Clothes treatment apparatus

Abstract

A clothes treatment apparatus includes: a light-emitting part which is provided in any one from among an inner case, a door and a machine room, and which emits light into the inner case; and a sensor part which is provided in any one from among the inner case, the door and the machine room, and which senses blocking, by clothes dropped from a banger part, of at least some of the light emitted from the light-emitting part. The light-emitting part and the sensor part are arranged at a portion below the hanger part.

1 - 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion thereof;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and defines a space configured to accommodate clothes;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening;   a hanger disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and configured to hold the clothes;   a machine compartment provided below a bottom surface of the inner case and configured to supply at least one of hot air or steam into an inside of the inner case;   a light emitter disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the light emitter being disposed below the hanger and configured to emit light toward the inside of the inner case; and   a sensor disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the sensor being disposed below the hanger and configured to detect whether at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitter is blocked by the clothes having fallen from the hanger.   
     
     
         36 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 35 , wherein the light emitter and the sensor are disposed closer to the bottom surface of the inner case than the hanger. 
     
     
         37 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the light emitter and the sensor are arranged along a width direction or a front-rear direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         38 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case, and the light emitter is disposed forward relative to the sensor. 
     
     
         39 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a first side surface of the inner case, and the light emitter is disposed at one side of the sensor. 
     
     
         40 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein at least one of the light emitter or the sensor is disposed at the machine compartment. 
     
     
         41 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein one of the light emitter or the sensor is disposed at the machine compartment, and the other one of the light emitter or the sensor is disposed at the inner case or the door. 
     
     
         42 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 41 , wherein the machine compartment comprises:
 an inflow body configured to fluidly communicate with the bottom surface of the inner case and to receive air from the inner case;   a circulation duct that accommodates a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being configured to heat the air introduced to the inflow body to thereby generate the hot air; and   a discharge duct that is disposed rearward relative to the inflow body and fluidly connects the circulation duct with the inside of the inner case, and   wherein the light emitter is disposed at the inflow body, and the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case.   
     
     
         43 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 42 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a center of the rear surface of the inner case in the width direction,
 wherein the inflow body is disposed at a first side of the bottom surface of the inner case; and   wherein the light emitter is disposed at a position corresponding to the sensor.   
     
     
         44 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 42 , further comprising a reflector disposed above the light emitter and configured to direct the light emitted from the light emitter toward the sensor. 
     
     
         45 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the machine compartment further comprises:
 a body filter disposed at the inflow body; and   a filter cover disposed above the body filter, and   wherein the reflector is disposed between the filter cover and the body filter.   
     
     
         46 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein the reflector is one of side reflectors that are disposed at sides of the filter cover. 
     
     
         47 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 45 , wherein the reflector comprises a central reflector that is disposed at a center of the filter cover in the width direction and faces the light emitter, and
 wherein the light emitter, the sensor, and the central reflector are disposed along a straight line such that the central reflector directs the light toward the sensor.   
     
     
         48 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the light emitter and the sensor are disposed above the bottom surface of the inner case. 
     
     
         49 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein the light emitter and the sensor face each other. 
     
     
         50 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein the light emitter is disposed at a first side surface of the inner case, and the sensor is disposed at a second side surface of the inner case facing the first side surface. 
     
     
         51 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 50 , wherein the light emitter is disposed at a center of the first side surface in the width direction, and the sensor is disposed at a center of the second side surface in the width direction. 
     
     
         52 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein the light emitter is one of a plurality of light emitters that are arranged in a height direction of the inner case, or
 wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of sensors that are arranged in the height direction.   
     
     
         53 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 52 , wherein at least one of the plurality of light emitters and at least one of the plurality of sensors face each other. 
     
     
         54 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 48 , wherein the light emitter is disposed at an inner surface of the door, and the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case. 
     
     
         55 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein the light emitter is disposed at a center of the rear surface of the inner case in the width direction, and the sensor is disposed at a center of the inner surface of the door in the width direction. 
     
