
     
     
         27 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the maintenance RPM is greater than the peak RPM. 
     
     
         28 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in the first dehydration cycle, control rotation of the drum to repeatedly perform a fabric untangling motion after completion of the peak motion, and
 wherein the control unit is configured to perform the fabric untangling motion by (i) rotating the drum at a fabric untangling RPM that is less than the peak RPM and then (ii) stopping rotation of the drum.   
     
     
         29 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the first dehydration cycle includes a (1-1) dehydration cycle and a (1-2) dehydration cycle, and
 wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in the (1-1) dehydration cycle, perform a first peak motion of the drum by decreasing the RPM of the drum after rising to a first peak RPM; and 
 in the (1-2) dehydration cycle, perform a second peak motion of the drum by decreasing the RPM of the drum after rising to a second peak RPM different from the first peak RPM. 
   
     
     
         30 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the second peak RPM is greater than the first peak RPM. 
     
     
         31 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the maintenance RPM is greater than the second peak RPM. 
     
     
         32 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in the ( 1 - 1 ) dehydration cycle, control rotation of the drum to repeatedly perform a fabric untangling motion after completion of the first peak motion,
 wherein the control unit is configured to perform the fabric untangling motion by (i) rotating the drum at a fabric untangling RPM that is less than the first peak RPM and then (ii) stopping rotation of the drum.   
     
     
         33 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the control unit is configured to control rotation of the drum to perform the fabric untangling motion after performing each of the first peak motion, the second peak motion, and the maintenance motion. 
     
     
         34 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in the (1-1) dehydration cycle, rotate the drum at the first peak RPM to thereby reduce a moisture content of the clothes to be within a predetermined first range. 
     
     
         35 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 34 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in the (1-2) dehydration cycle, rotate the drum at the second peak RPM to thereby reduce the moisture content of the clothes to be within a second range that is lower than the predetermined first range. 
     
     
         36 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a measurement unit disposed in the cabinet and configured to measure the moisture content of the clothes,   wherein the control unit is configured to determine the moisture content of the clothes based on a value measured by the measurement unit.   
     
     
         37 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 adjust the peak RPM based on a moisture content of the clothes; and   set the maintenance RPM to be constant regardless of the moisture content of the clothes.   
     
     
         38 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the predetermined time for maintaining the maintenance RPM is longer than an execution time of the first peak motion or an execution time of the second peak motion. 
     
     
         39 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the predetermined time for maintaining the maintenance RPM is longer than an execution time of the (1-1) dehydration cycle or an execution time of the (1-2) dehydration cycle. 
     
     
         40 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in the (1-1) dehydration cycle, increase the RPM of the drum to reach the first peak RPM within a first time; and   in the (1-2) dehydration cycle, increase the RPM of the drum to reach the second peak RPM within a second time that is longer than the first time.   
     
     
         41 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a drying unit disposed in the cabinet and configured to increase a temperature inside the tub,   wherein the control unit is configured to perform a drying cycle after completion of the dehydration cycle.   
     
     
         42 . A method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus, the laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet, a tub disposed in the cabinet and configured to accommodate water, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub and configured to accommodate clothes, the drum having a plurality of through-holes configured to communicate the water in the tub with an inner space of the drum, and a control unit configured to control rotation of the drum and to perform a dehydration cycle including a first dehydration cycle and a second dehydration cycle, the method comprising:
 in the first dehydration cycle, performing a peak motion of the drum by increasing revolutions per minute (RPM) of the drum to a peak RPM and then decreasing the RPM of the drum from the peak RPM; and   in the second dehydration cycle, performing a maintenance motion of the drum by increasing the RPM of the drum to a maintenance RPM for a predetermined time and then decreasing the RPM of the drum from the maintenance RPM.   
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 42 , wherein the first dehydration cycle includes a (1-1) dehydration cycle and a (1-2) dehydration cycle, and
 wherein the method further comprises:
 in the (1-1) dehydration cycle, performing a first peak motion of the drum by decreasing the RPM of the drum after rising to a first peak RPM; and 
 in the (1-2) dehydration cycle, performing a second peak motion of the drum by decreasing the RPM of the drum after rising to a second peak RPM greater than the first peak RPM. 
   
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 43 , further comprising:
 after completion of each of the first peak motion, the second peak motion, and the maintenance motion, performing a fabric untangling motion by (i) rotating the drum at a fabric untangling RPM that is less than the first peak RPM and then (ii) stopping rotation of the drum.