Laundry treating apparatus and water supply control method thereof

1. A laundry treating apparatus, comprising:

a cabinet;

a water tub disposed inside the cabinet;

a detergent box connected to the water tub and configured to supply detergent to the water tub, the detergent box having a plurality of wash water movement paths defined therein;

a main passage connected to one of the plurality of wash water movement paths and configured to supply wash water to the detergent box;

a main valve disposed at the main passage;

a pre-passage connected to another of the plurality of wash water movement paths and configured to supply wash water to the detergent box;

a pre-valve disposed at the pre-passage; and

a controller configured to:

perform a first main-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the main valve for a first preset time,

based on performance of the first main-continuous supply process, perform a pre-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the pre-valve for a second preset time,

based on performance of the pre-continuous supply process, perform a second main-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the main valve, and

control each of the main valve and the pre-valve to supply wash water to the detergent box through the first main-continuously supply process, the pre-continuous supply process, and the second main-continuous supply process,

perform a main-intermittent supply process comprising intermittently opening and closing the main valve to thereby intermittently supply wash water through the main passage to the detergent box before performing the first main-continuous supply process, and

wherein the main-intermittent supply process comprises:

based on a preset main-intermittent opening and closing frequency, repeating opening the main valve for a main-intermittent opening time and closing the main valve for a main-intermittent closing time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the main-intermittent opening time is in a range from 0.15 to 0.25 seconds, and

wherein the main-intermittent closing time is in a range from 3.6 to 6 seconds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller further configured to, before performing the main-intermittent supply process, perform a pre-intermittent supply process comprising intermittently opening and closing the pre-valve to thereby intermittently supply wash water through the pre-passage to the detergent box.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the pre-intermittent supply process comprises:

based on a preset pre-intermittent opening and closing frequency, repeating opening the pre-valve for a pre-intermittent opening time and closing the pre-valve for a pre-intermittent closing time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pre-intermittent opening time is in a range from 0.25 to 0.35 seconds, and

wherein the pre-intermittent closing time is in a range from 3.92 to 5.48 seconds.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first main-continuous supply process comprises opening the main valve for an opening time that is set to 10 seconds or shorter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detergent box comprises:

a housing connected to the water tub;

a drawer configured to be received in the housing, the drawer having a plurality of detergent accommodation spaces defined therein; and

a distribution unit disposed vertically above the drawer and connected to the main passage and the pre-passage, and

wherein the housing comprises:

a through portion defined at a surface of the housing and configured to communicate with the water tub,

a horizontal partition that protrudes upward from the surface of the housing, that extends vertically above the through portion, and that extends horizontally across a front-rear direction of the housing, and

a wash water guide unit that protrudes from the surface of the housing, that is spaced apart from the horizontal partition, and that extends in the front-rear direction of the housing, the wash water guide unit defining the plurality of wash water movement paths at a front region of the horizontal partition and being configured to guide, to the through portion, wash water supplied via the pre-passage along the plurality of wash water movement paths.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the pre-continuous supply process comprises opening the pre-valve for an opening time that is set according to a duration for which wash water passes through the drawer and reaches the through portion along the wash water guide unit.

9. A method for controlling water supply of a laundry treating apparatus, the laundry treating apparatus comprising a cabinet, a water tub disposed inside the cabinet, a detergent box connected to the water tub and configured to supply detergent to the water tub, the detergent box having a plurality of wash water movement paths defined therein, a main passage connected to one of the plurality of wash water movement paths and configured to supply wash water, a main valve disposed at the main passage, a pre-passage connected to another of the plurality of wash water movement paths and configured to supply wash water, and a pre-valve disposed at the pre-passage, the method comprising:

performing a main-intermittent supply process comprising intermittently supplying wash water through the main passage to the detergent box by intermittently opening and closing the main valve;

after performing the main-intermittent supply process, performing a first main-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the main valve for a first preset time;

based on performance of the first main-continuous supply process, performing a pre-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the pre-valve for a second preset time; and

based on performance of the pre-continuous supply process, performing a second main-continuous supply process comprising supplying wash water by opening the main valve,

wherein performing the main-intermittent supply process comprises:

based on a preset main-intermittent opening and closing frequency, repeating opening the main valve for a main-intermittent opening time and closing the main valve for a main-intermittent closing time.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

before performing the main-intermittent supply process, performing a pre-intermittent supply process comprising intermittently supplying wash water through the pre-passage to the detergent box by intermittently opening and closing the pre-valve.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein performing the pre-intermittent supply process comprises:

based on a preset pre-intermittent opening and closing frequency, repeating opening the pre-valve for a pre-intermittent opening time and closing the pre-valve for a pre-intermittent closing time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the main-intermittent opening time is shorter than the main-intermittent closing time.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pre-intermittent opening time is shorter than the pre-intermittent closing time.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the main-intermittent opening time is shorter than the pre-intermittent opening time.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the preset pre-intermittent opening and closing frequency is greater than the preset main-intermittent opening and closing frequency.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

waiting for a first preset waiting time between performance of the first main-continuous supply process and performance of the pre-continuous supply process; and

waiting for a second preset waiting time between performance of the pre-continuous supply process and performance of the second main-continuous supply process.