     
         56 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion thereof;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and defines a space configured to accommodate clothes;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening;   a hanger disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and configured to hold the clothes;   a machine compartment provided below a bottom surface of the inner case and configured to supply at least one of hot air or steam into an inside of the inner case;   a light emitter disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the light emitter being configured to emit light toward the inside of the inner case;   a sensor disposed at the inner case or the door, the sensor being disposed closer to the bottom surface of the inner case than the hanger and configured to detect the light emitted from the light emitter; and   a controller configured to determine whether the clothes have fallen from the hanger based on an amount of the light detected by the sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to:
 determine that the clothes have not fallen based on the sensor outputting a first value, and 
 determines that the clothe have fallen based on the sensor outputting a value less than the first value. 
   
     
     
         57 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 56 , wherein the light emitter is disposed closer to the sensor than the hanger. 
     
     
         58 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 57 , wherein the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case, and the light emitter is disposed closer to the door than the sensor. 
     
     
         59 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion thereof;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and defines a space configured to accommodate clothes;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening;   a hanger disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and configured to hold the clothes;   a machine compartment provided below a bottom surface of the inner case and configured to supply at least one of hot air or steam into an inside of the inner case;   a light emitter disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the light emitter being configured to emit light toward the inside of the inner case;   Page reflectors configured to reflect the light emitted from the light emitter in at least two directions, respectively; and   a sensor disposed at the inner case or the door, the sensor being configured to detect whether at least a portion of the light from at least one of the reflectors is blocked to thereby detect whether the clothes have fallen to the bottom surface.   
     
     
         60 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 59 , wherein the reflectors are disposed at sides of the sensor, and the light emitter is disposed between the sensor and the light emitter. 
     
     
         61 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 60 , wherein the reflectors are disposed closer to the light emitter than the sensor. 
     
     
         62 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 60 , wherein the sensor and the light emitter are disposed in a front-rear direction of the cabinet, and the reflectors are disposed in a width direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         63 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 62 , wherein the reflectors are symmetrically disposed with respect to the sensor. 
     
     
         64 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 62 , wherein the reflectors are symmetrically disposed with respect to each of the sensor and the light emitter. 
     
     
         65 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion thereof;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and defines a space configured to accommodate clothes;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening;   a hanger disposed at an upper portion of the inner case to hold the clothes;   a vibration unit disposed at the hanger and configured to vibrate the hanger;   a machine compartment provided below a bottom surface of the inner case and configured to supply at least one of hot air or steam into an inside of the inner case;   a light emitter disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the light emitter being disposed below the hanger and configured to emit light toward the inside of the inner case; and   a sensor disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the sensor being disposed below the hanger and configured to detect whether at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitter is blocked to thereby detect whether the clothes have fallen from the hanger by vibration of the hanger.   
     
     
         66 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 65 , wherein the machine compartment comprises:
 an inflow body configured to fluidly communicate with the bottom surface of the inner case and to receive air from the inner case;   a circulation duct that accommodates a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being configured to heat the air introduced to the inflow body to thereby generate the hot air; and   a discharge duct that is disposed rearward relative to the inflow body and fluidly connects the circulation duct with the inside of the inner case, and   wherein the light emitter is disposed at the inflow body, and the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case.   
     
     
         67 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 66 , wherein the machine compartment further comprises:
 a body filter disposed at the inflow body; and   a filter cover disposed above the body filter,   wherein the clothing treatment apparatus further comprises reflectors that are disposed above the light emitter and that are disposed at sides of the filter cover, the reflectors being configured to direct the light emitted from the light emitter toward the sensor.   
     
     
         68 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion thereof;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and defines a space configured to accommodate clothes;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening;   a hanger unit comprising (i) at least one hanger configured to hold the clothes, (ii) a power transmission disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and configured to move the at least one hanger, and (iii) a driver connected to the power transmission and configured to provide power to move the at least one hanger;   a machine compartment provided below a bottom surface of the inner case and configured to supply at least one of hot air or steam into an inside of the inner case;   a light emitter disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the light emitter being disposed below the hanger unit and configured to emit light toward the inside of the inner case; and   a sensor disposed at the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment, the sensor being disposed below the hanger unit and configured to detect whether at least a portion of the light emitted from the light emitter is blocked to thereby detect whether the clothes have fallen from the at least one hanger by movement of the at least one hanger.