Clothes treating apparatus

• US 7,971,777 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ha, Mi Kyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Seung H
• Application Number:
  US12/285,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/384, 235/376, 235/435, 235/439, 235/492
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 73/00 Apparatus for smoothing or removing creases from garments or other textile articles by formers, cores, stretchers, or internal frames, with the application of heat or steam combined with external pressure means D06F71/00
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 93/005 Marking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06H 1/04 by attaching threads, tags, or the like

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus is disclosed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a clothes treating apparatus which includes a RFID reader capable of reading information of clothes with RF tags such that the information of the clothes may be identified via an external computer. According to the clothes treating apparatus, the RFID reader is used and the information on treating states or positions of the clothes is identified via an external computer or display device. As a result, it can be simple to manage each item of clothes. Furthermore, the information on the treating states of the clothes may be identified. As a result, troubles of treating the clothes again unnecessarily as well as fabric damage may be saved.

Claims

1. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

at least one accommodation compartment where clothes are accommodated, with RFID tags attached to the clothes, respectively;

an air supply device ventilating air to the accommodation compartment;

an operational control part controlling the air supply device;

a RFID reader provided in the accommodation compartment to read information of the RFID tags attached to the clothes;

a RFID control part comprising a central processing unit receiving the information read by the RFID reader and operation information of the operational control part and a memory unit storing the operation information and a RFID operation program operated in the operational control part; and

a display device for displaying information for a treatment state of the clothes based on the information read by the RFID reader from the RFID tags.

2. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication device capable of transmitting the information read by the RFID reader to an external information receiving device, wherein the RFID operation program supports a communication function.

3. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communication device is a LAN card via which the information read by the RFID reader is transmitted to the external information receiving device.

4. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the external information receiving device is a personal computer (PC).

5. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the LAN card is connected with the internet and the information stored in the RFID control part is inspected via the personal computer connected with the internet.

6. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information stored in the RFID control part comprises information on positions of the clothes based on the information read by the RFID reader.

7. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a moisture supply device controlled by the operational control part, the moisture supply device supplying moisture to the accommodation compartment.

8. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 7, wherein at least two accommodation compartments are provided and a RFID reader is installed in each of the at least two accommodation compartments.

9. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 8, wherein one of the at least two accommodation compartments is configured of a shield room.

10. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display device is a liquid crystal display, the liquid crystal display mounted at a door opening and closing the accommodation compartment.

11. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two accommodation compartments are provided and a RFID reader is installed in each of the at least two accommodation compartments.

12. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

at least one accommodation compartment where clothes are accommodated, with RFID tags attached to the clothes, respectively;

an air supply device ventilating air to the accommodation compartment;

a moisture supply device supplying moisture to the accommodation compartment;

a RFID reader installed in the accommodation compartment;

a control part storing information read by the RFID reader and operation information of the air supply device and the moisture supply device; and

a display device for displaying information for a treatment state of the clothes based on the operation information of the air supply device and the moisture supply device.

13. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the moisture supply device is a steam generation device.

14. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a communication device transmitting the information stored in the control part to an external information receiving device.

15. The clothes treating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air supply device dehumidifies or heats air inside the accommodation compartment, with circulating the air.

16. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

a clothing accommodation compartment;

an air supply device ventilating air to the clothing accommodation compartment;

an operational control part controlling the air supply device;

a RFID reader provided in the clothing accommodation compartment to read information from an RFID tag attached to at least one article of clothing in the clothing accommodation compartment;

a RFID control part receiving the information read by the RFID reader and operation information transmitted by the operational control part; and

a display device that displays information regarding the location of the at least one article of clothing based on the information read by the RFID reader from the RFID tags and a treatment state of the at least one article of clothing based on the operation information of the air supply device.