Drum-type laundry treatment device

Abstract

The invention provides a drum-type laundry treating apparatus. A drum-type laundry treating apparatus (1) includes a housing (10), an outer drum (20), an inner drum (30), a drying device (40), and a filter device (90). The drying device (40) is located above the outer cylinder and comprises an evaporator (60), a condenser (70) and a fan (80). The evaporator (60) and the condenser (70) are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner cylinder (30) and are arranged in a substantially inverted V shape, the filter device (90) is located on the upstream side of the evaporator (60), the condenser (70) and the fan (80) in the air flow direction, the front panel assembly (13) is provided with a filter device pull-out port (H), and the filter device (90) can be assembled and disassembled relative to the filter device pull-out port (H). As a result, the drum-type laundry treatment device (1) not only can save the installation space, but also can improve the drying efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drum - type laundry treatment device. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the demand for drum - type laundry treatment devices with a drying function is increasing. Such drum - type laundry treatment devices include all - in - one washing and drying machines that combine washing and drying functions, and dryers that only have a drying function, etc. Among them, built - in drum - type laundry treatment devices that can be installed on balconies are highly favored. Compared with ordinary drum - type laundry treatment devices, built - in drum - type laundry treatment devices have higher requirements for miniaturization, especially in the height direction, which is conducive to saving installation space.

[0003] In addition, in drum - type laundry treatment devices, as a method for realizing the drying function, the heat pump system is being increasingly adopted due to advantages such as energy saving and gentleness to clothes. In a drum - type laundry treatment device equipped with a heat pump system, the heat pump system is usually arranged above the outer cylinder, which further increases the difficulty of designing the drum - type laundry treatment device for miniaturization in the height direction. Moreover, in order to improve the drying efficiency and shorten the drying time, it can be considered to increase the heat exchange area of the heat pump system, but this is also likely to cause an increase in the volume of the heat pump system, and then lead to an increase in the external dimensions of the drum - type laundry treatment device, especially in the height direction, deviating from the development direction of miniaturization of drum - type laundry treatment devices.

[0004] In addition, the drum - type laundry treatment device disclosed in CN216864607U (Patent Document 1) has a drying device, that is, a heat pump system, and has a filter that can be detachably installed on the drying device. The filter covers the evaporator from above to filter foreign matters such as lint in the air flowing towards the evaporator. However, in Patent Document 1, the fan is located upstream of the evaporator and the filter in the air flow direction. Therefore, the air containing foreign matters such as lint that has not been filtered by the filter flows through the fan, and the foreign matters such as lint in the air may wind around the blades of the fan, resulting in a decrease in the working efficiency of the fan and further a decrease in the drying efficiency. Moreover, in the prior art, there is a structure in which the filter is loaded and unloaded from above with respect to the drying device, which requires reserving an operation space for loading and unloading the filter above the drum - type laundry treatment device, which is very disadvantageous especially for built - in drum - type laundry treatment devices.

[0005] Therefore, for a drum - type laundry treatment device with a drying device and a filter, it has become a problem to develop a drum - type laundry treatment device that can both save installation space and improve drying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present invention is completed in view of the above situation, and its object is to provide a drum-type laundry treating apparatus that can save installation space and improve drying efficiency.

[0008] Solution for solving the problem

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drum-type laundry treating apparatus, which includes: a housing including a front panel assembly located on the front surface side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus; an outer tub supported within the housing; an inner tub rotatably installed within the outer tub for receiving laundry; a drying device located above the outer tub for drying the laundry within the inner tub by using heated air; and a filtering device for filtering foreign matters in the air flowing in the air passage of the drying device. The drying device includes: an air passage housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, the air inlet being located on the front side or the upper side of the outer tub, the air outlet being located on the rear side of the outer tub, and the air inlet and the air outlet being respectively communicated with the inner cavity of the inner tub; an evaporator disposed within the air passage housing for dehumidifying the air led out from within the inner tub; a condenser disposed within the air passage housing at a position downstream of the evaporator in the air flow direction for heating the air that has passed through the evaporator; and a blower for causing air to flow, thereby leading the air within the inner tub into the air passage housing through the air inlet and leading the air that has passed through the evaporator and the condenser into the inner tub through the air outlet. The evaporator and the condenser are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner tub and are disposed in a substantially inverted V shape. The filtering device is located upstream of the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower in the air flow direction, and a filtering device draw-out port is provided on the front panel assembly, and the filtering device can be loaded and unloaded relative to the filtering device draw-out port.

[0010] Since the filtering device is located upstream of the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower in the air flow direction, air is filtered by the filtering device before passing through the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower, which can prevent foreign matters such as lint contained in the air from adhering to the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower, thus avoiding the reduction of the drying efficiency. Therefore, it can help improve the drying efficiency of the drum-type laundry treatment device. In addition, since the evaporator and the condenser are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner drum and are configured in a substantially inverted V shape, the space above the outer drum can be fully utilized, and the heat exchange area of the evaporator and the condenser can be increased as much as possible, so that while ensuring the miniaturization of the drum-type laundry treatment device in the height direction, the drying efficiency can be improved and the drying time can be shortened. In addition, since the filtering device is loaded and unloaded relative to the filtering device draw-in port provided on the front panel assembly, the filtering device can be loaded and unloaded from the space in front of the front panel assembly, and there is no need to reserve an operation space for loading and unloading the filtering device above the drum-type laundry treatment device. Therefore, it can help save the installation space.

[0011] Preferably, the windward surface of the evaporator is located on the upper side, and air passes through the evaporator from top to bottom. The windward surface of the condenser is located on the lower side, and air passes through the condenser from bottom to top.

[0012] According to this structure, the humid air led out from the inner drum enters the evaporator from the upper windward surface, and the water vapor in the air condenses on the surface of the evaporator and is separated out as condensed water. Under the dual action of its own gravity and the downward flowing air, the condensed water is separated from the surface of the evaporator, which is beneficial to the discharge of the condensed water.

[0013] Preferably, the evaporator is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner drum.

[0014] According to this structure, the evaporator and the condenser are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner drum, and the evaporator is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner drum. The area directly above the rotation axis of the inner drum in the upper space part above the outer drum can be fully utilized, and both the evaporator and the condenser can be made larger, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency and shortening the drying time.

[0015] Preferably, the height of the lower end of the evaporator is higher than the height of the lower end of the condenser.

[0016] According to this structure, the height of the lower end of the evaporator is higher than the height of the lower end of the condenser. Thus, the condenser can extend further downward and be made larger, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency and shortening the drying time.

[0017] Preferably, the condenser is a microchannel condenser, and / or the evaporator is a microchannel evaporator.

[0018] According to this structure, the condenser adopts a microchannel condenser, and / or the evaporator adopts a microchannel evaporator. Compared with traditional heat exchangers, under the same heat exchange efficiency, the microchannel evaporator and the microchannel condenser have a smaller volume, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus.

[0019] Preferably, in the air passage housing, there are formed: a first air passage region located upstream of the evaporator in the air flow direction; a second air passage region located below the evaporator and the condenser; and a third air passage region located downstream of the condenser in the air flow direction. The bottom wall portion of the air passage housing defining the second air passage region extends in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder. A condensate drain outlet is provided in the bottom wall portion of the air passage housing defining the second air passage region, and the condensate drain outlet is used to discharge the condensate generated by condensation on the surface of the evaporator.

