LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS WITH LIQUID SPRAYING FUNCTION

• US 20120017457A1
• Filed: 04/16/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Bae, Sang-Hun, Song, Sung-Ho, Kim, Min-Ji, Jin, Yong-Cheol
• Granted Patent: US 9,145,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/90
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/28 Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dryer having a liquid spraying function, and according to one aspect of the present invention, a laundry treating apparatus including a plurality of laundry treating courses which have different laundry treating methods is provided. The apparatus comprises: a drum for receiving the laundry; a hot air supply means for supplying hot air to the inner side of the drum; a spraying means for spraying a fragrant solution to the inside of the drum; a manipulating means including a course selecting means for selecting the laundry treating courses; and a controller for controlling the apparatus according to the instructions inputted by the manipulating means, wherein a plurality of laundry treating courses includes at least one scent spray course for spraying the fragrant solution during the laundry treating process, and the course selecting means comprises a scent spray course selecting means for selecting one of the scent spray courses.

Claims

1. A laundry treating apparatus having a plurality of laundry treating courses with different laundry treating methods, the apparatus comprising:

a drum configured to accommodate the laundry;

a hot air supply means configured to supply hot air to an inner side of the drum;

a spraying means configured to spray a fragrant solution into an inner portion of the drum;

a manipulating means comprising a course selection means configured to select the laundry treating courses, and

a controller configured to control the apparatus according to an instruction inputted by the manipulating means,

wherein the plurality of laundry treating courses comprises at least one scent spray course for spraying the fragrant solution during the laundry treating process, and

the course selection means comprises a scent spray course selection means for selecting one of the scent spray courses.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of scent spray courses have different scent spray timings.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the manipulating means further comprises a scent strength adjustment means, and the controller controls such that the scent strength is adjusted according to a scent strength selected by the scent strength adjustment means.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the manipulating means further comprises a scent spraying cancellation means, and the controller controls such that a fragrant solution spraying process is not carried out while performing a laundry treating course selected by the course selection means when the scent spraying cancellation means is selected.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the scent strength adjustment means is deactivated when a course selected by the course selection means does not include a scent spraying process.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scent spraying cancellation means is deactivated when a course selected by the course selection means does not include a scent spraying process.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when the scent strength adjustment means and scent spraying cancellation means are deactivated, a display means capable of visually and auditorily displaying them is additionally provided in the manipulating means.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a scent spray course selection means of the course selection means further comprises a recognition means allowed to be visually distinguished from the remaining course selection means.

9. A laundry treating apparatus having a plurality of laundry treating courses with different laundry treating methods, the apparatus comprising:

a drum configured to accommodate the laundry;

a spraying means configured to selectively spray a fragrant solution or water into an inner portion of the drum;

a manipulating means comprising a course selection means configured to select the laundry treating courses and a medium selection means configured to set a kind of liquid to be sprayed, and

a controller configured to control the apparatus according to an instruction inputted by the manipulating means,

wherein the plurality of laundry treating courses comprises a plurality of liquid spray courses for spraying at least one of the fragrant solution and water during the laundry treating process, and

the course selection means comprises a liquid spray course selection means for selecting one of the liquid spray courses.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a liquid spray course selection means for selecting a course that sprays non-selected liquid is deactivated when a kind of liquid to be sprayed is selected by the medium selection means.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the manipulating means further comprises a scent strength adjustment means, and the controller controls such that the scent strength is adjusted according to a scent strength selected by the scent strength adjustment means.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the manipulating means further comprises a scent spraying cancellation means, and the controller controls such that a fragrant solution spraying process is not carried out while performing a laundry treating course selected by the course selection means when the scent spraying cancellation means is selected.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the scent strength adjustment means is deactivated when a course selected by the course selection means does not include a scent spraying process or water is selected by the medium selection means.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the scent spraying cancellation means is deactivated when a course selected by the course selection means does not include a scent spraying process or water is selected by the medium selection means.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein when the scent strength adjustment means is deactivated, a display means capable of visually and auditorily displaying it is additionally provided in the manipulating means.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least one course selection means is disposed between the fragrant solution spray course selection means and water spray course selection means of the liquid spray course selection means.

17. A laundry treating apparatus having a plurality of laundry treating courses with different laundry treating methods, the apparatus comprising:

a drum configured to accommodate the laundry;

a hot air supply means configured to supply hot air to an inner side of the drum;

a spraying means configured to spray a liquid into an inner portion of the drum;

a medium recognition means configured to recognize a kind of the liquid;

a manipulating means comprising a course selection means configured to select the laundry treating courses, and

a controller configured to control the apparatus according to an instruction inputted by the manipulating means,

wherein the plurality of laundry treating courses comprises a plurality of liquid spray courses for spraying the liquid during the laundry treating process, and

the course selection means comprises a liquid spray course selection means for selecting one of the liquid spray courses, and

the controller recognizes a kind of liquid stored in a storage container by the medium recognition means, and deactivates a course selection means corresponding to a course for spraying a liquid different from the liquid stored in the storage container among the liquid spray course selection means.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the medium recognition means comprises an electrode sensor having a pair of electrodes being brought into contact with the liquid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein when some of the liquid spray course selection means are deactivated, a display means capable of visually and auditorily displaying them is additionally provided in the manipulating means.

20. A laundry treating apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a drum configured to accommodate the laundry;

a hot air supply means configured to supply hot air to an inner side of the drum;

a spraying means configured to spray a fragrant solution into an inner portion of the drum;

a manipulating means comprising a course selection means and an option selection means configured to determine the detailed items of the selected course, and

a controller configured to control the apparatus according to an instruction inputted by the manipulating means,

wherein the laundry treating apparatus comprises a plurality of laundry treating courses with different laundry treating methods, and the plurality of laundry treating courses comprises at least one scent spray course for spraying the fragrant solution during the laundry treating process, and

each of the course selection courses can be independently selected by the course selection means.

21-31. -31. (canceled)