Clothing processing equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry processing device, comprising: a tub; a drum configured to rotate within the tub and accommodate laundry within the drum; and an induction module disposed on the outer surface of the tub and including a base housing mounted on the outer surface of the tub. The base housing houses a coil therein, the coil including a plurality of straight sections and a plurality of curved sections, the plurality of straight sections including first through fourth second straight sections, the plurality of curved sections formed at points where one of the first and second straight sections intersects with one of the third and fourth straight sections. A first gap between two adjacent wires at a curved section is greater than a second gap between two adjacent wires at the third or fourth straight section. In the laundry processing device of the present invention, the induction module utilizes a magnetic field to uniformly heat the drum to dry laundry or heat wash water, and the center, front, and rear areas of the drum are uniformly heated.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of August 9, 2019, application number 201910735714.X, and invention name “Clothing Processing Device”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus. Background Art

[0003] Generally, clothes treating apparatuses include various types of clothes treating apparatuses such as a washing machine for washing clothes, a clothes drying machine (drying machine) for drying purposes, and a refresher for (clothes) refreshing purposes.

[0004] In laundry processing equipment, the wash cycle is the process of removing contaminants from clothes using water and detergent and mechanical action. The drying cycle is the process of removing water from wet clothes.

[0005] During the washing process, when high-temperature washing water is used for washing, more detergent can be dissolved, thereby making it easier to remove contaminants from the clothes and simultaneously disinfecting the clothes. Therefore, it is preferable to increase the temperature of the washing water within a certain range so that the heat does not cause permanent deformation of the clothes (e.g., shrinkage, distortion, loss of waterproofing, etc.).

[0006] Conventionally, in order to increase the temperature of wash water contacting laundry, hot water is generally provided from outside the laundry treating apparatus, or wash water contacts a heating wire installed inside the laundry treating apparatus and the heated water is supplied to the tub.

[0007] When hot water is supplied from outside, energy is wasted due to the need to operate a separate external boiler. Furthermore, using a heating wire installed inside the laundry treatment apparatus requires the heating wire to remain immersed in the wash water. Consequently, there are structural limitations, necessitating a separate flow path beneath the tub.

[0008] In addition, during the drying process, a hot air drying method is generally used, in which clothes are dried by heating air circulating through a conventional tub and an external circulation channel. In addition, a method has been used in which a heating wire is provided on a flow path for circulating air to heat the air.

[0009] To use the hot air drying method described above, a gas-fired or electric heater capable of heating the heating wire is required. However, gas-fired heaters may present safety and exhaust issues. Furthermore, electric heaters may accumulate foreign matter such as scale and consume excessive energy.

[0010] In addition to the hot air drying method described above, there are also low-temperature dehumidification drying methods using heat pumps. Heat pumps reverse the cooling cycle of an air conditioner. Therefore, a heat pump requires an evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, and compressor. The condenser can be used in the indoor unit to cool the indoor air in an air conditioner. However, in heat pump-based clothes dryers, the air is heated in the evaporator to dry the clothes. However, compared to other hot air supply systems, heat pumps have a bulky structure, complex construction, and high production costs.

[0011] Furthermore, another problem with the hot air drying method and the low-temperature dehumidification drying method is that, since these methods are indirect drying methods using air, there is a disadvantage in that the drying time may be prolonged when clothes are tangled or twisted with each other, or contain a large amount of water.

[0012] These various laundry treatment devices have advantages and disadvantages associated with using electric heaters, gas heaters, and heat pumps as heating devices. Induction heating devices have been proposed as new heating devices that further leverage the advantages of conventional heating devices while addressing their shortcomings. Japanese Patent No. JP 2001070689 and Korean Patent No. KR 10-922986 provide laundry treatment devices using induction heating.

[0013] However, these prior arts only disclose the basic concept of induction heating in a washing machine. There is no specific suggestion or disclosure regarding the detailed components of the induction heating module, its connection relationship with the basic components of the laundry treatment device, its operation, or how to ensure the efficiency and safety of induction heating.

[0014] The coil is wound around an induction heating module in a laundry processing device such as a washing machine or a dryer. Heat is then transferred to the object to be heated (the drum of the washing machine) by an induced current generated by applying current to the coil.

[0015] When a laundry machine is operated, the heated object (the drum of a washing machine) rotates, washing and drying the clothes stored in the drum. The vibrations generated by the rotation of the drum can cause components of the induction heating module to become dislodged from the module. In particular, when the wound coils become dislodged from the module, various problems can occur, such as decreased module efficiency and coil degradation.

[0016] Therefore, it is necessary to provide various specific technical concepts in order to improve efficiency and ensure safety, as well as to stably wind and fix the coil in a clothes treating apparatus adopting the induction heating principle. Summary of the Invention

[0017] Technical Purpose

[0018] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus capable of directly heating a drum to heat wash water or dry laundry.

[0019] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus capable of shortening clothes drying time by directly heating a drum.

[0020] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus which improves drying efficiency by uniformly heating a central region and front and rear regions of a drum.

[0021] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus capable of preventing a coil from being detached from an induction heating module due to vibration by increasing a thermal fusing amount of the coil wound on the induction heating module.

[0022] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes care apparatus which allows a coil to be wound onto a coil base at a uniform density to perform uniform heating of a drum.

[0023] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus having an induction heating module to uniformly and stably heat a drum.

[0024] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus which ensures that a coil is stably installed in an induction heating device so that the coil is not removed from the induction heating device due to vibration of a washing machine.

[0025] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a clothes treating apparatus having an induction heating module having a stable winding relationship between a coil and a component around which the coil is wound.

[0026] Technical Solution

[0027] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a laundry processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a cabinet; a drum made of a metal material and disposed in the cabinet, wherein the drum accommodates laundry therein; an induction module spaced a predetermined distance from an outer circumferential surface of the drum, wherein the induction module has a coil formed of multiple turns of wire, wherein the induction module utilizes a magnetic field generated by applying current to the coil to inductively heat the drum, wherein the induction module includes a rectangular base shell for accommodating the coil, wherein the base shell has a straight section and a corner section, wherein the base shell includes a plurality of ribs protruding upward from the base shell to define a groove for accommodating the coil therein, wherein a thermal fuse for thermally fusing the ribs is defined in each corner section, and wherein the thermal fuse extends across each corner section.

[0028] In one implementation of the first aspect, the thermal fuse extends radially across each corner segment.

[0029] In one implementation of the first aspect, the thermal fuse extends between a start point and an end point of each corner segment.

[0030] In an implementation of the first aspect, the induction module includes a permanent magnet disposed on a top surface of the coil, wherein the thermal fuse extends along a length direction of the permanent magnet.

[0031] In one implementation of the first aspect, the thermal fuse extends along an inner space of the permanent magnet mounting portion, in which the permanent magnet is accommodated.

[0032] In one implementation of the first aspect, the base housing includes: a slot base on which the coil is mounted; and the rib extending upward from the slot base, wherein the slot is defined by the slot base and the rib.

[0033] In one implementation of the first aspect, a protruding height of each rib is greater than a thickness of the coil.

[0034] In one implementation of the first aspect, the spacing between adjacent ribs is smaller than the diameter of the wire, so that the wire is press-fitted into the spacing.

