Clothing processing apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a clothing processing apparatus comprising: a sensor unit provided in an inner case or a machine room to sense whether clothes fall; and a control unit provided to control at least one of a heater, a compressor, and the sensor unit, wherein the control unit is provided to stop driving of the heater if the sensor unit senses falling of clothes.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . 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 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 receives the heater and the compressor and is configured to fluidly communicate with the inner case;   a sensor that is disposed at the inner case or the machine compartment and that is configured to detect whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger toward a bottom of the inner case; and   a controller configured to control at least one of the heater, the compressor, or the sensor,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, suppress a start of an operation of the heater.   
     
     
         32 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the heater or the compressor to perform a course to treat the clothing, and
 wherein the controller is configured to control, based on different time points at which the clothing falls from the hanger, the heater or the compressor differently.   
     
     
         33 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger prior to the operation of the heater, place the heater in a standby mode. 
     
     
         34 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 33 , wherein the controller is configured to suppress a start of an operation of the compressor and configured to place the compressor in a standby mode. 
     
     
         35 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising:
 a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening; and   a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and configured to display information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, display information on the display indicating that the operation of the heater or the compressor has been suppressed due to the clothing falling from the hanger.   
     
     
         36 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting the clothing has fallen from the hanger during the operation of the heater, stop the operation of the heater. 
     
     
         37 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to enable the operation of the compressor. 
     
     
         38 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening; and   a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and configured to display information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, display information on the display indicating that the operation of the heater or the compressor has been suppressed due to the clothing falling from the hanger.   
     
     
         39 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting the clothing has fallen from the hanger during an operation of the compressor, maintain the operation of the compressor. 
     
     
         40 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 39 , further comprising:
 a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening; and   a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to display information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, display information on the display indicating that the operation of the heater or the compressor has been suppressed due to the clothing falling from the hanger.   
     
     
         41 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 32 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, stop an operation of the compressor. 
     
     
         42 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 31 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of:
 an illuminance sensor configured to detect a change in illuminance of light within the inner case;   a radar sensor that is configured to emit electromagnetic waves and that is configured to receive a reflected signal and determine weight of the clothing; or   a load sensor that is disposed at the hanger and that is configured to detect the weight of the clothing.   
     
     
         43 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 42 , further comprising:
 a light emitting unit configured to emit light into the inner case,   wherein the sensor is the illuminance sensor, and   wherein the sensor is configured to, based on the light being blocked by a falling of the clothing, detect whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger.   
     
     
         44 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein the light emitting unit and the sensor are disposed below the hanger. 
     
     
         45 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 44 , wherein the machine compartment further 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 heat exchanger that is configured to heat the air from the inflow body;   a circulation duct configured to receive the heat exchanger; and   a discharge duct that fluidly communicates the circulation duct with an 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.   
     
     
         46 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 45 , further 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.   
     
     
         47 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 46 , wherein the machine compartment further comprises:
 a body filter mounted on the inflow body, and   a filter cover disposed above the body filter,   wherein the reflection unit comprises a first side reflector and a second side reflector, and   wherein the first side reflector is disposed on a first side of the filter cover and the second side reflector is disposed on a second side of the filter cover.   
     
     
         48 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 43 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, suppress the light emitting unit from emitting the light. 
     
     
         49 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 31 , further comprising:
 a door coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening; and   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.   
     
     
         50 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the heater or the compressor being reoperated, control the sensor to reinitiate detection of whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger. 
     
     
         51 . 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 that receives the heater and the compressor;   a sensor that is disposed at the inner case or the machine compartment and that is configured to detect whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger toward a bottom of the inner case; and   a controller configured to control at least one of the heater, the compressor, or the sensor; and   a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to display information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, display clothing treatment information indicating whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger.   
     
     
         52 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein the clothing treatment information comprises information regarding whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger. 
     
     
         53 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 51 , wherein the controller is configured to suppress a start of an operation of the heater or the compressor, and
 wherein the clothing treatment information comprises information regarding whether the heater or the compressor is in a non-operating state.   
     
     
         54 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein the controller is configured to display the clothing treatment information on the display after suppressing the start of the operation of the heater or the compressor. 
     
     
         55 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 53 , 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. 
     
     
         56 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein the clothing treatment information further comprises a prompt asking whether to reoperate the heater or the compressor when clothing has fallen from the hanger. 
     
     
         57 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 54 , 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 clothing has fallen from the hanger.   
     
     
         58 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 57 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the driving command being input to the input unit, reoperate the heater or the compressor. 
     
     
         59 . The clothing treatment apparatus according to  claim 57 , wherein the controller is configured to, based on the driving command not being input to the input unit, suppress a start of the operation of the heater or the compressor. 
     
     
         60 . 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 power transmission unit that is disposed at the upper portion of the inner case and that is configured to oscillate the hanger;   a driver that is connected to the power transmission unit and that is configured to provide power used for oscillating the hanger;   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 sensor that is disposed at the inner case or the machine compartment and that is configured to detect whether the clothing has fallen from the hanger toward a bottom of the inner case;   a controller configured to control at least one of the heater, the compressor, or the sensor; and   a display that is disposed at the cabinet or the door and that is configured to display information transmitted from the controller,   wherein the controller is configured to, based on the sensor detecting that the clothing has fallen from the hanger, suppress a start of an operation of the heater.