IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,997,375
Granted Patent B2
US 8,997,375 · App. 13/148,702 · Granted Apr 7, 2015

Operating method for laundry equipment including a scent supply module

Inventors: Sang-Hun Bae (Seoul, KR); Sung-Ho Song (Seoul, KR); Min-Ji Kim (Seoul, KR); Yong-Cheol Jin (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
D06F58/203
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,997,375
App. No.
13/148,702
Granted
Apr 7, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An operating method for a laundry drier which has a rotatable drum mounted inside a main body, a heater for heating the air flowing into the drum; and a scent supply module for spraying scent into the drum, comprising: a drying step of drying the laundry by supplying hot air heated by the heater; a pre-treating step of tumbling the drum while supplying air with the heater off; and a scent treating step of spraying scent onto the laundry which has passed through the pre-treating step. Since the scent is sprayed on after the pre-treating step, the scent can be effectively deposited on the laundry.

Claims (33)

1. A method for operating a laundry dryer comprising a drum rotatably mounted inside a main body, a heater for heating air flowing into the drum, and a scent supply module for spraying scent into the drum, the method comprising:

a drying step of drying the laundry by supplying hot air heated by the heater;

a pre-treating step of tumbling the drum while supplying air with the heater off; and

a scent treating step of spraying scent onto the laundry passed through the pre-treating step,

wherein the drying step comprises a remnant scent removing step of removing scent remaining in the scent supply module by temporarily spraying scent into the drum from the scent supply module.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a time taken for the pre-treating step is longer than a time taken for the scent treating step, and a temperature inside the drum is cooled down below 30° C. at the pre-treating step.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drum is continuously tumbled during the scent treating step.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scent is sprayed at the scent treating step when the temperature of the drum is in the range of 20° C. to 40° C.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein air is not supplied into the drum during the scent treating step.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at the scent treating step, the intermittent spraying is carried out when the laundry amount inserted within the drum is larger than a reference value, and the consecutive spraying is carried out when the laundry amount inserted within the drum is smaller than the reference value.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a post-treating step of supplying air with the heater off after completion of the scent treating step.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the drum is continuously tumbled during the pre-treating step, the scent treating step and the post-treating step.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein air is not supplied into the drum during the scent treating step.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the post-treating step comprises:

a first post-treating step of supplying air into the drum with the heater off;

a post-treating drying step of supplying air into the drum with the heater on; and

a second post-treating step of supplying air into the drum with the heater off,

wherein the post-treating drying step is to dry moisture generated due to the scent sprayed onto the laundry during the scent treating step.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a time taken for the first post-treating step is longer than a time taken for the second post-treating step.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a scent intensity selecting step of selecting intensity of scent sprayed into the drum prior to the scent treating step.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein as the scent intensity selected at the scent intensity selecting step is stronger, the scent is sprayed at a time point when the temperature inside the drum is lower.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein as the scent intensity selected at the scent intensity selecting step is stronger, a time taken to carry out the pre-treating step becomes longer.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein as the scent intensity selected at the scent intensity selecting step is stronger, a time for which the scent is sprayed during the scent treating step becomes longer.

16. A scent refreshing method for a laundry dryer comprising a drum rotatably mounted inside a main body, a heater for heating air flowing into the drum, and a scent supply module for spraying scent into the drum, the method comprising:

a selecting step of selecting a scent refresh course;

a hot air supplying step of supplying hot air heated by the heater into the drum;

a first scent spraying step of spraying scent into the drum;

a pre-treating step of supplying air into the drum with the heater off to cool the drum;

a second scent spraying step of spraying scent into the drum; and

a post-treating step of supplying air for cooling with the heater off,

wherein a time taken for the first scent spraying step is set to be longer than a time taken for the second scent spraying step so as to remove wrinkles and odor from the laundry.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first scent spraying step is carried out while the hot air supplying step is ongoing.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein at the first scent spraying step and the second scent spraying step, air is not supplied into the drum.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2011
From: BAE, SANG-HUN; SONG, SUNG-HO; KIM, MIN-JI; JIN, YONG-CHEOL
To: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Reel/Frame 026732/0233 →
Priority Claims (4)
KR 10-2009-0033839 · Apr 17, 2009 · national
KR 10-2009-0033842 · Apr 17, 2009 · national
KR 10-2009-0033847 · Apr 17, 2009 · national
KR 10-2009-0033849 · Apr 17, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110308102A1 · Dec 22, 2011