[0035] In one implementation of the first aspect, the thickness of each rib in each corner segment is greater than the thickness of each rib in each straight segment.

[0036] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a clothing processing device is provided, which includes: a cabinet; a drum made of a metal material and arranged in the cabinet, wherein the drum accommodates clothing therein; and an induction module spaced apart from an outer circumferential surface of the drum by a predetermined interval, wherein the induction module has a coil formed by multiple turns of wire, wherein the induction module utilizes a magnetic field generated by applying current to the coil to inductively heat the drum, wherein the induction module includes a rectangular base shell for accommodating the coil, wherein the base shell has a straight section and a corner section, wherein the induction module includes a permanent magnet arranged on the top surface of the coil, wherein the base shell includes a rib protruding upward from the base shell to define a groove for accommodating the coil therein, wherein the thickness of each rib in each corner section of the base shell is equal to the interval between adjacent wires in each corner section.

[0037] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the straight line segment includes: a transverse straight line portion, which includes a front straight line portion in front of the outer peripheral surface of the adjacent roller and a rear straight line portion behind the outer peripheral surface of the adjacent roller; and a longitudinal straight line portion, which extends perpendicular to the transverse straight line portion, wherein each corner segment includes a curved segment extending between each transverse straight line portion and each longitudinal straight line portion.

[0038] In one implementation of the second aspect, the length of the outermost wire of each longitudinal straight portion is greater than the length of the outermost wire of each transverse straight portion.

[0039] In one implementation of the second aspect, the outermost wires of the front straight portion and the outermost wires of the rear straight portion are spaced apart from the frontmost portion and the rearmost portion of the drum, respectively, by predetermined intervals.

[0040] In an implementation of the second aspect, the predetermined interval is in a range of 10 mm to 20 mm.

[0041] In one implementation of the second aspect, the base housing includes base fastening portions extending outward from both sides of the base housing to fix the base housing to the outer circumferential surface of the drum such that a predetermined interval is maintained therebetween.

[0042] In one implementation of the second aspect, each base fastening portion protrudes outward from each of two sides of the base housing, wherein each base fastening portion has a base fastening hole into which the fastener is inserted.

[0043] In an implementation of the second aspect, the base housing has a curved shape corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the drum, wherein the electric wire is wound along the curved shape of the base housing.

[0044] In one implementation of the second aspect, the induction module includes a permanent magnet disposed on a top surface of the coil, wherein the permanent magnet is oriented perpendicular to a length direction of the coil to concentrate the direction of the magnetic field generated by the coil toward the drum.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the second aspect, the permanent magnet includes a plurality of permanent magnets arranged to be spaced apart from each other along a length direction of the coil.

[0046] In one embodiment of the second aspect, the plurality of permanent magnets include rod-shaped magnets of the same length, wherein the coil includes: longitudinal ends, including a front end adjacent to the front of the roller and a rear end adjacent to the rear of the roller; and a central portion located between the longitudinal ends, wherein the area of ​​the central portion is larger than the area of ​​the front end and the rear end, and wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are arranged so that the number of permanent magnets in the front end or the rear end is greater than or equal to the number of permanent magnets in the central portion.

[0047] The features of each of the above-described embodiments may be implemented in combination in other embodiments as long as they are not exclusive or contradictory to each other in the other embodiments.

[0048] Technical Effects

[0049] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides the effect of directly heating the drum to shorten the washing water heating time and the laundry drying time.

[0050] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides the effect of uniformly heating the center and front and rear areas of the drum to improve wash water heating efficiency and drying efficiency.

[0051] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an effect of increasing the thermal meltdown amount of the coil by utilizing the geometric shape of each corner portion of the coil base to improve the mounting stability.

[0052] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides an effect of preventing a coil from being separated from a coil base due to vibration generated when operating a clothes treating apparatus.

[0053] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present disclosure provides the effect of thermally fusing the corner portion of the base to prevent the coil from being separated therefrom, and thermally fusing the coil within the ferrite slot mounted on the corner thereof to ensure a sufficient amount of thermal fusing of the coil. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] Figure 1 The overall construction of a washing machine according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0055] Figure 2 Shown are front and side views of the sensing module and drum.

[0056] Figure 3 is a top view showing the arrangement of coils and permanent magnets.

[0057] Figure 4 (a) shows a coil having the same curvature radius in the curved portion. Figure 4 (b) shows coils having different curvature radii in the curved portion between the inner coil and the outer coil.

[0058] Figure 5 is a graph showing a temperature increase rate based on a drum position according to the shape of a base housing on which the coil is mounted.

[0059] Figure 6 Top and bottom views of the base housing are shown.

[0060] Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling relationship among the tub, the base case, and the cover.

[0061] Figure 8 (a) is a rear view and a side view of the cover. Figure 8 (b) shows a cross-sectional view of the permanent magnet mounting portion.

[0062] Figure 9 is a top view of another embodiment of a base housing.

[0063] Figure 10 yes Figure 9 Bottom view of the . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Various embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] Examples of various embodiments will be further illustrated and described below. It should be understood that the description herein is not intended to limit the claims to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0066] In addition, the configuration described below is for the purpose of explaining the embodiments of the present disclosure, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0067] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the inventive concept belongs. It should also be understood that terms (such as those defined in common dictionaries) should be interpreted as consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formalized meanings unless specifically defined herein.

[0068] It should also be understood that the terms "including / having / comprising / with" as used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, integers, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, operations, elements, components, and / or parts thereof. It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or one or more intervening elements or layers may be present.

[0069] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , which describes a preferred embodiment of a clothes treating apparatus according to the present disclosure. First, the overall construction of the clothes treating apparatus 1 will be described.

[0070] The laundry processing apparatus of this embodiment may include a cabinet 1000 forming an exterior, a tub 2000 installed inside the cabinet, and a drum 3000 rotatably installed inside the tub 2000 and accommodating laundry therein. The illustrated embodiment relates to a washing machine in which wash water is stored in the tub 2000 and washing can be performed using the drum installed in the tub 2000.

[0071] When the clothes treating apparatus of the present embodiment is applied to a drying machine, clothes may be accommodated inside the drum, and thus the tub may be omitted.

[0072] Figure 1 Shows the overall structure of a clothes treating apparatus.

[0073] The laundry processing apparatus 1 may include: a cabinet 1000 forming the exterior of the laundry processing apparatus 1 and having a laundry inlet 1100 defined therein; a tub 2000 located in the cabinet 1000 and having an opening 2200 communicating with the laundry inlet 1100; a drum 3000 mounted inside the tub 2000 and made of metal and accommodating laundry therein; a door 6000 hinged to the cabinet 1000 to allow laundry to be placed in and taken out; and an induction module 5000 for heating the drum 3000 using a magnetic field.

[0074] like Figure 1 As shown, the tub 2000 may be disposed inside the cabinet 1000 by means of a spring disposed on a top surface inside the cabinet 1000 and a shock absorber 1200 disposed on a bottom surface inside the cabinet 1000 .

