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Clothes dryer having a steam generator using a hot air heater

a technology of steam generator and dryer, which is applied in the direction of dryers with non-progressive movements, laundry driers, textiles and paper, etc., can solve the problems of complex structure and fabrication process of steam generator, clothes are creased or smelled, and the heater may be overheated, so as to improve energy efficiency and facilitate fabrication , the effect of simple structur

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-01-12
LG ELECTRONICS INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a dryer with a steam generator that has a simple structure and can be easily fabricated. The dryer can improve energy efficiency by generating steam using hot air heater for heating air, without using any additional heater for generating steam. The steam generator may be a metal pipe bent zigzags near the heater assembly, and may receive radiant heat and convective heat from the heater assembly. The dryer may further include a steam hose and a nozzle for jetting steam to the drum. The steam generator may include a first, second, or third generator, and an auxiliary generator. The dryer may also include a reservoir for storing water and a water supply hose for supplying water to the steam generator. Overall, the present invention simplifies the structure and fabrication process of the dryer and reduces required energy.

Problems solved by technology

Also, besides the creases remaining after the washing operation, while the clothes are kept in storage in a closet, the clothes are creased or smell, or germs propagate in clothes, or the like.
In this case, however, when the heater is exposed to the outside of water as the amount of water stored in the steam generator is reduced due to the generation of steam, the heater may be overheated.
Thus, since the related art steam generator requires the additional member such as the water level sensor for sensing a water level, the structure and the fabrication process of the steam generator are complicated.
Also, since the heater for generating steam is installed in the heater for generating hot air, the structure and fabrication process are also complicated and a larger amount of energy is required to operate the dryer.

Method used

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  • Clothes dryer having a steam generator using a hot air heater
  • Clothes dryer having a steam generator using a hot air heater
  • Clothes dryer having a steam generator using a hot air heater

Examples

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first embodiment

[0035]FIG. 2 schematically shows a steam generator along with other relevant components according to the present invention. As illustrated, a drawer 110 is provided to be drawn out from the front cover 101 of the dryer main body, and a cartridge 113 which corresponds to a reservoir for storing water is detachably mounted on the drawer 110. The drawer 110 is installed at an upper portion of the front cover 101 of the dryer such that it is drawn out to a front side of the main body. Preferably, the drawer 110 is installed at the side of the control panel 103 of the upper portion of the front cover. A handle 114 is provided to the cartridge 113, and the user can easily detach the cartridge 113 from the drawn drawer 110 or mount the cartridge 113. Also, the heater assembly 220 for heating air introduced to the interior of the drum is provided in the intermediate duct 140 positioned at a lower portion of the clothes dryer. A steam generator 230 is provided near the heater assembly 230 in...

second embodiment

[0045]When the afore-mentioned content is considered, the steam generator 330 covers the portion having the highest heating capabilities of the heater assembly 200, while increasing the electric heating area. For this reason, the heating efficiency of the steam generator 330 can be maximized.

[0046]Like the steam generator 220 according to the first embodiment, the outlet 336 is protruded from outside of the duct, and the team hose 117 may be connected along with the nozzle 118 to the outlet 336. Accordingly, the discharged steam may be supplied to the interior of the drum 120 through the steam hose 117 and the nozzle 118. However, as described above, since the steam hose 117 is exposed to the outer side of the duct, steam may be condensed due to a lowered temperature, so the amount and quality of the steam may be degraded. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the steam generator 220 according to the second embodiment of the present invention may further include an auxiliary generator 334. The...

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Abstract

A dryer having a steam generator having high energy efficiency and incurring a low fabrication cost is disclosed. The dryer includes: a drum rotatably mounted in the interior of a main body and accommodating the laundry; a duct guiding air supplied to the drum; a heater assembly provided within the duct and heating air supplied to the drum; and a steam generator disposed to be adjacent to the heater assembly and generating steam to be supplied to the drum by using heat generated by the heater assembly.

Description

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to a clothes dryer and, more particularly, to a dryer having a steam generator generating steam by using heat of a hot air heater which heats air into the interior of a drum of the dryer.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART[0002]In general, a dryer is a device for drying the laundry by evaporating moisture of the laundry by supplying hot air to the interior of a drum when the laundry, which has been completely washed and spin-dried, is put into the drum.[0003]As for the configuration of the dryer, the dryer includes a drum therein into which the laundry is put, a driving motor for driving the drum, a blow fan blowing air into the drum, and a heating unit for heating air introduced into the drum. The is heating unit may be a resistance heater generating heat by using an electrical resistance or a burner generating heat by burning gas.[0004]Air discharged from the drum of the dryer includes moisture of the laundry within the dr...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): D06F58/10
CPCD06F58/203D06F58/04D06F58/26
Inventor SONG, SUNG-HOJIN, YONG-CHEOLKIM, MIN-JIBAE, SANG-HUN
Owner LG ELECTRONICS INC