[0020] According to this structure, the bottom wall portion of the air passage housing defining the second air passage region extends in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder, and a condensate drain outlet for discharging the condensate generated by condensation on the surface of the evaporator is provided in the bottom wall portion. Thus, the condensate flows along the curvature of the bottom wall portion to the condensate drain outlet. Since the condensate drain outlet is located above the inner cylinder, the condensate can directly flow by gravity to the drain pipe for discharging the washing water in the outer cylinder. The structure is simple and the cost is low. In addition, the flow direction of the condensate is the same as the flow direction of the air that has passed through the evaporator, which is more conducive to discharging the condensate.

[0021] Preferably, the blower is located downstream of the condenser in the air flow direction, and the blower is located behind the condenser in the air passage housing.

[0022] According to this structure, the blower is located downstream of the condenser in the air flow direction. Therefore, the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower are arranged in sequence from the upstream side in the air flow direction. By arranging the filtering device upstream of the evaporator in the air flow direction, a structure in which the filtering device is located upstream of the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower in the air flow direction can be achieved, which is also beneficial to realizing a structure in which the filtering device can be loaded and unloaded with respect to the filtering device draw-out port provided on the front panel assembly.

[0023] Preferably, the blower and the air outlet are located on opposite sides with respect to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder in the left-right direction.

[0024] According to this structure, it is possible to ensure a relatively large installation space for the air supply pipeline (i.e., the air outlet member) located between the blower and the air outlet of the air passage housing, avoiding an increase in the air loss of the air supply pipeline due to multiple bends of the air supply pipeline in a small space, which is beneficial to reducing the air loss of the air supply pipeline, and thus enabling the air blown out by the blower to flow more smoothly.

[0025] Preferably, the drying device further includes a compressor for compressing the refrigerant flowing in the evaporator and the condenser, and the compressor is located in front of the condenser in the upper space above the outer cylinder.

[0026] According to this structure, the length of the connecting pipelines between the compressor, the evaporator, and the condenser can be shortened. In addition, during the manufacturing process, after the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are installed, the drying device including the evaporator, the condenser, the blower, and the compressor can be integrally installed in the upper space. Compared with the case where the compressor is located below the outer cylinder, the assembly convenience can be greatly improved.

[0027] Preferably, the drum - type laundry treating device further includes a door assembly installed on the front - panel assembly for opening and closing the laundry inlet of the outer cylinder, and the filter device drawer opening is provided at a position on the front - panel assembly that is covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed.

[0028] According to this structure, when the door assembly is closed, the filter device drawer opening is covered by the door assembly. Therefore, when the door assembly is closed, such as when the drum - type laundry treating device is working, the user cannot see the filter device drawer opening and the filter device, which can improve the overall appearance of the drum - type laundry treating device.

[0029] Preferably, the front - panel assembly has an annular surface formed by drawing backward from the front surface at the laundry inlet, and the filter device drawer opening is provided on the annular surface.

[0030] According to this structure, the annular surface formed by drawing of the front - panel assembly can be effectively utilized to set the filter device drawer opening, and the filter device can easily be inserted into the air - flow housing through the filter device drawer opening provided on the annular surface.

[0031] Preferably, the filter device is loaded and unloaded relative to the filter device drawer opening in an inclined manner with the front end close to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder and the rear end away from the rotation axis of the inner cylinder.

[0032] According to this structure, compared with the structure in which the filter device is loaded and unloaded relative to the filter device drawer opening in a manner parallel to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, it is beneficial to increase the filtering area of the filter device to improve the filtering capacity of the filter device, and it is easier to set the filter device drawer opening on the annular surface of the front - panel assembly.

[0033] Preferably, the drawing port of the filtering device is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, the air inlet is offset to one side in the left-right direction relative to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, and the filtering device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the air flow direction.

[0034] According to this structure, since the drawing port of the filtering device is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, the appearance is good, and it is convenient for the user to perform the operation of loading and unloading the filtering device relative to the drawing port of the filtering device. On this basis, by offsetting the air inlet to one side in the left-right direction relative to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, the space on the front side and the upper side of the outer cylinder can be effectively utilized while ensuring miniaturization. In addition, since the filtering device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the air flow direction, the air from the air inlet is filtered by the filtering device before flowing into the evaporator, and foreign matters such as lint contained in the air can be prevented from adhering to other components except the filtering device.

[0035] Preferably, the evaporator is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, and the filtering device is located directly in front of the evaporator.

[0036] According to this structure, the area directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder in the upper space part above the outer cylinder can be fully utilized, which is beneficial to setting the evaporator larger to improve the drying efficiency. On this basis, the filtering device is located directly in front of the evaporator, and the filtering device can be arranged at a height position convenient for the user to perform the loading and unloading operation, which is beneficial to the loading and unloading operation of the filtering device.

[0037] Preferably, a foreign matter receiving member is provided at the rear side of the filtering device, and the foreign matter receiving member can receive foreign matters dropped from the filtering device when the filtering device is pulled out.

[0038] According to this structure, it is beneficial to collect and centrally clean the foreign matters, and it can prevent the foreign matters dropped from the filtering device when the filtering device is pulled out from scattering in the air duct housing and adhering to the evaporator, condenser, fan, etc. as the air flows when the drying device is working.

[0039] Preferably, the foreign matter receiving member is a filter element capable of filtering air, and is arranged substantially parallel to the filtering device.

[0040] According to this structure, the foreign matter receiving member, as a filter element, can filter and collect the foreign matters dropped from the filtering device, and the foreign matter receiving member allows air to flow through, so that the resistance to air flow can be reduced and the smooth flow of air can be ensured. In addition, since the foreign matter receiving member is arranged substantially parallel to the filtering device, the foreign matters can be collected more reliably, and the space required for arranging the foreign matter receiving member can be saved, which is beneficial to realizing miniaturization.

[0041] Preferably, the blower is located inside the air duct housing, and the air duct housing has a compressor accommodation part for installing a compressor. When looking down at the drying device, the compressor located inside the compressor accommodation part is on the opposite side of the blower relative to the condenser. An outside air inlet is formed in the compressor accommodation part, and the outside air introduced from the outside air inlet flows through the outer peripheral surface of the compressor and then merges with the air flowing through the condenser on the downstream side of the condenser and flows toward the air outlet.

[0042] According to this structure, the outside air introduced from the outside air inlet flows through the outer peripheral surface of the compressor and then merges with the air flowing through the condenser on the downstream side of the condenser and flows toward the air outlet. Thus, it is possible to use the relatively low-temperature outside air to cool the compressor whose temperature has risen due to continuous operation, thereby avoiding the situation where the compressor decelerates too quickly due to excessive temperature and then causing a decrease in heat exchange efficiency, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency.

[0043] Preferably, the blower is located on the downstream side of the condenser in the air flow direction, and the outside air inlet is located in the negative pressure area of the air duct housing.

[0044] According to this structure, it is possible to use the negative pressure generated when the blower operates to make the outside air flow in from the outside air inlet and flow through the outer peripheral surface of the compressor. Thus, there is no need to additionally provide a driving unit for making the outside air flow in from the outside air inlet, and it is possible to improve the drying efficiency with a simple structure.

[0045] Preferably, the opening shape of the outside air inlet is circular or polygonal, and the ratio of the opening area of the outside air inlet to the opening area of the air inlet is 5% - 30%.

[0046] According to this structure, it is possible to take into account both the amount of moist air flowing in from the air inlet and the amount of outside air flowing in from the outside air inlet, so that the air used for drying and the outside air used to prevent the compressor temperature from rising excessively can be an appropriate amount, and the drying efficiency can be further improved.

[0047] Preferably, the outside air inlet is provided at a position on the side of the compressor accommodation part opposite to the side where the condenser is located.