[0075] Alternatively, the tub 2000 may be fixed to the bottom surface of the cabinet 1000 via a curved rear support portion (not shown) extending downward and to the rear of the tub 2000, and a suspension (not shown) connected to the rear support portion and having a spring and a shock absorber. In this case, the rear portion of the tub 2000 can be tilted at a predetermined angle within the cabinet 1000.

[0076] The drum 3000 is configured to rotate within the tub 2000. In this regard, a driver 4000 for rotating the drum 3000 may be mounted behind the tub 2000. As the drum 3000 rotates and moves within the tub 2000, vibrations are transmitted to the tub 2000. Consequently, the structures mounted on the tub 2000 also vibrate. A detailed description of the problems caused by vibration and solutions to these problems will be provided later.

[0077] In addition, when wash water is supplied to tub 2000, it may have a water supply pipe 8000 therein. Water supply pipe 8000 may be configured to communicate with tub 2000 through a detergent box D provided in cabinet 1000. With this configuration, detergent may be supplied to tub 2000 during the supply of wash water during a washing process.

[0078] In addition, tub 2000 may further include a drain pipe 7000 for draining wash water stored therein. When drainage starts, wash water is drawn from the bottom of the tub and drained from laundry treating apparatus 1 by a drain pump (not shown).

[0079] In a laundry treatment device 1 having a washing function, the washing water may need to be hot and within a washing water temperature range where heating does not cause permanent damage to the clothes (e.g., shrinkage, distortion, or loss of waterproofing, etc.). For this purpose, a heating structure is required to increase the washing water temperature.

[0080] Furthermore, both the laundry treating apparatus 1 having both the washing function and the drying function and the laundry treating apparatus 1 having only the drying function require a heating structure for drying laundry.

[0081] Therefore, the clothes treating apparatus is provided with a sensing module 5000, which can be used for heating washing water or for drying.

[0082] Reference Figure 2 , which describes the principle of heating the drum 3000 using the induction module 5000 .

[0083] The induction module 5000 is mounted on the outer surface of the tub 2000. The induction module can heat the circumferential surface of the drum 3000 using a magnetic field generated by applying current to a coil 5150 (which is a plurality of turns of a wire 5151). The shapes of the wire and the coil are Figure 3 Shown in.

[0084] However, as mentioned above, in a dryer (where washing with water is not performed), the water tub can be omitted. Therefore, in the sensing module within the dryer, a frame or bracket for mounting the sensing module to the dryer can replace the role of the water tub. The frame or bracket can be a component that separates the sensing module from the drum by a predetermined distance.

[0085] The wire 5151 may include a core and a coating surrounding the core. The core may be a single core. In another example, multiple cores may be twisted to form a single core. Therefore, it can be said that the wire diameter of the wire 5151 is determined by the thickness of the core and the thickness of the coating.

[0086] Hereinafter, it will be explained how the coil 5150 heats the drum 3000. AC current with a current phase change flows to the coil 5150 located outside the circumferential surface of the drum. According to Ampere's circuit law, the coil 5150 generates a radial alternating magnetic field.

[0087] This alternating magnetic field is concentrated on drum 3000, a conductor with high magnetic permeability. Magnetic permeability refers to the degree to which a medium is magnetized by a given magnetic field. Consequently, eddy currents form on drum 3000 in accordance with Faraday's law of induction. These eddy currents flow through drum 3000, a conductor, and are converted into Joule heat due to the resistance of drum 3000 itself. As a result, the inner wall of drum 3000 is directly heated.

[0088] When the inner wall of the drum 3000 is directly heated, the temperature of the air inside the drum 3000 and the temperature of the clothes contacting the inner wall of the drum 3000 increase. As a result, the clothes can be directly heated, which can dry the clothes faster than the hot air drying method or the low-temperature dehumidification drying method in the indirect heating type.

[0089] Furthermore, in the laundry treatment apparatus 1 having a washing machine function, the wash water can be heated without a separate heating line and flow path. The wash water can continuously contact the outer wall of the drum 3000. Therefore, the wash water can be heated more quickly than in a method of forming a separate channel and heating line under the tub.

[0090] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , which describes a preferred embodiment of the shape of the coil.

[0091] Figure 3 The top surface of the coil 5150 is shown when the electric wire 5151 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 . Figure 4 Various coil shapes are shown.

[0092] The coil 5150 may be formed by winding an electric wire 5151 around the outer circumference of the tub 2000, for example, in a concentric circle, ellipse, or orbital shape. The shape of the coil is not limited to a specific shape. Depending on the winding pattern, the heating intensity of the drum 3000 may be changed.

[0093] When the curvature radius of the curved portion is configured so that the inner coil and the outer coil have Figure 4 When the curvature radius is different as shown in (b), the amount of the magnetic field transmitted to the center of the drum 3000 and the amount of the magnetic field transmitted to the front and rear areas of the drum 3000 may be significantly different from each other.

[0094] In other words, since the coil area corresponding to the front and rear areas of the drum 3000 is small, the amount of magnetic field transmitted to the front area of ​​the circumferential surface of the drum 3000 is relatively small. Since the coil area corresponding to the central area A of the drum 3000 is large, the amount of magnetic field transmitted to the central area of ​​the circumferential surface of the drum 3000 is relatively large. Therefore, it is difficult to uniformly heat the drum 3000.

[0095] Therefore, the coil 5150 may be constructed such that the wire 5151 is wound along the straight portions 5155, 5156, and 5157 and the curved portion 5153, as in Figure 4 The curvature radius of the electric wire 5151 forming the curved portion 5153 is preferably the same between the inner coil and the outer coil.

[0096] Figure 4(a) The area of ​​each corner of the coil and Figure 4 The areas of the coils at each corner of the coil in (b) may be significantly different from each other.

[0097] When describing the relationship between the straight portions 5155, 5156, and 5157 and the curved portion 5153 in more detail, the straight portions 5155, 5156, and 5157 may include transverse straight portions 5156 and 5157 (including a front straight portion 5156 provided in a front region of the outer circumference of the tub 2000 and a rear straight portion provided in a rear region of the outer circumference of the tub 2000) and a longitudinal straight portion 5155 extending perpendicularly to the transverse straight portions 5156 and 5157. Each curved portion 5153 may be formed at a point where the transverse straight portions 5156 and 5157 and the longitudinal straight portion 5155 meet each other.

[0098] That is, the coil may be composed of a front straight portion 5156, a rear straight portion 5157, two longitudinal portions 5155, and four curved portions 5153 formed between the straight portions 5155, 5156, and 5157 and having the same radius of curvature.

[0099] According to the configuration described above, the lateral dimensions of the coil longitudinal ends B1 and B2 including the coil front end portion adjacent to the front of the tub 2000 and the coil rear end portion adjacent to the rear of the tub may be the same as the lateral dimension of the coil central area A located between the coil longitudinal ends B1 and B2.

[0100] As a result, the amount of magnetic field emitted from the longitudinal ends B1 and B2 of the coil to the front and rear of the circumference of the drum 3000 may be substantially the same as the amount of magnetic field emitted from the central area A of the coil to the center of the circumference of the drum 3000.

[0101] Therefore, it is possible to obtain an effect that the drum 3000 can be uniformly heated in both the central region and the front and rear regions of the circumferential surface thereof.

[0102] Figure 5 The temperature distribution based on the roller position according to the coil shape is shown.

