Clothing treatment apparatus and method for controlling clothing treatment apparatus
A clothing treatment apparatus includes: a tub; a rotating tub; a pulsator; a washing shaft connected to the pulsator; a dehydrating shaft connected to the rotating tub; a clutch mechanism transmitting rotating force to the washing shaft and the dehydrating shaft; and a clutch driver operating the clutch mechanism. The clutch driver includes: a clutch motor; a cam interlocking the clutch mechanism; and a clutch motor driver having a control circuit driving the clutch motor. The clutch motor driver includes: a motor driving circuit driving the clutch motor while adjusting a driving direction and a driving speed of the clutch motor; a shunt resistor generating a phase current due to a voltage difference generated by the motor driving circuit; and a motor sensing controller that detects currents of the shunt resistor and determines whether the clutch mechanism and the clutch motor normally operate according to the detected current values.
1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
a water storage tub where washing water is stored;
a rotatable tub rotatably disposed in the water storage tub;
a pulsator rotatably disposed at a lower portion of the rotatable tub;
a washing shaft connected to the pulsator;
a dehydrating shaft connected to the rotatable tub;
a clutch mechanism configured to selectively transmit a rotational force to the washing shaft and the dehydrating shaft; and
a clutch driver configured to operate the clutch mechanism,
wherein the clutch driver includes a clutch motor having a driving shaft, a cam configured to link the clutch mechanism based on rotation of the clutch motor, and a clutch motor driver having a control circuit for driving the clutch motor,
wherein the clutch motor driver includes:
a motor driving circuit configured to drive the clutch motor by adjusting a driving direction and a driving speed of the clutch motor;
a shunt resistor where a phase current is generated by a voltage difference occurring in the motor driving circuit; and
a motor sensing controller configured to detect a current at both ends of the shunt resistor and determine normal operation of the clutch mechanism and the clutch motor based on the current detected value of the shunt resistor.
2 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor driving circuit includes two switching elements constituting an upper arm, four free wheeling diodes, and two switching elements constituting a lower arm,
wherein the two switching elements constituting the upper arm are connected to a positive DC bus and the two switching elements constituting the lower arm are connected to a ground DC bus to respectively convert a pulse width control signal and an inverted pulse width control signal into alternating current signals to drive the clutch motor.
3 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the shunt resistor is disposed between the ground DC bus and a node receiving an introduced current from the clutch motor, wherein when the current from the clutch motor flows, a voltage difference occurs between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and the phase current of a waveform with a certain pattern by the voltage difference at the both ends is generated.
4 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether a lowest point of the waveform pattern is included in a reference current range based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the motor driving circuit when the lowest point of the waveform pattern is not included in the reference current range.
5 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether the waveform pattern is formed at a regular spacing based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the clutch motor when the waveform pattern is not repeatedly formed at the regular spacing.
6 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether peaks of the waveform pattern are formed at a regular spacing based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the clutch driver or the clutch mechanism when the peaks of the waveform pattern are not formed repeatedly at the regular spacing.
7 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the clutch motor driver further includes a converter configured to convert AC power supplied from a commercial AC power source into DC power, a reactor disposed between the commercial AC power source and the converter, and a smoothing capacitor configured to smoothen the power input via the converter and store the smoothened power.
8 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the motor driving circuit includes three pairs connected in series with each other, wherein each pair has an upper arm switching element and a lower arm switching element connected in parallel with each other, and diodes connected to each other in an inverse-parallel manner respectively in each upper arm switching element and each lower arm switching element,
wherein the motor driving circuit converts the smoothened DC power into three-phase AC power of a predetermined frequency by on/off operations of each switching element to drive the clutch motor.
9 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the shunt resistor is disposed between the converter and a node receiving an introduced current from the clutch motor, wherein when the current from the clutch motor flows, a voltage difference occurs between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and the phase current of a waveform with a certain pattern by the voltage difference at the both ends is generated.
10 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether a lowest point of the waveform pattern is included in a reference current range based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the motor driving circuit when the lowest point of the waveform pattern is not included in the reference current range.
11 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether the waveform pattern is formed at a regular spacing based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the clutch motor when the waveform pattern is not repeatedly formed at the regular spacing.
12 . The laundry treating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the motor sensing controller is configured to determine whether peaks of the waveform pattern are formed at a regular spacing based on the waveform pattern of the phase current sensed by the voltage difference between the both ends of the shunt resistor, and determine that a defect has occurred in the clutch driver or the clutch mechanism when the peaks of the waveform pattern are not formed repeatedly at the regular spacing.
13 . A method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus including a water storage tub where washing water is stored, a rotatable tub rotatably disposed in the water storage tub, a pulsator rotatably disposed at a lower portion of the rotatable tub, a washing shaft connected to the pulsator, a dehydrating shaft connected to the rotatable tub, a clutch mechanism configured to selectively transmit a rotational force to the washing shaft and the dehydrating shaft, a clutch motor configured to link the clutch mechanism, and a clutch motor driver having a control circuit to drive the clutch motor, wherein the clutch motor driver includes a motor driving circuit configured to drive the clutch motor by adjusting a driving direction and a driving speed of the clutch motor, and a shunt resistor where a phase current is generated by a voltage difference occurring in the motor driving circuit, the method comprising:
a power supply of applying power to the motor driving circuit to drive the clutch motor;
a detection of detecting a waveform of the phase current generated at both ends of the shunt resistor connected in series to an output terminal of the motor driving circuit; and
a determination of determining operation of the clutch mechanism and the clutch motor based on a current waveform pattern of the phase current generated in the shunt resistor.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the detection includes detecting the waveform of the phase current generated in the shunt resistor, and the determination includes determining that a defect has occurred in a power supply configured to supply the power when the waveform pattern is not detected.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the detection includes detecting a lowest point of the waveform pattern of the phase current generated in the shunt resistor, and the determination includes determining that a defect has occurred in the motor driving circuit when the lowest point of the detected waveform pattern is not included in a reference current range.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the detection includes detecting a spacing of the waveform pattern of the phase current generated in the shunt resistor, and the determination includes determining that a defect has occurred in the clutch motor when the detected waveform pattern is not formed repeatedly at a regular spacing.
17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the detection includes detecting peaks and a spacing between the peaks of the waveform pattern of the phase current generated in the shunt resistor, and the determination includes determining that a defect has occurred in the clutch driver or the clutch mechanism when the peaks of the waveform pattern are not formed repeatedly at a regular spacing.