[0048] According to this structure, it is possible to increase the contact area between the outside air flowing in from the outside air inlet and the compressor, and improve the cooling effect on the compressor.

[0049] Preferably, the outside air inlet is provided on the side part or the bottom of the compressor accommodation part.

[0050] According to this structure, by arranging the outside air inlet on the side of the compressor housing part, the outside air inlet can be easily arranged. By arranging the outside air inlet at the bottom of the compressor housing part, the outside air flowing in from the outside air inlet can contact a relatively large area of the surface of the compressor starting from the bottom, and the cooling effect on the compressor can be further improved.

[0051] Preferably, an opening and closing valve controlled by a control unit is connected to the outside air inlet.

[0052] According to this structure, the opening and closing of the outside air inlet can be controlled by the opening and closing valve at an appropriate time. For example, the outside air inlet can be closed at the initial stage of the compressor operation to improve the drying effect achieved by the drying air, and the outside air inlet can be opened after the compressor has been operating continuously for a certain period of time and reaches a predetermined high temperature to cool the compressor with the outside air. Thus, the drying efficiency can be further improved.

[0053] Preferably, an air outlet is provided on the outer cylinder, and the air outlet is used to discharge the air inside the outer cylinder to the outside.

[0054] According to this structure, when the air pressure inside the drum-type laundry treating apparatus increases due to the outside air from the outside air inlet, the air inside the outer cylinder can be discharged to the outside by using the air outlet to balance the air pressure inside the drum-type laundry treating apparatus, thereby ensuring the safety and stability during the operation of the apparatus.

[0055] Preferably, the air outlet is located in the upper half of the outer cylinder.

[0056] Since there is water in the lower half of the outer cylinder when the drum-type laundry treating apparatus performs a washing program or the like, by arranging the air outlet in the upper half of the outer cylinder, compared with the case where the air outlet is located in the lower half of the outer cylinder, it is possible to prevent the washing water from entering through the air outlet and accumulating in the air duct for discharging air, and further prevent the situation where the air cannot be discharged in time when the air pressure inside the outer cylinder increases during the drying process, and the safety and stability during the operation of the apparatus can be reliably ensured.

[0057] Preferably, the air outlet is communicated with the space inside the detergent box provided in the drum-type laundry treating apparatus through a pipeline.

[0058] According to this structure, since the space inside the detergent box is communicated with the outside air, only by such a simple structure of communicating the air outlet with the space inside the detergent box, the air inside the outer cylinder can be easily discharged to the outside of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus through the air outlet.

[0059] Preferably, an opening and closing valve controlled by a control unit is connected to the air outlet.

[0060] According to this structure, the opening and closing valve can be used to open and close the air outlet at an appropriate time. For example, when the compressor and the blower start working, closing the air outlet can prevent the drying air in the drum-type laundry treatment device from leaking to the outside through the air outlet, thus avoiding the reduction of drying efficiency.

[0061] Preferably, the drain port provided in the outer cylinder also serves as the air outlet.

[0062] According to this structure, there is no need to add an additional opening, and only the drain port provided in the outer cylinder can be used as the air outlet. Therefore, a simpler structure can be used to balance the air pressure inside the drum-type laundry treatment device.

[0063] Preferably, the drum-type laundry treatment device further includes an auxiliary heating device for heating the air flowing out of the housing main body of the air duct housing. A air supply port for the air flowing out of the air outlet to flow into the outer cylinder is provided on the rear side wall of the outer cylinder. An air outlet member is used to connect the housing main body and the air supply port. The air outlet member includes an independent first pipe and a second pipe. The first pipe is connected to the housing main body, and the second pipe connects the first pipe and the air supply port. The second pipe extends in a substantially letter L shape when viewed from the side, and the auxiliary heating device is provided in the second pipe.

[0064] The drying device cannot quickly increase the temperature of the air at the initial stage of operation. Therefore, at the initial stage of the drying device's operation, the temperature of the air flowing into the outer cylinder from the air outlet is not high, and efficient drying cannot be performed. According to the above structure, the auxiliary heating device can be used to quickly increase the temperature of the air at the initial stage of the drying device's operation, so that the air flowing into the outer cylinder from the air outlet can reach a temperature sufficient for effective drying as soon as possible, and the drying efficiency can be improved. In addition, since the auxiliary heating device is provided in the second pipe connected to the air supply port, the auxiliary heating device is arranged close to the air supply port, which can ensure that the air heated by the auxiliary heating device immediately flows into the outer cylinder, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency.

[0065] Preferably, the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device is substantially parallel to the central axis of the air inlet of the second pipe.

[0066] According to this structure, the contact area between the air flowing into the second pipe from the air inlet of the second pipe and the auxiliary heating device can be increased, and the air can be effectively heated.

[0067] Preferably, the inclination angle of the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device with respect to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder and inclined outward in the axial direction of the inner cylinder is 90 degrees to 180 degrees.

[0068] According to this structure, it is possible to further increase the area where the air flowing into the second tube from the air inlet of the second tube contacts the auxiliary heating device, and it is possible to more effectively heat the air.

[0069] Preferably, the auxiliary heating device extends in a meandering manner in the second tube along the direction from the air inlet of the second tube towards the air outlet of the second tube.

[0070] According to this structure, it is possible to increase the surface area of the auxiliary heating device, thereby increasing the area in contact with the air, and it is possible to more effectively heat the air.

[0071] Preferably, on the outer surface of the rear side wall of the outer cylinder, there is a reinforcing rib protruding rearward for enhancing the strength of the rear side wall, and there is a recess in the reinforcing rib, and a part of the second tube is disposed in the recess.

[0072] According to this structure, it is possible to reduce the protruding amount of the second tube rearward, which is beneficial to achieving miniaturization of the overall drum-type laundry treating apparatus in the front-rear direction.

[0073] Preferably, the auxiliary heating device is located between the blower and the air outlet in the air flow direction.

[0074] According to this structure, the air blown out by the blower is immediately sent into the outer cylinder after being heated by the auxiliary heating device, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency.

[0075] Preferably, the air inlet of the second tube faces upward, and the air outlet of the second tube faces forward.

[0076] According to this structure, the air sent downward from the drying device located above the outer cylinder can be sent into the outer cylinder forward through the air outlet of the second tube, so that the air can flow smoothly, which is beneficial to improving the drying efficiency.

[0077] Effects of the Invention

[0078] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a drum-type laundry treating apparatus that can both save installation space and improve drying efficiency. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0079] The drawings included in the specification and constituting a part of the specification, together with the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the present invention, and are used to explain the principles of the present invention.

[0080] Figure 1 It is a perspective view obtained by observing the drum-type laundry treating apparatus with the door assembly open from the side front.

[0081] Figure 2 It is a perspective view obtained by observing the drum-type laundry treating apparatus with the outer shell removed from the side rear.

[0082] Figure 3 This is a stereoscopic view obtained by observing the inner drum, outer drum and drying device from the side front after removing the outer shell of the drum-type clothes processing device and the upper shell of the drying device.

[0083] Figure 4 It is a top view of the drum type clothes processing device with the top wall plate of the shell removed.

[0084] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 AA cross-sectional view of a drum-type laundry processing device.

[0085] Figure 6 It is a right side view of the drying device of the drum type clothes processing device.

[0086] Figure 7 It is a perspective view of an upper shell of an air duct shell of a drying device of a drum-type clothes processing device.

[0087] Figure 8 The present invention is a three-dimensional view of a drying device of a drum-type clothes processing device with an upper shell of an air duct shell removed.

