Clothing treatment apparatus

Abstract

A clothing treatment apparatus includes: a cabinet; an inner case at the cabinet which defines a space configured to accommodate clothing; a hanger at an upper portion of the inner case; a heater configured to generate steam supplied to the inner case; a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant that exchanges heat with air supplied to the inner case; a light emitting unit at the inner case or a door at the cabinet and configured to emit light toward an interior of the inner case; a sensor at the inner case or the door and configured to detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit; and a controller configured to, based on the sensor failing to detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit prior to an operation of the heater or the compressor, suppress a start of the operation of the heater or the compressor.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion of the cabinet;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and that defines a space configured to accommodate clothing;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening;   a hanger that is disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and that is configured to hang the clothing;   a heater configured to generate steam that is supplied to the inner case;   a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant that exchanges heat with air supplied to the inner case;   a machine compartment that is configured to fluidly communicate with the inner case and configured to receive the heater and the compressor;   a light emitting unit that is disposed at at least one of the inner case, the door, or the machine compartment and that is configured to emit light toward an interior of the inner case;   a sensor that is disposed at the inner case or the door and configured to detect the light that is emitted from the light emitting unit; and   a controller that is configured to control at least one of the heater, the compressor, or the sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor failing to detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit prior to an operation of the heater or the compressor, suppress a start of the operation of the heater or the compressor.   
     
     
         16 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 15 , comprising:
 a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to display clothing treatment information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the clothing treatment information comprises information regarding whether the heater or the compressor is in a non-operating state.   
     
     
         17 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to, after the operation of the heater or the compressor is suppressed, display the information regarding whether the heater or the compressor is in the non-operating state. 
     
     
         18 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to display the clothing treatment information on the display while the operation of the heater or the compressor is suppressed. 
     
     
         19 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the clothing treatment information comprises a prompt asking whether to reoperate the heater or the compressor while the clothing has fallen from the hanger to a bottom of the inner case. 
     
     
         20 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an input unit that is disposed at the door or the cabinet and that is configured to receive a driving command to reoperate the heater or the compressor in a state in which the sensor does not detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit.   
     
     
         21 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the input unit receiving the driving command, reoperate the heater or the compressor. 
     
     
         22 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the input unit not receiving the driving command, stop the operation of the heater or the compressor. 
     
     
         23 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 15 , comprising:
 a door detector that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to detect whether the door is open,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the door detector detecting that the door is open after the operation of the heater or the compressor has been suppressed, reoperate the heater or the compressor.   
     
     
         24 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a filter disposed at the machine compartment and configured to filter dust that is introduced from the inner case to the machine compartment,   wherein the sensor is configured to, based on the heater or the compressor being reoperated, detect an increase or decrease in an amount of the light emitted from the light emitting unit, and   wherein the controller is configured to:
 based on the sensor detecting the increase in the amount of the light in a state in which the heater or the compressor is reoperated, determine whether the filter is attached or detached, and 
 based on the sensor detecting the decrease in the amount of the light in the state in which the heater or the compressor is reoperated, determine whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger toward a bottom of the inner case. 
   
     
     
         25 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the light emitting unit and the sensor are disposed below the hanger. 
     
     
         26 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 25 , further comprising a heat exchanger,
 wherein the machine compartment comprises:
 an inflow body that is configured to fluidly communicate with a bottom surface of the inner case and guide air into the inflow body, 
 a circulation duct that accommodates the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being configured to heat the air from the inflow body, and 
 a discharge duct that fluidly connects the circulation duct with the interior of the inner case and that is disposed rearward relative to the inflow body, 
   wherein the light emitting unit is disposed at the inflow body, and   wherein the sensor is disposed at a rear surface of the inner case.   
     
     
         27 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 26 , comprising:
 a reflection unit that is disposed above the light emitting unit and that is configured to guide the light emitted from the light emitting unit to the sensor.   
     
     
         28 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the machine compartment comprises:
 a body filter that is mounted on the inflow body; and   a filter cover that is disposed above the body filter, and   wherein the reflection unit comprises side reflectors that are disposed on a first side and a second side of the filter cover.   
     
     
         29 . A clothing treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an opening at a front portion of the cabinet;   an inner case that is disposed in the cabinet and that defines a space configured to accommodate clothing;   a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening;   a hanger that is disposed at an upper portion of the inner case and that is configured to hang the clothing;   a heater configured to generate steam that is supplied to the inner case;   a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant that exchanges heat with air supplied to the inner case;   a light emitting unit that is disposed at the inner case or the door and that is configured to emit light toward an interior of the inner case;   a sensor that is disposed at the inner case or the door and configured to detect the light that is emitted from the light emitting unit; and   a controller that is configured to control at least one of the heater, the compressor, or the sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor failing to detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit prior to an operation of the heater or the compressor, suppress a start of the operation of the heater or the compressor.   
     
     
         30 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 29 , comprising:
 a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to display clothing treatment information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the clothing treatment information comprises information regarding whether the heater or the compressor is in a non-operating state.   
     
     
         31 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the controller is configured to, after the operation of the heater or the compressor is suppressed, display the information regarding whether the heater or the compressor is in the non-operating state. 
     
     
         32 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the controller is configured to display the clothing treatment information on the display while the operation of the heater or the compressor is suppressed. 
     
     
         33 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the clothing treatment information comprises a prompt asking whether to reoperate the heater or the compressor when clothing has fallen from the hanger toward a bottom of the inner case. 
     
     
         34 . The clothing treatment apparatus of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 an input unit that is disposed at the door or the cabinet and that is configured to receive a driving command to reoperate the heater or the compressor even in a state where the sensor does not detect the light emitted from the light emitting unit.