[0103] Figure 5 The coils 5150 having different longitudinal lengths and the temperature distribution of the circumferential surface of the drum 3000 based on the longitudinal dimensions of the coils 5150 are shown.

[0104] In the graph, the vertical axis represents the position of the drum. '1' indicates the rear area of ​​the outer circumference of the drum. '5' indicates the front area of ​​the outer circumference of the drum 3000, and '2' to '5' indicate the areas between them. Furthermore, the horizontal axis represents the temperature increase rate of the drum 3000.

[0105] The longitudinal dimension of the coil 5150 and the temperature rise rate of the drum 3000 described below are based on the Figure 5 The coils 5150 are shown in FIG. 5 and will be compared with each other. Figure 5 (a) shows the case where the roller is heated using a coil having the largest longitudinal dimension. Figure 5 (b) shows the case where the drum is heated using a coil having an intermediate size in the longitudinal dimension. Figure 5 (c) shows the case where the roller is heated using a coil having the smallest longitudinal dimension.

[0106] Figure 5 (a) shows a uniform temperature increase rate between the front and rear areas of the drum 3000 compared to other coils. Figure 5 In (c), the difference in temperature increase rate between the front and rear areas of the drum 3000 may be huge. Figure 5 The coils of (b) have a relatively large temperature rise rate among them.

[0107] That is, assuming that the lateral dimensions of the coil 5150 are the same, it can be seen that as the longitudinal dimensions of the coil 5150 increase, the front and rear areas and the center area of ​​the drum 3000 can be heated more uniformly. That is, the long axis of the elliptical or orbital coil preferably extends along the front and rear directions of the tub.

[0108] This is applicable to the case where the coil 5150 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000. In this case, as the longitudinal ends B1 and B2 of the coil 5150 are respectively closer to the front and rear areas of the tub 2000, the circumferential surface of the drum 3000 inside the tub 2000 can be heated more uniformly.

[0109] Furthermore, when the outermost wires of the transverse straight portions 5156 and 5157 extend to the front and rear areas of the tub 2000, the drum 3000 can be heated more evenly. However, in this case, the magnetic field extends too far into the front and rear areas of the tub 2000, thereby heating other components of the laundry processing apparatus, such as the driver 4000 or the door 6000. This creates the problem of damaging the laundry processing apparatus 1.

[0110] Furthermore, in laundry treatment apparatus 1 (where the rear area of ​​tub 2000 is tilted within cabinet 1000), tub 2000 oscillates up and down, causing interference between the front upper corner of sensing module 5000 and the top surface of cabinet 1. Consequently, sensing module 5000 and cabinet 1000 may be damaged. To prevent this, the height of cabinet 1000 can be increased. However, this approach presents a limitation in achieving a compact structure for the laundry treatment apparatus.

[0111] Accordingly, the outermost wires of the front straight portion 5156 are spaced a predetermined distance from the frontmost area of ​​the tub 2000. The outermost wires of the rear straight portion 5157 are spaced a predetermined distance from the rearmost area of ​​the tub 2000. The predetermined interval may preferably be within a range of 10 to 20 mm.

[0112] The above configuration prevents components other than the drum 3000 from being unnecessarily heated, or prevents interference between the induction module 5000 and the top surface of the cabinet 1000 while uniformly heating the outer circumferential surface of the drum 3000 .

[0113] Furthermore, the length of the outermost wire of the longitudinal straight portion 5155 of the coil 5150 is preferably greater than the length of the outermost wire of each of the transverse straight portions 5156 and 5157 .

[0114] This prevents the magnetic field from being emitted to an excessive distance in the circumferential direction of the drum 3000 , thereby not heating components other than the drum 3000 , and ensures space for arranging springs or other structures that may be provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 .

[0115] In this regard, the surface on which the electric wire 5151 may be wound to form the coil 5150 may be a curved surface corresponding to the circumferential surface of the drum 3000. In this case, the flux density of the magnetic field toward the drum 3000 may be further increased.

[0116] In addition, when operating the sensing module 5000 , it is preferable to rotate the drum 3000 to uniformly heat the circumference of the drum 3000 .

[0117] In addition, the magnetic field generated by the coil 5150 is emitted toward the drum 3000 having high magnetic permeability, and the magnetic field is also partially emitted to its front and rear areas and the left and right sides of the coil 5150 in the direction opposite to the direction toward the drum 3000.

[0118] Therefore, it is necessary to concentrate the magnetic field generated by the coil 5150 in a direction only toward the drum 3000. For this purpose, the induction module 5000 may include a permanent magnet 5130.

[0119] Reference Figure 3 , embodiments of permanent magnets and arrangements of permanent magnets will now be described.

[0120] The permanent magnet 5130 functions as a blocking member to prevent other components other than the drum 3000 from being heated. The magnetic field generated by the coil 5150 is concentrated only in a direction toward the drum 3000 to improve heating efficiency.

[0121] like Figure 3As shown, the permanent magnet 5130 may be embodied as a bar magnet. The permanent magnet 5130 may preferably be disposed on the coil 5150 and oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the coil 5150. This is intended to cover both the inner coil and the outer coil.

[0122] The permanent magnet 5130 may include a plurality of bar magnets of the same size, and the plurality of permanent magnets 5130 may be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the coil 5150 .

[0123] This is because when the permanent magnets 5130 are provided only at specific positions, the amount of magnetic field emitted to the drum 3000 may vary between components of the circumferential surface of the drum 3000, making it difficult to uniformly heat the drum. Therefore, in order to uniformly guide the magnetic field generated in the coil 5150 toward the drum 5150, the plurality of permanent magnets 5130 may be preferably arranged spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the coil 5150.

[0124] In addition, when the number of the permanent magnets 5130 is fixed, it may be preferable to concentrically arrange the permanent magnets 5130 in the front and rear portions of the tub 2000 and on the coil 5150 .

[0125] Specifically, if Figure 3 As shown in (b), the coil 5150 can be divided into coil longitudinal end portions B1 and B2, including a coil front end portion B1 adjacent to the front area of ​​the tub 2000 and a coil rear end portion B2 adjacent to the rear area of ​​the tub 2000, and a coil center region A. The coil center region is located between the coil front end portion B1 and the coil rear end portion B2 and has a larger area than each of the coil front end portion B1 and the coil rear end portion B2. The permanent magnets 5130 can be arranged so that the number of permanent magnets 5130 on the coil front end portion B1 or the coil rear end portion B2 is equal to or greater than the number of permanent magnets 5130 on the coil center region A.

[0126] In the coil center region A, the magnetic field is emitted to extend to the left and right sides of the coil 5150. In this case, the width dimension of the drum 3000 is much larger than the lateral dimension of the coil center region A. Therefore, the drum 3000 can be uniformly heated in the lateral direction without arranging a large number of permanent magnets.

[0127] On the other hand, in the coil front end portion B1 and the coil rear end portion B2, the magnetic field is emitted to extend to the left and right sides of the coil 5150. Furthermore, in the coil front end portion B1, the magnetic field is emitted to the front area of ​​the drum 3000. In the coil rear end portion B2, the magnetic field is emitted to the rear area of ​​the drum 3000.