[0088] Figure 9 It is a drying device of a drum type clothes treatment device. Figure 5 The corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0089] Figure 10 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a drying device of a drum-type clothes processing device.

[0090] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional view of the drum-type laundry processing device after removing the outer shell and the door assembly when viewed from the upper front side.

[0091] Figure 12 is from Figure 3 A three-dimensional image of the filter device and the foreign matter receiving component obtained when the filter device is observed from a perspective of.

[0092] Figure 13 This is a partial cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the portion including the filter device of the drum-type laundry processing device.

[0093] Figure 14 Yes means Figure 2 A partial stereoscopic view of the part including the outer cylinder 20 and the drying device 40, wherein the second pipe of the air outlet member has been removed.

[0094] Figure 15 This is a partial side view of a drum-type laundry processing apparatus including a second pipe of the air outlet member, as viewed from the left side.

[0095] Figure 16 is from Figure 15 A side view of the auxiliary heating device after the second pipe of the air outlet is removed.

[0096] Figure 17 It is a three-dimensional view of the second pipe of the air outlet.

[0097] Figure 18 This is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the second tube of the air outlet member along a plane including the central axis of the air inlet of the second tube.

[0098] Description of Reference Numerals

[0099] 1: drum type clothes treatment device; 10: shell; 11: right wall plate; 12: front wall plate; 120: annular surface; 13: front panel assembly; 14: upper space portion; 15: door assembly; 16: top wall plate; 20: outer cylinder; 201: air outlet; 202: reinforcing rib; 203: concave portion; 20U: highest portion; 21: clothes feeding port; 22: vibration damper; 24: outer cylinder accessories; 30: inner cylinder; 40: drying device; 50: air path housing; 51: air inlet; 511: bellows portion; 52: air outlet; 521: first pipe; 5211: bellows portion; 522: second pipe; 523: air inlet; 524: air outlet; 53: housing body; 55: air inlet; 56: air outlet; 5 7: upper shell; 571: partition; 58: lower shell; 581: bottom wall; 582: peripheral wall; 583: compressor accommodating portion; 584: condensate discharge port; 585: external air inlet; 586: on-off valve; 588: air outlet; 60: evaporator; 61: windward surface; 62: air outlet surface; 63: upper end; 64: lower end; 70: condenser; 71: windward surface; 72: air outlet surface; 73: upper end; 74: lower end; 80: fan; 85: compressor; 90: filter device; 91: foreign matter receiving member; A: auxiliary heating device; H: filter device pull-out port; O: center axis; X: rotation axis; S1: first air path area; S2: second air path area; S3: third air path area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0100] Next, specific embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0101] As the drum type laundry processing device of the present invention, a washing and drying machine with both washing and drying functions is used as an example for description below. Those skilled in the art can understand that the drum type laundry processing device of the present invention can also be a dryer with only drying function.

[0102] like Figures 1 to 3As shown in the figure, the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1 includes: a housing 10; an outer tub 20 supported within the housing 10; an inner tub 30 rotatably installed within the outer tub 20 for receiving laundry; and a drying device 40 that dries the laundry within the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1 (i.e., within the inner tub 30) using heated air. Additionally, for ease of explanation, as Figure 1 shown, the front - to - rear direction, left - to - right direction, and up - to - down direction are defined, and these directions are followed in the subsequent drawings.

[0103] As Figure 1 shown, the housing 10 forms a generally rectangular - parallelepiped - shaped outline of the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1, including a left wall panel (not shown) formed of a plate material such as a metal plate or a resin plate, a right wall panel 11, a front wall panel 12, a rear wall panel (not shown), and a top wall panel 16. To facilitate viewing of the structure within the housing 10, some or all of the wall panels forming the housing 10 are appropriately omitted in each drawing. The front wall panel 12 and other panel members located on the front - surface side of the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1 together form the front - panel assembly 13. In other words, the housing 10 includes the front - panel assembly 13 located on the front - surface side of the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1, and the front - panel of the drum - type laundry treatment apparatus 1 is formed using the front - panel assembly 13. At the upper - side portion of the front - panel assembly 13 (at the Figure 1 is the upper - left - side portion) is provided a detergent - box drawer opening.

[0104] As Figure 1 and Figure 3 shown, the outer tub 20 is a bottomed cylindrical shape with a laundry - input opening 21 at one end. The outer tub 20 is installed within the housing 10 with the laundry - input opening 21 facing forward, and is elastically supported by a lower shock absorber 22 and an upper suspension spring (not shown) within the housing 10, thereby preventing the vibration of the outer tub 20 from being transmitted to the housing 10. Additionally, as Figure 1 shown, a door assembly 15 for opening and closing the laundry - input opening 21 is installed on the front - panel assembly 13. When the door assembly 15 is closed, a part of the front - panel assembly 13 is covered by the door assembly 15.

[0105] As Figure 3 shown, the inner tub 30 is a bottomed cylindrical shape with one end open for receiving laundry. The inner tub 30 is installed within the outer tub 20 with the opening facing the laundry - input opening 21 of the outer tub 20. A plurality of fine holes can be formed in the circumferential wall portion and the bottom - side wall portion of the outer - peripheral side of the inner tub 30, whereby washing water and the heated air generated by the drying device 40 can flow between the outer tub 20 and the inner tub 30. Additionally, the inner tub 30 is driven by a motor (not shown) and can rotate about a rotation axis X extending in the horizontal direction. Among them, the rotation direction of the inner tub 30 can be either from Figure 3During forward viewing, it can be in the clockwise direction, or the counterclockwise direction, or it can continuously switch between the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction. In addition, the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 can also be inclined upward toward the laundry inlet 21.

[0106] As Figure 5 shown, an integrated drying device 40 is disposed in the upper space portion 14 above the outer cylinder 20 within the outer shell 10. The drying device 40 dries the laundry within the inner cylinder 30 using heated air. The upper space portion 14 refers to the space sandwiched in the vertical direction by the top wall plate 16 and the upper arc-shaped outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 20, and includes not only the space above the highest portion 20U of the outer cylinder 20 but also the spaces on the left and right sides of the highest portion 20U and slightly below the highest portion 20U.

[0107] As Figure 4 、 Figure 6 and Figure 8 shown, the drying device 40 includes: an air duct housing 50 having an air inlet 55 and an air outlet 56. The air inlet 55 is located on the front side or the upper side of the outer cylinder 20, and the air outlet 56 is located on the rear side of the outer cylinder 30. The air inlet 55 and the air outlet 56 are respectively connected to the inner cavity of the drum-type laundry processing device 1 (i.e., the inner cavity of the inner cylinder 30); an evaporator 60 disposed within the air duct housing 50 to dehumidify the air flowing within the air duct housing 50 that is derived from within the inner cylinder 30; a condenser 70 disposed within the air duct housing 50 at a position downstream of the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction to heat the air that has passed through the evaporator 60; and a blower 80 disposed within the air duct housing 50 at a position downstream of the condenser 70 in the air flow direction to cause air flow, thereby introducing the air within the inner cylinder 30 into the air duct housing 50 through the air inlet 55 and introducing the air that has passed through the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 into the inner cylinder 30 through the air outlet 56. In addition, the drying device 40 further includes a compressor 85 for compressing the refrigerant flowing within the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70.

