Combination laundry device and method thereof

• US 7,647,663 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Young Soo, Cho, Hung Myong, Choi, Soung Bong, Lee, Deug Hee, Ahn, Byung Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson; Frankie L
• Application Number:
  US11/296,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150689A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 134/184, 134/198, 815/8, 68/15, 68/3.R, 68/120.2, 68/20
• US Class Current: 8/159
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/00 Combinations of a washing machine with other separate apparatus in a common frame or the like, e.g. with rinsing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 29/005 the other separate apparatus being a drying appliance
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means

Abstract

A combination laundry device and a method thereof are disclosed. The present invention relates to a combination laundry device that can interchange information between two laundry mechanisms, and that can automatically set operation conditions for a washing and a drying and/or a refreshing cycle based on information from each information tag attached on the laundry without a user'"'"'s inputting additional conditions.

Claims

1. A combination laundry device comprising:

a washing and/or drying part having a drum for performing a washing and a drying cycle for the laundry each having an information tag memorizing information relating to washing and/or drying conditions;

a cabinet dryer combined with the washing and/or drying part for performing a drying or a refreshing cycle, or keeping the laundry therein;

a reading part for acquiring information memorized in each information tag of the laundry;

the reading part provided in the washing and/or drying part, and

an auxiliary reading part provided in the cabinet dryer for acquiring information memorized in each information tag of the laundry within a keeping part, and

a controller provided in at least one of the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer for acquiring information of the entire laundry loaded into the drum and the keeping part from the reading part and the auxiliary reading part respectively, and for controlling the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer by selectively setting operation conditions of the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer,

wherein the controller compares the information acquired from the reading part with the information acquired from the auxiliary reading part, and compensates for operating conditions of the cabinet dryer as much as a difference when there is the difference between the information acquired from the reading part and the information acquired from the auxiliary reading part.

2. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein the information tag is a RFID tag and the reading part is a RFID reader which receives information from the RFID tag, interchanging signals with the RFID tag or recording new information in said RFID tag.

3. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein the reading part is provided at a portion of the washing and/or drying part, where the laundry is loaded.

4. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein the washing and/or drying part is a washing machine performing only a washing cycle for the laundry.

5. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein the washing and/or drying part is a washing machine with a drying function performing a washing and a drying cycle for the laundry.

6. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein the washing and/or drying part is a tumble dryer performing only a drying cycle for the laundry.

7. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein a hot air generating part is further provided in at least one of the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer for generating hot air to supply the hot air into the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer.

8. The combination laundry device of claim 7, wherein the hot air generating part is connected with the drum of the washing and/or drying part, and/or the keeping part of the cabinet dryer by a hot air supplying pipe.

9. The combination laundry device of claim 8, wherein the hot air generating part comprises a drying heater for heating air within the hot air supplying pipe.

10. The combination laundry device of claim 9, wherein the hot air generating part further comprises a fan for ventilating air within the hot air supplying pipe.

11. The combination laundry device of claim 1, wherein a steam generating part is further provided in at least one of the washing and/or drying part and the cabinet dryer for generating steam.

12. The combination laundry device of claim 11, wherein the steam generating part is connected with the drum of the washing and/or drying part, and/or the keeping part of the cabinet dryer by a steam generating pipe.

13. The combination laundry device of claim 11, wherein the steam generating part comprises

a heat radiating part having space for storing supplied water temporarily, and

a heating element provided within the heat radiating part for heating and evaporating the supplied water into steam.

14. A method of combination laundry device, comprising:

a first step of acquiring information relating to washing and/or drying conditions from each information tag of the laundry loaded into a drum of a washing and/or drying part;

a second step of setting each process of each cycle for washing and/or drying the laundry based on the acquired information; and

a third step of performing a washing and/or drying cycle based on an order of the set processes by controlling the washing and/or drying part, and/or a cabinet dryer,

wherein the third comprises a step of acquiring information of the laundry from each information tag within a keeping part of the cabinet dryer, and a comparing the information with the information acquired in the first step,

wherein in case othere is a difference between the information and the information acquired in the first step, the third step further comprises a step of compensating for the operating conditions of the cabinet dryer as much as the difference.

15. The method of the combination laundry device of claim 14, wherein the information relating to washing and/or drying conditions acquired from each information tag of the laundry includes at least one of a kind of the laundry, a quantity of each kind, a preferred washing temperature, a dehydrating speed, a kind of detergent, a washing water level, a drying temperature and a drying time period, and additional directions.

16. The method of the combination laundry device of claim 14, wherein each process of each cycle operation within the washing and/or drying part is set and operated based in at least one category of a washing time period, a washing temperature, a dehydrating speed, a drying temperature and a drying time period.

17. The method of the combination laundry device of claim 14, wherein the third step further comprises step of:

performing a washing and/or drying cycle for the laundry loaded into the drum based on the order of the set processes by controlling the washing and/or drying part;

moving the washed and/or dried laundry within the keeping part of the cabinet dryer; and

performing a drying and/or a refreshing cycle for the laundry within the keeping part by controlling the cabinet dryer based on the order of the set processes.

18. The method of the combination laundry device of claim 14, wherein the step of compensating for the operating conditions is compensating for at least one of a drying temperature and a drying time period as much as the difference.