[0128] Furthermore, the coil density is relatively low at the front and rear ends (B1, B2). That is, due to the rounded corners, the coil density at the longitudinal ends must be reduced. This is because, in theory, the coil cannot extend linearly at its corners.

[0129] Therefore, when the number of permanent magnets is fixed and the permanent magnets are respectively arranged in the coil front end portion B1, the coil rear end portion B2, and the coil center region A, a problem of uneven heating along the longitudinal direction of the drum 3000 may occur.

[0130] Therefore, when the number of permanent magnets 5130 is fixed, it is more desirable to concentrate the arrangement of the permanent magnets 5130 on the longitudinal ends B1 and B2 rather than on the central area A of the coil. That is, the front and rear areas of the drum can also be heated uniformly. Figure 3 In the embodiment shown in (b), the drum is comparable Figure 3 The embodiment shown in (a) heats more evenly to improve heating efficiency.

[0131] In other words, the magnetic flux density at the coil longitudinal ends B1 and B2 is increased by the concentration of the permanent magnet arrangement thereon. As a result, the drum 30 is heated uniformly along its longitudinal direction.

[0132] Specifically, under the same conditions, Figure 3 The embodiment shown in (b) is comparable Figure 3 The embodiment shown in (a) is more efficient. In addition, when the number of permanent magnets 5130 is fixed, it may be efficient to shift the permanent magnets 76 in the central region A to the longitudinal ends B1 and B2. Therefore, when the total magnetic flux density is determined based on the arrangement of the permanent magnets, it is desirable that the magnetic flux density at the longitudinal ends B1 and B2 is greater than the magnetic flux density at the central region A.

[0133] The embodiments of the winding pattern of the coil 5150 and the embodiments of the arrangement of the permanent magnet 5130 described above do not contradict each other, but may be implemented in combination in a single laundry treating apparatus 1. In this case, the drum 3000 may be heated more uniformly than in the laundry treating apparatus 1 in which only each of the embodiments of the winding pattern of the coil 5150 and the embodiments of the arrangement of the permanent magnet 5130 described above is implemented.

[0134] In addition, when the drum 3000 rotates during washing or drying, vibration is transmitted to the tub 2000. Therefore, the structure installed on the tub 2000 will also vibrate along with the drum. In the laundry processing apparatus 1, problems such as increased noise or deterioration of durability may occur.

[0135] Furthermore, when the tub 2000 vibrates, the coil 5150 mounted on the tub 2000 may vibrate, causing the coil 5150 to be dislodged or generating noise. Therefore, it is desirable that the coil 5150 be securely mounted on the tub 2000 to resolve the aforementioned problem. For this purpose, the coil 5150 is preferably mounted on the tub 2000 using the induction module 5000.

[0136] Reference Figure 7 , describing the sensing module 5000.

[0137] The sensing module 5000 serves as a fixing member for fixing the coil 5150 to the outer circumference of the tub 2000. The sensing module 5000 may include a base case 5100 mounted on the outer circumference of the tub 2000 to prevent the coil 5150 from being removed from the tub 2000 when the tub 2000 vibrates.

[0138] Figure 6 A state in which the base housing 5100 is mounted on the tub 2000 is shown. Figure 6 (a) shows the top surface of the base housing 5100. Figure 6 (b) shows the bottom surface of the base housing 5100.

[0139] First, refer to Figure 6 , the base housing 5100 will be described.

[0140] like Figure 6 (a') and Figure 6 As shown in (a"), the base housing 5100 has a coil groove 5120 that is narrower than the diameter of the wire 5151, so that the wire 5151 of the coil 5150 is press-fit into the groove and is thereby constrained therein. In connection with this, the width dimension of the coil groove 5120 can be set to 93% to 97% of the wire diameter of the wire 5151.

[0141] When the electric wire 5151 is press-fitted into the coil groove 5120 and then constrained in the coil groove 5120 , even if the tub 2000 vibrates, the electric wire 5151 is fixed inside the coil groove 5120 so that the coil 5150 does not move.

[0142] Therefore, the coil 5150 is not removed from the coil slot 5120 and the movement of the coil itself is suppressed. This can prevent noise that may be caused by the presence of a gap between them.

[0143] In addition, the coil groove 5120 may be defined by a plurality of fixing ribs 5121 protruding upward from the base housing 5100. The height of the fixing ribs 5121 may be greater than the diameter of the coil 5150.

[0144] The height of the fixing rib 5121 may be greater than the wire diameter of the coil 5150 so that both sides of the coil 5150 are sufficient to contact the inner wall of the fixing rib 5121. This feature also relates to the melting process of the top of the fixing rib 5121 as described below.

[0145] With the above features, the fixing ribs 5121 can be separated from the adjacent wires 5151 to prevent electrical short circuits. Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a separate insulating film to the wires 5151. In an alternative embodiment, the thickness of the insulating film can be minimized, thereby reducing production costs.

[0146] Furthermore, the top of the fixing rib 5121 may be configured such that the electric wire 5151 is inserted into the groove and the top of the rib 5121 is then melted to cover the top of the coil 5150. That is, the top of the fixing rib 5121 may be subjected to a melting process.

[0147] In connection with this, the height of the fixing rib 5121 is preferably 1 to 1.5 times the wire diameter of the electric wire 5151 so as to cover the top of the coil 5150 during the melting process of the rib.

[0148] Specifically, refer to Figure 6 (a"), after the wire is pressed into the groove, the fixing rib 5121 can be melted while its top surface is pressed down. Then, as Figure 6 As shown in (a"), a portion of the melted fixing rib 5121 may collapse downward to cover the tops of the two wires 5151. In connection with this, each fixing rib 5121 between adjacent wires 5151 may preferably be melted to completely shield the tops of the wires 5151 in the coil slot 5120, or melted to define a gap on the tops of the wires that is narrower than the wire diameter of the wires 5151.

[0149] In another embodiment, the coil groove 5120 may be melted to cover not two adjacent wires but only one wire 5151. In this case, each of all the fixing ribs 5121 may be melted to cover only the inner wire 5151 of the two adjacent wires 5151 or only the outer wire 5151 of the two adjacent wires 5151.

[0150] In addition to press-fitting the coil 5150 into the coil groove 5120, a top portion of the fixing rib 5121 may be melted. This is intended to physically block the path along which the wire 5151 moves and suppress the movement of the wire 5151, thereby preventing noise that may be caused by vibration of the tub 2000 and removing gaps between components, thereby improving durability.

[0151] The coil slot 5120 may be defined by a slot base 5122 upon which the coil 5150 is disposed. A securing rib 5121 may extend upward from the slot base.

[0152] The groove base 5122 can be as Figure 6 The coil 5150 is pressurized and fixed by a combination of the slot base 5122 and the fixed rib 5121 that has been melted.

[0153] In another example, the slot base 5122 may be partially open. In this regard, the opening defined in the slot base 5122 may be referred to as a through hole 5170.

[0154] In the above description, the coil 5150 is provided as being formed on the top surface of the base housing 5100. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The fixing rib 5151 may protrude downward from the base housing 5100 so that the coil 5150 is disposed on the bottom surface of the base housing 5100. In this case, even if a separate through-hole is not formed in the slot base 5122, the gap defined by the melt-treated fixing rib 5121 may serve as a through-hole.