[0108] As Figures 6 to 8 shown, the air duct housing 50 includes: an air inlet member 51 that extends substantially in the vertical direction and has an air inlet 55 at its lower end. As Figure 3 shown, the lower end of the air inlet member 51 is connected to the outer cylinder 20 by means of an outer cylinder fitting 24 and is connected to the inner cavity of the inner cylinder 30 through the pores in the wall portion of the inner cylinder 30; an air outlet member 52 that has an air outlet 56 at its lower end. As Figure 2As shown, the lower end of the air outlet member 52 is connected to the outer cylinder 20 on the rear side wall (i.e., the bottom wall) of the outer cylinder 20, and is communicated with the inner cavity of the inner cylinder 30 through an air outlet (not shown) provided on the bottom wall of the outer cylinder 20. The air flowing out from the air outlet 56 flows into the outer cylinder 20 through this air outlet; and the housing main body 53, which is connected between the air inlet member 51 and the air outlet member 52. In addition, as Figure 6 shown, the air inlet member 51 includes a bellows portion 511 that can expand and contract, thereby preventing the vibration of the outer cylinder 20 from being transmitted to the housing main body 53 through the air inlet member 51. As Figure 2 shown, the air outlet member 52 includes a first pipe 521 having a bellows portion 5211 that can expand and contract and is connected to the housing main body 53, and a second pipe 522 connected to the first pipe 521, thereby preventing the vibration of the outer cylinder 20 from being transmitted to the housing main body 53 through the air outlet member 52.

[0109] As Figure 2 shown, the first pipe 521 and the second pipe 522 are independent of each other. The first pipe 521 is connected to the housing main body 53, and one end of the second pipe 522 is connected to the first pipe 521. As Figure 14 shown, an air outlet 201 is provided on the rear side wall of the outer cylinder 20, and the other end of the second pipe 522 is connected to the air outlet 201. That is, the second pipe 522 connects the first pipe 521 and the air outlet 201. Thus, the housing main body 53 and the air outlet 201 are connected by the air outlet member 52, and the air flowing out from the air outlet 56 of the air outlet member 52 flows into the outer cylinder 20 through the air outlet 201. As Figure 15 shown, the second pipe 522 extends in a substantially L shape in a side view. In addition, as long as the first pipe 521 and the air outlet 201 can be connected, the shape of the second pipe 522 is not limited and can be appropriately changed.

[0110] As Figures 6 to 8 shown, the housing main body 53 has an upper housing 57 and a lower housing 58. The lower housing 58 is substantially cup-shaped with an upward opening, and has a bottom wall portion 581 and a peripheral wall portion 582. The air inlet member 51 is connected near the front end of the bottom wall portion 581, and the air outlet member 52 is connected to the peripheral wall portion 582 at the rear side. The upper housing 57 is substantially plate-shaped and is fixed to the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 582 of the lower housing 58 by screws or the like. Inside the internal space of the housing main body 53 surrounded by the upper housing 57 and the lower housing 58, an evaporator 60, a condenser 70, and a blower 80 are arranged. In addition, a compressor accommodation portion 583 is continuously provided forward on the peripheral wall portion 582 at the front side. The compressor accommodation portion 583 is substantially cylindrical with a bottom and an upward opening. The compressor 85 is arranged outside the internal space of the housing main body 53 by being installed in the compressor accommodation portion 583. Thus, the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, the blower 80, and the compressor 85 are arranged in the upper space portion 14 in an integrated structure by the housing main body 53.

[0111] As Figure 5 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown, the evaporator 60 is a substantially plate-shaped microchannel evaporator. A pair of opposite plate surfaces respectively form a windward surface 61 and an air outlet surface 62, and air passes through the evaporator 60 from top to bottom. The evaporator 60 absorbs heat through the refrigerant flowing inside to cool the high-humidity air flowing outside the evaporator 60, causing the water vapor in the air to condense on the surface of the evaporator 60 and precipitate as condensed water, thereby obtaining dry air. As Figure 5 shown, in the upper space portion 14, the evaporator 60 is arranged such that the windward surface 61 is on the upper side and the air outlet surface 62 is on the lower side, and the windward surface 61 and the air outlet surface 62 are inclined with respect to the horizontal line in the left-right direction. The height of the right end is higher than the height of the left end, that is, the right end becomes the upper end 63 and the left end becomes the lower end 64. Thus, the humid air led out from the inner cylinder 30 enters the evaporator 60 from the upper windward surface 61, and the water vapor in the air condenses on the surface of the evaporator 60 and precipitates as condensed water. Under the dual action of its own gravity and the downward-flowing air, the condensed water separates from the surface of the evaporator 60, which is conducive to discharging the condensed water. In addition, the evaporator 60 is located directly above the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30. Here, "the evaporator 60 is located directly above the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30" means that there is more than one intersection point between the orthographic projection of the evaporator 60 on the horizontal plane and the orthographic projection of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 on the horizontal plane.

[0112] As Figure 5 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown, the condenser 70 is a substantially plate-shaped microchannel condenser. A pair of opposite plate surfaces respectively form a windward surface 71 and an air outlet surface 72, and air passes through the condenser 70 from bottom to top. The condenser 70 releases heat through the refrigerant flowing inside to heat the dry air flowing outside the condenser 70, thereby obtaining high-temperature and dry air. As Figure 5 shown, in the upper space portion 14, the condenser 70 is arranged such that the windward surface 71 is on the lower side and the air outlet surface 72 is on the upper side, and the windward surface 71 and the air outlet surface 72 are inclined with respect to the horizontal line in the left-right direction. The height of the left end is higher than the height of the right end, that is, the left end becomes the upper end 73 and the right end becomes the lower end 74.

[0113] It should be noted that the evaporator 60 only needs to be able to dehumidify the air, and is not limited to the structure of the microchannel. For example, the evaporator 60 can also be of the structure of copper tube fin type. The condenser 70 only needs to be able to heat the air, and is not limited to the structure of the microchannel either. Since, compared with the traditional heat exchanger, under the same heat exchange energy efficiency, the volumes of the microchannel evaporator and the microchannel condenser are smaller, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the drum-type laundry treatment device. Therefore, considering both higher heat exchange energy efficiency and device miniaturization, preferably, at least one of the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 is of the microchannel structure. In particular, the condenser 70 for heating the air is preferably of the microchannel structure.

[0114] As Figure 5 shown, in the upper space portion 14, the condenser 70 is located on the right side of the evaporator 60, and the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 are arranged along the left-right direction. In other words, the two are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30 around the rotation axis X. Specifically, the upper end 63 of the evaporator 60 and the upper end 73 of the condenser 70 are close to each other, and the lower end 64 of the evaporator 60 extends obliquely downward toward one side (left side) in the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30, and the lower end 74 of the condenser 70 extends obliquely downward toward the other side (right side) in the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30. When observed in the direction of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 (front-rear direction), the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 are arranged in an inverted V shape. In addition, the height of the lower end 64 of the evaporator 60 is higher than the height of the lower end 74 of the condenser 70, so that the condenser 70 extends downward longer and the condenser 70 is made larger. Further, a V-shaped partition 571 is provided on the surface of the upper housing 57 in a downwardly concave manner. The partition 571 is provided between the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 and abuts against the upper end 63 of the evaporator 60 and the upper end 73 of the condenser 70 respectively. By arranging the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 along the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30 and arranging them in a substantially inverted V shape, the space above the outer cylinder 20 can be fully utilized, and the heat exchange areas of the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 can be increased as much as possible, so that the drying efficiency can be improved and the drying time can be shortened while ensuring the miniaturization in the height direction of the drum-type laundry treatment device.

[0115] Among them, the above-mentioned "the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30" means that when observed in the direction of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30, the position of the evaporator 60 in the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30 is different from the position of the condenser 70 in the rotation direction of the inner cylinder 30. As a typical example, it can be that the orthographic projection of the evaporator 60 on the vertical plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the orthographic projection of the condenser 70 on the vertical plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction do not have an intersection point.

[0116] As Figure 8As shown in the figure, the blower 80 is arranged behind the condenser 70 within the housing body 53 of the air duct housing 50 and at the portion of the housing body 53 connected to the air outlet member 52. That is to say, the condenser 70 and the blower 80 are arranged along the direction of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 (i.e., the front-back direction). Additionally, in the air flow direction within the air duct housing 50, the blower 80 is located on the downstream side of the condenser 70. Thus, the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, and the blower 80 are sequentially arranged from the upstream side in the air flow direction. By arranging the filter device 90 upstream of the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction, the structure in which the filter device 90 is located upstream of the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, and the blower 80 in the air flow direction can be achieved as described later, and it is also beneficial for implementing the structure in which the filter device 90 is loaded and unloaded with respect to the filter device draw-out port H provided on the front panel assembly 13 as described later.

[0117] In addition, as Figure 2 shown, the blower 80 is located on the right side of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 in the left-right direction, and the air outlet 56 of the air outlet member 52 is located on the left side of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 in the left-right direction. It is also possible that the blower 80 is located on the left side of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 in the left-right direction, and the air outlet 56 of the air outlet member 52 is located on the right side of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 in the left-right direction. That is to say, as long as the blower 80 and the air outlet 56 are located on opposite sides of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30 in the left-right direction. Thus, a relatively large installation space can be ensured for the air supply pipeline (i.e., the air outlet member 52) located between the blower 80 and the air outlet 56 of the air duct housing 50, avoiding an increase in the air loss of the air outlet member 52 due to multiple bends in a small space, which is beneficial for reducing the air loss of the air outlet member 52, and thus enabling the air flow blown from the blower 80 to be more smooth.

[0118] In addition, the blower 80 is arranged such that its rotation axis extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 20. By operating the blower 80, the low-temperature and high-humidity air inside the inner cylinder 30 is sucked from the front side of the inner cylinder 30 into the housing main body 53 via the air inlet member 51; the low-temperature and high-humidity air sucked into the housing main body 53 passes through the evaporator 60 from the upper windward surface 61, and by the heat absorption of the refrigerant in the evaporator 60, the water vapor in the air condenses on the surface of the evaporator 60 and precipitates as condensed water, thereby obtaining low-temperature and dry air; the low-temperature and dry air coming out from the air outlet surface 62 of the evaporator 60 passes through the condenser 70 from the lower windward surface 71, and by the heat release of the refrigerant in the condenser 70, the air is heated, thereby obtaining high-temperature and dry air; the high-temperature and dry air coming out from the air outlet surface 72 of the condenser 70 enters the inner cylinder 30 from the rear side of the inner cylinder 30 through the air outlet member 52; the high-temperature and dry air contacts the wet clothes inside the inner cylinder 30, evaporates the moisture contained in the clothes into water vapor and takes it away, and becomes low-temperature and high-humidity air; the low-temperature and high-humidity air is sucked into the housing main body 53 again from the front side of the inner cylinder 30 via the air inlet member 51.

[0119] As Figure 5 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 shown, the air passage in the air passage housing 50 is divided into: a first air passage region S1, which is the region from the air inlet 55 of the air inlet member 51 to the windward surface 61 of the evaporator 60 in the housing main body 53, in other words, the region located upstream of the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction; a second air passage region S2, which is the region in the housing main body 53 between the air outlet surface 62 of the evaporator 60 and the windward surface 71 of the condenser 70, in other words, the region located below the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70; and a third air passage region S3, which is the region from the air outlet surface 72 of the condenser 70 to the air outlet 56 of the air outlet member 52, in other words, the region located downstream of the condenser 70 in the air flow direction.

[0120] As Figure 8 shown, the first air passage region S1 is formed such that the air flowing in from the air inlet 55 under the negative pressure action when the blower 80 operates flows upward from below and then flows from right to left so as to flow from the front of the evaporator 60 toward the windward surface 61 of the evaporator 60.

[0121] As Figure 9 shown, the bottom wall portion 581 of the air passage housing 50 defining the second air passage region S2 extends in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 20, and a condensed water discharge port 584 is provided on the bottom wall portion 581 of the air passage housing 50 defining the second air passage region S2 (refer to Figure 8), specifically, a condensate drain outlet 584 is provided near the part of the bottom wall portion 581 below the condenser 70. The condensate drain outlet 584 is used to drain the condensate generated by condensation on the surface of the evaporator 60, and is connected via a hose (not shown) or the like to a drainage structure for draining the washing water in the outer cylinder 20. Thus, the condensate flows along the curvature of the bottom wall portion 581 to the condensate drain outlet 584. Since the condensate drain outlet 584 is located above the inner cylinder 30, the condensate can directly flow by gravity to the drain pipe for draining the washing water in the outer cylinder 20, with a simple structure and low cost. In addition, the flow direction of the condensate is the same as the flow direction of the air passing through the evaporator 60, which is more conducive to draining the condensate.

[0122] As Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 8 shown, the compressor 85 is located in the upper space portion 14, is disposed in the compressor housing portion 583 in front of the condenser 70, and is disposed near the upper side of the intake member 51. Thus, the length of the connecting pipe between the compressor 85 and the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 can be shortened. In addition, during the manufacturing process, after the outer cylinder 20 and the inner cylinder 30 are installed, the drying device 40 including the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, the blower 80, and the compressor 85 can be integrally installed in the upper space portion 14. Compared with the case where the compressor 85 is located below the outer cylinder 20, the assembly convenience can be greatly improved. In addition, in the direction of the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30, the compressor 85 is disposed at a position closer to the laundry inlet 21 side (front side) than the condenser 70, and the blower 80 is disposed on the opposite side (rear side) of the compressor 85 with respect to the condenser 70.

[0123] As Figure 3 shown, an outside air inlet 585 is formed in the compressor housing portion 583. In addition, the compressor housing portion 583 communicates with the internal space of the housing main body 53 (specifically, the third air passage region S3) through a passage (not shown). The outside air introduced from the outside air inlet 585 flows through the outer peripheral surface of the compressor 85 and then merges with the air flowing through the condenser 70 on the downstream side of the condenser 70 (i.e., in the third air passage region S3) and flows toward the air outlet 56. The outside air inlet 585 is located in the negative pressure region generated when the blower 80 operates in the air passage housing 50. Preferably, the outside air inlet 585 is provided at a portion of the compressor housing portion 583 on the side opposite to the side (rear side) where the condenser 70 is located (front side). The outside air inlet 585 can be provided on the side or bottom of the compressor housing portion 583. The opening shape of the outside air inlet 585 can be circular or polygonal such as a quadrilateral, and the ratio of the opening area of the outside air inlet 585 to the opening area of the air inlet 55 is preferably 5% - 30%.

[0124] As Figure 10As shown, an opening / closing valve 586 controlled by the control unit may be connected to the outside air inlet 585, and the outside air inlet 585 is opened and closed by the opening / closing valve 586. As Figure 11 As shown, an air outlet 588 may be provided on the outer cylinder 20. The air outlet 588 is used to discharge the air inside the outer cylinder 20 to the outside. The air outlet 588 is located in the upper half of the outer cylinder 20 and may be communicated with the space inside the detergent box of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 through a pipeline (not shown), so as to discharge the air inside the outer cylinder 20 to the outside. In addition, an opening / closing valve (not shown) controlled by the control unit may be connected to the air outlet 588, and the air outlet 588 is opened and closed by the opening / closing valve. Alternatively, a drain port (not shown) provided on the outer cylinder 20 for discharging the washing water inside the outer cylinder 20 may be used as the air outlet 588. Since the drain port is communicated with the outside of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 and no water is drained from the drain port when the drying apparatus 40 is operating, the drain port can function as the air outlet 588 when the drying apparatus 40 is operating. At this time, the air outlet 588 can be opened and closed by the opening / closing valve provided on the drain pipeline for discharging the washing water inside the outer cylinder 20.