[0155] Figure 6 (b) shows the bottom surface of the base housing 5100. As shown in the figure, the bottom surface of the base housing 5100 may have a through hole 5170 defined therein and penetrating the top surface thereof. The through hole 5170 has an open structure through which the coil 5150 faces the outer circumference of the tub 2000. Therefore, the through hole 5170 may be formed along the winding pattern of the electric wire 5151.

[0156] When the wire 5151 extends along the winding shape, the heating efficiency can also be improved by smoothly emitting the magnetic field from the wire 5151 to the drum 3000, and allowing air to flow along the open surface to obtain the advantage that the overheated coil 5150 can be quickly cooled.

[0157] In addition, if Figure 6 As shown in (b) of FIG. 5 , the base support bar 5160 extends to intersect with a through-hole that may be provided on the bottom surface of the base housing 5100 . The base housing 5100 may include the base support bar 5160 .

[0158] The base support bar 5160 may radially extend around each of two points 5165 around the central area A of the base housing 5100 , thereby enhancing adhesion between the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 and the base housing 5100 .

[0159] When the base fastening portion 5190 provided on each of both sides of the base case 5100 is fixed to the tub fastening portion 2100 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the tub, the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 is pressed by the base supporting bar 5160. Therefore, the base case can be supported more strongly than when the entire bottom surface of the base case 5100 is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 (see FIG. 2 ). Figure 7 ). Accordingly, even if tub 2000 vibrates, base housing 5100 cannot be easily moved or separated from the outer circumferential surface of tub 2000.

[0160] Furthermore, in order to increase the fastening force between the base housing 5100 and the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000, the base housing 5100 may have a curved surface corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000. Furthermore, on the top surface of the base housing 5100 (on which the electric wire 5151 is wound), the curved portion of the fixing rib 5121 may have the same curvature radius in a manner corresponding to the feature that the curvature radii of the coil curved portion 5153 are equal to each other as described above (see FIG. Figure 3 ).

[0161] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown, the sensing module 5000 may further include a cover 5300 coupled to the base housing 5100 to cover the coil slot 5120 .

[0162] The cover 5300 is configured to be coupled to the top surface of the base housing 510, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 The cover is used to prevent the coil 5150 and the permanent magnet 5130 from being removed from the induction module.

[0163] Specifically, the bottom surface of the cover 5300 may be in close contact with the top of the coil slot 5120 of the base housing 5100. Accordingly, the movement of the cover 5300 itself may be prevented.

[0164] Reference Figure 8 , which describes cover 5300 in detail.

[0165] Reference Figure 8 (a) of the embodiment of the present invention may provide a plurality of reinforcing ribs 5370 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the cover 5300. The reinforcing ribs 5370 and the top of the coil slot 5120 may be in close contact with each other.

[0166] When the bottom surface of the reinforcing rib 5370 is in close contact with the coil slot 5120 , more concentrated pressure may be applied to a smaller area than when the entire bottom surface of the cover 5300 is in close contact with the top of the coil slot 5120 .

[0167] As a result, the cover 5300 can be more firmly fixed to the outside of the tub 2000. Therefore, even if the tub 2000 vibrates, this does not cause noise and deviation of parts due to the gap.

[0168] The reinforcing ribs 5370 may include a plurality of reinforcing ribs arranged along the direction of the coil 5150. In addition, the reinforcing ribs 5370 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the coil 5150. Therefore, the reinforcing ribs 5370 may firmly fix the entire coil without squeezing the entire coil.

[0169] In this regard, a space is required between the cover 5300 and the coil 5150 because it is desirable for air to flow therethrough for heat dissipation. Therefore, the reinforcing ribs 5370 partially fill the space. This allows the coil to be fixed while ensuring space for air flow.

[0170] Furthermore, the reinforcing ribs 5370 are preferably formed integrally with the cover 5300. Therefore, when the cover 5300 is coupled with the base housing 5100, the reinforcing ribs 5370 press the coil 5150. Therefore, a separate means or step for pressing the coil 5150 becomes unnecessary.

[0171] Furthermore, a permanent magnet 5130 may be inserted between the base housing 5100 and the cover 5300. The cover 5300 may have a permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 into which the permanent magnet 5130 is inserted. Accordingly, when the permanent magnet 5130 is fixed to the cover 5300, the permanent magnet may be fixed to the top of the coil 5150 as the cover 5300 is coupled to the base housing 5100.

[0172] The permanent magnets 5130 may be preferably provided at specific positions on the top surface of the coil 5150, respectively, to effectively concentrate the direction of the magnetic field toward the drum 3000. Therefore, when the permanent magnets 5130 move in accordance with the vibration of the tub 2000, there may be a problem of not only generating noise but also reducing heating efficiency.

[0173] Therefore, the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 allows the permanent magnet 5130 to be fixed at a position where the permanent magnet 5130 is originally disposed between the base housing 5100 and the cover 5300. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the problem of reduced heating efficiency.

[0174] More specifically, the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 may have a bottom opening 5352 defined therein. The bottom opening may be defined by two side walls that protrude downward from the bottom surface of the cover 5300 and face away from each other. The bottom surface of the permanent magnet 5130 mounted in the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 may communicate with one surface of the coil 5150 through the bottom opening 5352.

[0175] In this case, the leftward and rightward movements of the permanent magnet 5130 can be suppressed by the two side walls. Due to the presence of the bottom opening 5352 , the permanent magnet 5130 can be closer to the top surface of the coil 5150 .

[0176] As the permanent magnet 5130 is closer to the coil 5150, the magnetic field is directed in a more concentrated manner toward the drum 3000. As a result, stable and uniform heating of the drum 3000 can be achieved.

[0177] Furthermore, the permanent magnet mounting portion 5130 includes an inner wall 5354 protruding downward from the bottom surface of the cover 5300 at one end of each of the two side walls. The permanent magnet mounting portion 5130 includes a stopper 5355 to prevent the permanent magnet 5130 from being removed from the cover 5300. An opening may be defined between the inner wall 5354 and the stopper 5355. Due to the stopper 5355, the permanent magnet 5130 may not be separated from the cover 5300.

[0178] The inner wall 5354 and the stopper 5355 prevent the permanent magnet 5130 from moving back and forth. Therefore, stable and uniform heating of the drum 3000 can be achieved. In addition, when the temperature of the permanent magnet 5130 increases due to the overheated coil 5150, the heat from the permanent magnet 5130 can be discharged through the opening.

[0179] In this regard, the base housing 5100 may further include a permanent magnet pressing piece 5357 protruding upward in the bottom opening 5352 to press the bottom surface of the permanent magnet 5130. The permanent magnet pressing piece 5357 may be embodied as a leaf spring or a rubber-based protrusion.

[0180] When vibration is transmitted to the permanent magnet 5130 corresponding to the vibration of the tub 2000 , the permanent magnet 5130 may generate noise due to a gap that may be formed between the coil slot 5120 and the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 below.

[0181] Therefore, the permanent magnet extrusion piece 5357 can prevent the problem of noise generation by buffering vibration. In addition, the permanent magnet extrusion piece 5357 can eliminate the gap to prevent the permanent magnet 5130 and the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 from being damaged due to vibration.