[0125] By operating the compressor 85, the low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is compressed to become a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant; then, the refrigerant is sent into the condenser 70, and becomes a low-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant by releasing heat inside the condenser 70; then, the refrigerant passes through the throttling device and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant; then, the refrigerant enters the evaporator 60, and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant by absorbing heat; then, the refrigerant returns to the compressor 85 and is compressed again.

[0126] As Figure 3 and Figure 8 As shown, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 further includes a filtering device 90 for filtering foreign matters such as lint in the air flowing in the air passage of the drying apparatus. The filtering device 90 is located upstream of the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, and the blower 80 in the air flow direction. More specifically, the filtering device 90 is located between the air inlet 55 and the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction. Thus, the air is filtered by the filtering device 90 before passing through the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, and the blower 80, and the situation that foreign matters such as lint contained in the air adhere to the evaporator 60, the condenser 70, and the blower 80, resulting in a reduction in drying efficiency, can be avoided. Therefore, it is helpful to improve the drying efficiency of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus.

[0127] As Figure 1As shown, a filter device drawer opening H is provided on the front panel assembly 13, and the filter device 90 can be loaded and unloaded relative to the filter device drawer opening H. Thus, the filter device 90 can be loaded and unloaded from the space in front of the front panel assembly 13, without reserving an operating space above the drum-type laundry treating apparatus for loading and unloading the filter device 90. Therefore, it helps to save the installation space. In addition, as Figure 3 shown, the filter device 90 is loaded and unloaded relative to the filter device drawer opening H in an inclined manner with the front end close to the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30 and the rear end away from the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30. Thus, compared with the structure in which the filter device 90 is loaded and unloaded relative to the filter device drawer opening H in a manner parallel to the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30, it is beneficial to increase the filtering area of the filter device 90 and improve the filtering capacity of the filter device 90, and it is easier to set the filter device drawer opening H on the annular surface 120 of the front panel assembly 13 described later. In addition, the filter device drawer opening H is provided at a position on the front panel assembly 13 that is covered by the door assembly 15 when the door assembly 15 is closed. Thus, when the door assembly 15 is closed, such as when the drum-type laundry treating apparatus is operating, the user cannot see the filter device drawer opening H and the filter device 90, and the overall appearance of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus can be improved.

[0128] In addition, in Figure 3In the structure shown, the front panel assembly 13 has an annular surface 120 that is drawn backward from the front surface at the clothing inlet 21. The filter device drawer opening H is provided on the annular surface 120, and the annular surface 120 is covered by the door assembly 15 when the door assembly 15 is closed. Thus, the annular surface 120 formed by drawing of the front panel assembly 13 can be effectively utilized to set the filter device drawer opening H, and the filter device 90 can easily be inserted into the air passage housing 50 for air flow through the filter device drawer opening H provided on the annular surface 120. Preferably, the filter device drawer opening H is located directly above the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30. At this time, the air inlet 55 is offset to the right or left with respect to the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30, and the filter device 90 is located between the air inlet 55 and the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction. Since the filter device drawer opening H is located directly above the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30, the appearance is good, and it is convenient for the user to perform the operation of loading and unloading the filter device 90 with respect to the filter device drawer opening H. On this basis, by offsetting the air inlet 55 to one side in the left-right direction with respect to the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30, the space on the front side and above the outer tub 20 can be effectively utilized while ensuring miniaturization. In addition, since the filter device 90 is located between the air inlet 55 and the evaporator 60 in the air flow direction, the air from the air inlet 55 is filtered by the filter device 90 before flowing into the evaporator 60, and foreign matters such as lint contained in the air can be prevented from adhering to other components except the filter device 90. Preferably, when the evaporator 60 is located directly above the rotation axis X of the inner tub 30, the filter device 90 is located directly in front of the evaporator 60. Thus, the filter device 90 can be provided at a height position convenient for the user to perform the loading and unloading operation, which is beneficial to the loading and unloading operation of the filter device 90.

[0129] As Figure 12 and Figure 13As shown, a foreign object receiving member 91 is provided at the rear side of the filtering device 90. The foreign object receiving member 91 can receive foreign objects such as lint that fall from the filtering device 90 when the filtering device 90 is pulled out. Thus, it is beneficial to collect and centrally clean the foreign objects, and it can avoid the foreign objects that fall from the filtering device 90 when the filtering device 90 is pulled out from being scattered in the air duct housing 50 and adhering to the evaporator 60, condenser 70, blower 80, etc. as the air flows when the drying device 40 is operating. Preferably, the foreign object receiving member 91 is a filter element that can filter air, and is arranged substantially parallel to the filtering device 90. The foreign object receiving member 91 can be fixed in the air duct housing 50 or can be detachably installed in the air duct housing 50. Thus, the foreign object receiving member 91, as a filter element, can filter and collect the foreign objects that fall from the filtering device 90, and the foreign object receiving member 91 allows air to flow through, so that the resistance to air flow can be reduced, and the smooth flow of air can be ensured. In addition, since the foreign object receiving member 91 is arranged substantially parallel to the filtering device 90, the foreign objects can be collected more reliably, and the space required for arranging the foreign object receiving member 91 can be saved, which is beneficial to miniaturization.

[0130] As Figures 14 to 18 shown, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 further includes an auxiliary heating device A for heating the air flowing out from the housing main body 53 of the air duct housing 50. The auxiliary heating device A is located between the blower 80 and the air outlet 201 in the air flow direction. Specifically, the auxiliary heating device A is arranged in the second pipe 522 of the air outlet member 52. The second pipe 522 has an air inlet 523 facing upward and an air outlet 524 (i.e., the air outlet 56) facing forward. The air inlet 523 is substantially circular and communicates with the first pipe 521. The air outlet 524 has a shape corresponding to the shape of the air outlet 201 provided on the rear side wall of the outer cylinder 20 and communicates with the air outlet 201. In addition, the shape of the air inlet 523 is not limited to a circle, and other shapes such as a polygon can also be adopted according to needs. The auxiliary heating device A extends meanderingly in the second pipe 522 along the direction from the air inlet 523 to the air outlet 524.

[0131] As Figure 14 shown, a reinforcing rib 202 protruding rearward is provided on the outer surface of the rear side wall of the outer cylinder 20. The reinforcing rib 202 is used to improve the strength of the rear side wall. A recess 203 is formed in the reinforcing rib 202 by removing a part of the reinforcing rib 202 or the like. A part of the second pipe 522 is arranged in the recess 203.

[0132] As Figures 16 to 18As shown, the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device A is substantially parallel to the central axis O of the air inlet 523 of the second tube 522, and the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device A is substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30. Alternatively, the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device A is inclined at an angle of 90 to 180 degrees toward the axial outer side of the inner cylinder 30 relative to the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 30. It should be noted that the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device A refers to a section obtained by cutting the auxiliary heating device A using a plane parallel to the front-to-back direction (i.e., a plane perpendicular to the left-to-right direction) including the central axis O of the air inlet 523.