[0182] In addition, in order to increase the clamping force and stabilize the heating drum 3000 , the lower end of the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 may be configured to be in close contact with the top of the coil slot 5120 .

[0183] In this case, since the bottom surface of the permanent magnet 5130 can be configured to be closer to the coil 5150 as described above, the drum 3000 can be heated more uniformly. The bottom surface of the permanent magnet 5130 serves as a reinforcing rib 5370 to strengthen the adhesion between the cover 5300 and the base housing 5100.

[0184] In addition, when the base case 5100 has a curved surface conforming to the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 , the cover 5300 may have a curved surface having the same curvature as the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000 .

[0185] In another embodiment, the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 may be included in the base housing 5100 .

[0186] The base housing 5100 may be formed such that the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350 is provided on the top surface of the fixing rib 5121. In connection with this, a permanent magnet extrusion 5357 may be formed on the bottom surface of the cover 5300.

[0187] Reference Figure 7 , a description is given of how the cover 5300 and the base housing 5100 are coupled to the tub 2000.

[0188] exist Figure 7 , discloses a fastening structure between the tub 2000, the base housing 5100 and the cover 5300. Figure 7 , the tub 2000 includes a tub fastening portion 2100 , the base case 5100 includes a base fastening portion 5190 , and the cover 5300 includes a cover fastening portion 5390 .

[0189] The tub fastening portion 2100 has a tub fastening hole. The base fastening portion 5190 has a base fastening hole. The lid fastening portion 5390 has a lid fastening hole. All fastening holes may have the same length. Therefore, a single screw can be inserted through these holes to simultaneously fasten the tub 2000, the base housing 5100, and the lid 5300 to each other.

[0190] Therefore, it is possible to easily assemble the tub, the base case, and the cover in a manufacturing process and reduce production costs.

[0191] Furthermore, in order to secure fastening spaces when the longitudinal ends B1 and B2 of the coil are adjacent to the front and rear areas of the tub 2000 , the tub fastening portion 2100 , the base fastening portion 5190 , and the cover fastening portion 5390 are positioned such that fastening points exist on both sides of the coil 5150 .

[0192] In addition, if Figure 8 As shown, the cover 5300 may further include cover mounting ribs 5380 protruding downwardly at both side edges of the cover. The ribs 5380 allow the cover 5300 to be easily press-fitted into the base housing 5100 and prevent the cover 5300 from moving leftward and rightward.

[0193] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown, the cover 5300 may have a fan mounting portion 5360. The fan mounting portion 5360 may be formed at a corner of the cover 5300.

[0194] Air can be guided into the cover 5300 (i.e., the induction module) through the fan mounting portion. Since a space is formed between the cover 5300 and the base housing 5100 in the induction module, air can flow. Furthermore, through-holes are formed in the base housing. Therefore, air can cool the coil 5150 in the internal space and be discharged outside the induction module through the base housing.

[0195] Here, we have discussed an example in which the sensing module 5000 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the tub 2000. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The sensing module 5000 may also be formed on the inner circumferential surface of the tub 2000. Alternatively, the sensing module 5000 may form a portion of the circumferential surface of the outer wall of the tub 2000.

[0196] In this regard, the induction module 5000 is preferably disposed as close as possible to the outer circumferential surface of the drum 3000. That is, the magnetic field generated by the induction module 5000 significantly decreases as the distance between the drum and the coil increases.

[0197] Reference Figure 9 , another embodiment of the base shell 5100 will be described below.

[0198] Vibrations occur during the operation of laundry treatment equipment. In particular, vibrations occur during the washing and spinning processes, and these vibrations are transmitted to the tub. Consequently, these vibrations are transmitted to the coil mounted on the tub. Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the coil from being detached from the induction module mounted in the laundry treatment equipment due to vibrations. In this embodiment, a structure of the base housing 5100 is proposed that effectively prevents the coil from detaching.

[0199] As described above, in order to uniformly heat the drum, the shape of the coil 5150 is preferably a quadrilateral, and more preferably a rectangle or a square. In addition, the base housing 5100 in which the coil 5150 is housed preferably has a shape corresponding to the shape of the coil 5150. That is, the shape of the base housing 5100 is preferably a rectangle.

[0200] A method of mounting the coil 5150 on the base housing 5100 will now be described.

[0201] Basically, the electric wire 5151 is wound around the base housing 5100 in a rectangular shape to form a coil 5150. This winding will be explained as follows.

[0202] The base housing 5100 has an inlet 5102 and an outlet 5104. The inlet 5102 is located near the center of the base housing 5100, while the outlet 5104 is located at the edge of the base housing 5100. The wire 5151 is drawn into the inlet 5102 of the base housing 5100 and then wound toward the edge. The wire 5151 is ultimately drawn out of the base housing 5100 through the outlet 5104. Ultimately, the coil 5150 formed by the multiple turns of the wire 5151 is approximately rectangular in shape.

[0203] In addition, if Figure 6As shown, in order to wrap the electric wire 5151 around the base housing 5100, ribs 5121 protruding upward are arranged at predetermined intervals on the base housing 5100. The groove 5120 accommodates the electric wire 5151. The groove may be defined between the rib 5121 and an adjacent rib.

[0204] Once the wire 5151 has been wound, thermal fusing of the top of the rib 5121 may be performed to prevent the wire 5151 from escaping from the slot 5120. That is, when the top of the rib 5121 is melted while being squeezed, the top of the rib 5121 collapses to extend laterally to block all or a portion of the open top of the slot 5120. Thus, the melted portion of the rib 5121 prevents the wire 5151 from escaping from the slot 5120.

[0205] As described above, the top portion melted by the thermal fuse of the rib 5121 prevents the electric wire 5151 from being detached from the groove. Therefore, in view of preventing the deviation of the electric wire 5151, the amount of melting by the thermal fuse of the rib 5121 is preferably large.

[0206] Reference Figure 9 , thermal fusing will now be described.

[0207] As described above, the electric wire 5151 is wound around the quadrilateral base housing 5100. The coil 5150, which is defined as the winding of the electric wire, is rectangular. Furthermore, when winding the electric wire 5151, it is desirable that the turns of the electric wire 5151 have a constant curvature while the intervals between adjacent electric wires 5151 remain constant.

[0208] The electric wire 5151 extends in a straight line in the straight section A1 of the base housing 5100. The electric wire 5151 is bent at an angle of about 90 degrees in the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100.

[0209] The principle of using the geometry of the wire winding to prevent detachment of the coil will now be described.

[0210] The diagonal dimension L2 of the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100 is greater than the width L1 of the straight section A1. Accordingly, substantially the same number of wires 5151 are wound between the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100 and the straight section A1 thereof.

[0211] Therefore, the interval W2 between the wire 5151 and the adjacent wires at the corner section A2 is greater than the interval W1 between the wire 5151 and the adjacent wires at the straight section A1. In this regard, the ribs may be positioned in the intervals W1 and W2 between the adjacent wires 5151.

[0212] Therefore, utilizing this geometric characteristic, the thickness of the ribs in the corner section A2 can be greater than the thickness of the ribs in the straight section A1. Therefore, the interval W1 between adjacent wires 5151 in the straight section A1 can be kept constant, while the thickness W2 of each rib in the corner section A2 can be large.

[0213] Increasing the thickness W2 of each rib in the corner section A2 can increase the amount melted by thermal fusing of the rib in the corner section A2. Therefore, detachment of the electric wire 5151 from the module can be more effectively prevented.

[0214] Reference Figure 10 , the thermal cutoff area will be explained as follows.

[0215] The thermal fuse area of ​​the rib 5121 will be described to effectively prevent the coil 5150 from being detached from the base housing 5100.

[0216] The base housing 5100 is rectangular in shape. The base housing 5100 is wrapped with an electric wire 5151. In this corner section A2, the electric wire 5151 is bent approximately 90 degrees. Therefore, as the electric wire 5151 bends in the corner section A2, the gap between the electric wire 5151 and the base housing can be increased. This prevents the electric wire 5151 from escaping from the housing in the corner section A2.

[0217] Details of preventing the coil from being detached from the housing will be described below.

[0218] The base housing 5100 includes a slot base 5122 from which a rib 5121 protrudes. Furthermore, the base housing 5100 preferably has a through hole 5170. That is, the entire base housing 5100 may not define the slot base 5122. In other words, a portion of the base housing 5100 may define the slot base 5122. Furthermore, the through hole 5170 is preferably formed in a portion of the base housing other than the slot base 5122.

[0219] The slot base 5122 may preferably define a portion of the housing corresponding to a portion where the permanent magnet 5130 is installed. In addition, through the through-hole 5170, heat generated by the coil 5150 may flow out.

[0220] As described above, the coil may be most easily detached from the housing in the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100. Therefore, it is particularly desirable to thermally fuse the ribs 5121 in the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100. Furthermore, in the corner section A2, it is more desirable to perform thermal fusing of two rows of ribs H extending radially from the center to the edge.

[0221] More specifically, a thermal fuse is defined in the corner section A2, along which the thermal fuse device thermally fuses the rib 5121. The thermal fuse is transverse to the corner section A2. When the rib 5121 undergoes thermal fusing, the wires can be fixed to the base housing 5100.

[0222] The thermal fuse may extend outwardly in the corner section A2 along a certain direction. Preferably, the thermal fuse may extend radially and outwardly in the corner section A2 along a certain direction.

[0223] Furthermore, the corner segment A2 is defined as a segment connecting the transverse straight line portions 5156 and 5157 and the longitudinal straight line portion 5155. The corner segment A2 has a start point that is an end of one of the transverse straight line portions 5156 and 5157 and the longitudinal straight line portion 5155, and has an end point that is an end of the other of the transverse straight line portions 5156 and 5157 and the longitudinal straight line portion 5155.

[0224] The thermal fuse can extend between the start and end points of corner section A2. That is, due to the cornered geometry of base housing 5100, coil detachment frequently occurs in corner section A2. Therefore, forming a thermal fuse in corner section A2 can prevent the coil from being lifted.

[0225] In one example, the permanent magnet 5130 is located on the coil in the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100. It is more desirable to perform thermal fusing of the rib along the longitudinal direction of the permanent magnet 5130 in the corner section A2 of the base housing 5100. It is also preferable to thermally fuse the rib along the internal space (i.e., the bottom opening 5352) of the permanent magnet mounting portion 5350. This is because thermal fusing in this manner ensures a sufficient amount of thermal fusing of the rib 5121 (due to the large thickness of the rib in the corner section A2).

[0226] Furthermore, even if thermal fusing is performed in the straight section A1 of the base housing 5100, it is preferably performed along the longitudinal direction of the permanent magnet 5130. It is more preferable to perform thermal fusing of the rib along the inner space of the permanent magnet mounting portion 5150.

[0227] Thermal fusing can be performed by inserting the wire into the slot defined by the fixing ribs and melting the top of the ribs to cover the top of the coil.For this reason, the base housing 5100 including the fixing ribs can be formed by injection molding.

[0228] Furthermore, when the wire is inserted into the coil slot, the top of the fixing rib may protrude above the top of the wire. In this regard, pressing the heating plate downward on the top of the fixing rib causes the melted portion of the fixing rib to collapse in a diffuse manner to the left and right. This melted portion may spread laterally to the left and right of the fixing rib, thereby securing the coil.

[0229] As a result, the top portion of the fixing rib melts and collapses to cover the top opening of the coil slot (through which the wire is inserted). The top opening is either completely blocked or partially opened. When the opening is partially opened, the partially opened portion is much smaller than the wire diameter, thereby preventing the wire from being removed from the opening.

[0230] Furthermore, the direction in which the top of the fixed rib collapses can be determined based on the direction of movement of the heating plate. As described above, when the plate is pressed downward, the melted portion of the fixed rib collapses and spreads laterally to the right and left. Furthermore, when the heating plate is moved to the left while pressing the plate downward, the melted portion of the fixed rib can move to the left and cover the top opening of the coil slot.

[0231] Furthermore, although various configurations have been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, the present invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. These other forms should be considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A clothes processing device, comprising: bucket for water; a drum configured to rotate within the tub and accommodate laundry therein, the drum being formed of a metal material; as well as a sensing module provided on the outer surface of the tub and comprising a base housing mounted on the outer surface of the tub and a module cover accommodating the base housing, in, The base housing includes a plurality of fixing ribs protruding upward and a coil groove formed by the plurality of fixing ribs, and the electric wire is wound and fitted into the coil groove, so that the base housing accommodates the coil therein. The coil includes a plurality of straight sections and a plurality of curved sections, The plurality of straight line portions include: a first straight line portion and a second straight line portion extending along a rotation axis of the tub; and a third straight line portion and a fourth straight line portion disposed perpendicular to the first straight line portion or the second straight line portion. The plurality of curved portions are formed at points where one of the first and second straight line portions intersects one of the third and fourth straight line portions, and A first gap between two adjacent electric wires formed at one of the curved portions is larger than a second gap between two adjacent electric wires formed at one of the third straight portion and the fourth straight portion.

2. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first gap is larger than a third gap between two electric wires adjacent to each other formed at one of the first straight portion and the second straight portion of the coil.

3. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The width of the coil at each of the curved portions is greater than the width of the coil at each of the first straight portion, the second straight portion, the third straight portion, and the fourth straight portion.

4. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein A first length of the first portion of the wire located at the outermost position of the first and second straight portions of the coil is greater than a second length of the second portion of the wire located at the outermost position of the third and fourth straight portions of the coil.

5. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a first portion of the electric wire located at an outermost position of the third straight portion of the coil is spaced apart from a front side of the tub by a first distance, and The second portion of the electric wire located at the outermost position of the fourth straight portion of the coil is spaced apart from the rear side of the tub by a second distance. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein: The first distance and the second distance are in the range of 10 mm to 20 mm.

7. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The coil is configured to form a single layer, and the wire is configured to be wound within the single layer in the coil.

8. The laundry processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Lengths of respective curvatures of the inner coil portion and the outer coil portion of the bent portion are identical to each other.

9. The laundry processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The length of each coil portion of the straight portion connected to the curved portion increases from an inner side of the straight portion to an outer side of the straight portion.

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