[0133] The drum type clothes treatment device 1 of this embodiment works as follows. The clothes are put into the inner drum 30 through the clothes input port 21, and the clothes are washed like the conventional washing machine. When it is necessary to dry the washed clothes, the fan 80 and the compressor 85 are operated, and the air filtered by the filter device 90 is used to generate high-temperature dry air by the evaporator 60 and the condenser 70 to dry the clothes in the inner drum 30. In this process, the auxiliary heating device A is used to auxiliary heat the air at an appropriate stage (for example, at the beginning of the operation of the drying device 40), thereby shortening the time required for the air to reach a high temperature at the beginning of drying. In addition, after the compressor 85 has been working for a certain period of time and is in a high temperature state, the lower temperature external air is allowed to flow in from the external air inlet 585 to cool the compressor 85, and the air inside the device is discharged through the air outlet 588 to ensure that the air pressure inside the device is within a specified range.

Claims

1. A drum - type laundry treating device, characterized in that, The drum - type laundry treating apparatus includes: A housing, which includes a front - panel assembly located on the front - surface side of the drum - type laundry treating apparatus; An outer tub, which is supported within the housing; An inner tub, which is rotatably installed within the outer tub for receiving laundry; A drying device, which is located above the outer tub and dries the laundry within the inner tub by using heated air; and A filtering device, which is used for filtering foreign matters in the air flowing in the air passage of the drying device, The drying device includes: An air - passage housing, which has an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet is located on the front side or the upper side of the outer tub, and the air outlet is located on the rear side of the outer tub. The air inlet and the air outlet are respectively communicated with the inner cavity of the inner tub; An evaporator, which is disposed within the air - passage housing and is used for dehumidifying the air led out from within the inner tub; A condenser, which is disposed within the air - passage housing at a position downstream of the evaporator in the air - flow direction and is used for heating the air that has passed through the evaporator; and A blower, which is used for making the air flow, thereby leading the air within the inner tub into the air - passage housing through the air inlet and leading the air that has passed through the evaporator and the condenser into the inner tub through the air outlet, The evaporator and the condenser are arranged along the rotation direction of the inner tub and are configured in a substantially inverted V - shape, The filtering device is located upstream of the evaporator, the condenser, and the blower in the air - flow direction, A filtering - device draw - out port is provided on the front - panel assembly, and the filtering device can be loaded and unloaded relative to the filtering - device draw - out port.

2. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The windward surface of the evaporator is located on the upper side, and air passes through the evaporator from top to bottom. The windward surface of the condenser is located on the lower side, and air passes through the condenser from bottom to top.

3. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaporator is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner tub.

4. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The height of the lower end of the evaporator is higher than the height of the lower end of the condenser.

5. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The condenser is a micro - channel condenser, and / or the evaporator is a micro - channel evaporator.

6. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Within the air - passage housing, there is formed: A first air - passage region, which is located upstream of the evaporator in the air - flow direction; A second air - passage region, which is located below the evaporator and the condenser; And A third air - passage region, which is located downstream of the condenser in the air - flow direction, The bottom wall portion of the air - passage housing that defines the second air - passage region extends in an arc shape along the outer - peripheral surface of the outer tub, A condensate drain outlet is provided on the bottom wall portion of the air - passage housing that defines the second air - passage region, and the condensate drain outlet is used for discharging the condensate generated by condensation on the surface of the evaporator.

7. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blower is located downstream of the condenser in the air - flow direction, and the blower is located behind the condenser within the air - passage housing.

8. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The blower and the air outlet are located on opposite sides of the rotation axis of the inner tub in the left - right direction.

9. The drum - type laundry treating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drying device further includes a compressor, which is used for compressing the refrigerant flowing in the evaporator and the condenser. The upper space part above the compressor is located in front of the condenser above the outer cylinder.

10. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The drum - type laundry treating apparatus further includes a door assembly which is mounted on the front - panel assembly and is used for opening and closing the laundry inlet of the outer cylinder. The filtering device draw - out port is provided at a position on the front - panel assembly that is covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed.

11. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The front - panel assembly has an annular surface that is drawn deep from the front surface to the rear at the laundry inlet, and the filtering device draw - out port is provided on the annular surface.

12. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The filtering device is inclined with respect to the filtering device draw - out port for loading and unloading in such a way that the front end is close to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder and the rear end is far from the rotation axis of the inner cylinder.

13. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, The filtering device draw - out port is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, the air inlet is offset to one side in the left - right direction with respect to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, and the filtering device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the air - flow direction.

14. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The evaporator is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder, and the filtering device is located directly in front of the evaporator.

15. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein, A foreign - matter receiving member is provided at the rear side of the filtering device, and the foreign - matter receiving member can receive foreign matters that fall from the filtering device when the filtering device is drawn out.

16. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The foreign - matter receiving member is a filter element capable of filtering air and is arranged substantially parallel to the filtering device.

17. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The blower is located inside the air - duct housing. The air - duct housing has a compressor accommodation part for installing the compressor. When looking down at the drying device, the compressor located inside the compressor accommodation part is on the opposite side of the condenser with respect to the blower. An outside - air inlet is formed in the compressor accommodation part. The outside air introduced from the outside - air inlet flows through the outer peripheral surface of the compressor and then merges with the air flowing through the condenser on the downstream side of the condenser and flows toward the air outlet.

18. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The blower is located on the downstream side of the condenser in the air - flow direction, and the outside - air inlet is located in the negative - pressure area of the air - duct housing.

19. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The opening shape of the outside - air inlet is circular or polygonal, and the ratio of the opening area of the outside - air inlet to the opening area of the air inlet is 5% - 30%.

20. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The outside - air inlet is provided at a position on the side of the compressor accommodation part opposite to the side where the condenser is located.

21. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The outside - air inlet is provided on the side part or the bottom of the compressor accommodation part.

22. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The outside - air inlet is connected to an opening - and - closing valve controlled by the control part.

23. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, An air outlet is provided on the outer cylinder, and the air outlet is used for discharging the air inside the outer cylinder to the outside.

24. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The air outlet is located in the upper half of the outer cylinder.

25. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The air outlet is communicated with the space inside the detergent box of the drum - type laundry treating apparatus through a pipeline.

26. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The air outlet is connected to an opening - and - closing valve controlled by the control part.

27. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The drain port provided on the outer cylinder also serves as the air outlet.

28. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The drum - type laundry treating apparatus further includes an auxiliary heating device for heating the air flowing out from the housing main body of the air - duct housing. An air supply port for allowing the air flowing out from the air outlet to flow into the outer cylinder is provided on the rear side wall of the outer cylinder, and an air outlet member is used to connect the housing main body and the air supply port. The air outlet member includes an independent first pipe and a second pipe. The first pipe is connected to the housing main body, and the second pipe connects the first pipe and the air supply port. The second pipe extends in a substantially L-shape in a side view, and the auxiliary heating device is disposed in the second pipe.

29. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, The longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device is substantially parallel to the central axis of the air inlet of the second pipe.

30. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 29, wherein, The inclination angle of the longitudinal section of the auxiliary heating device with respect to the rotation axis of the inner cylinder and inclined outward in the axial direction of the inner cylinder is 90 degrees to 180 degrees.

31. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 30, wherein, The auxiliary heating device extends in a meandering manner in the second pipe along the direction from the air inlet of the second pipe toward the air outlet of the second pipe.

32. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, A reinforcing rib protruding rearward for enhancing the strength of the rear side wall is provided on the outer surface of the rear side wall of the outer cylinder. A recess is provided in the reinforcing rib, and a part of the second pipe is disposed in the recess.

33. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, The auxiliary heating device is located between the blower and the air supply port in the air flow direction.

34. The drum - type laundry treating apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, The air inlet of the second pipe faces upward, and the air outlet of the second pipe faces forward.

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