Flow path switching unit for dryer and dryer including the same

Abstract

A flow path switching unit for a dryer for drying an object to be dried is provided. A flow path switching unit for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a body part and a flow guide that partitions an internal space of the body part, the flow path switching unit (100) can provide a first flow path for drying the object to be dried or a second flow path for dehumidifying the outside air according to the position of the body part (10), and the flow path switching unit (100) can provide the first flow path and the second flow path, in a first position, in which the first flow path is separated from the second flow path, in which the second flow path is separated from the first flow path. In the first position, air from a drum (130) of the dryer (200) is directed to a heat exchanger (170) of the dryer through a first flow path, and in the second position, outside air introduced from outside of the dryer (200) is directed to outside through a second flow path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flow path switching unit for a dryer and a dryer including the flow path switching unit, the flow path switching unit being configured to selectively provide two flow paths for a drying mode and a dehumidifying mode. Background Art

[0002] A dryer is a device for drying wet clothes (hereinafter referred to as drying materials). The drying materials are accommodated in a drum in the dryer, and while the drum rotates to dry the drying materials, hot air is supplied into the drum through a heat exchanger.

[0003] Existing dryers are installed and used in a laundry room or a utility room separately provided in a house, but the laundry room or the utility room may not have windows and / or may be very small, resulting in poor ventilation. Due to the drying of the drying materials, the humidity in the laundry room or the utility room may increase, and the high humidity may cause corrosion of the dryer or discomfort to the user.

[0004] A dehumidifier can be separately installed in the space where the dryer is installed, which may be inefficient in terms of cost and space. Therefore, the dryer can operate in a drying mode or a dehumidifying mode, and a dehumidifying unit for changing the flow path of air can be considered for operating in the drying mode and the dehumidifying mode. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Solution to the Problem

[0006] A flow path switching unit for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be coupled to the dryer, wherein the drying materials are accommodated in a drum in the dryer, and the drying materials are dried by heat during heat exchange to dehumidify external air.

[0007] A flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include a body portion including a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface.

[0008] A flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can include a flow path guide that divides an internal space of the body portion to selectively form one of a first flow path for air for drying the drying materials and a second flow path for air for dehumidifying external air according to an arrangement position of the body portion.

[0009] In a state where the body portion is arranged in the dryer at a first position, the flow path switching unit can provide the first flow path to guide air from the drum of the dryer toward the heat exchanger of the dryer.

[0010] In a state where the main body portion is disposed at the second position in the dryer, the flow path switching unit may provide a second flow path to guide the outside air introduced from the outside of the dryer toward the heat exchanger and discharge the outside air that has been dehumidified after passing through the heat exchanger and the drum to the outside of the dryer.

[0011] The dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a flow path switching unit for the dryer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a perspective view of the lower part of

[0014] Figure 3 is a view showing a state in which a lid is coupled in Figure 1 the

[0015] Figure 4 is a view conceptually showing a flow path in a drying mode.

[0016] Figure 5 is a view conceptually showing a flow path in a dehumidification mode.

[0017] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the flow path switching unit in the first position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the flow path switching unit in the first position.

[0019] Figure 8 is Figure 7 a cross-sectional view of the flow path switching unit in

[0020] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the flow path switching unit in the first position when installed in the lower left part of the main body of the dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the flow path switching unit in the second position.

[0022] Figure 11 is Figure 10 a cross-sectional view of a state in which an open / close part is partially opened in

[0023] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the flow path switching unit in the first position when installed in the lower left part of the main body of the dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the flow path switching unit in the second position.

[0025] Figure 14 is Figure 13 a perspective view of the open / closed partially open state in

[0026] Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view observed from the rear toward the front of the flow path switching unit.

[0027] Figure 16 is Figure 11 a plan view of the flow path switching unit of DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals or symbols presented in each drawing denote components or assemblies that perform substantially the same functions.

[0029] Terms including "first", "second", etc. may be used to explain various components, but these components are not limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may be referred to as the first component. The term "and / or" may include combinations of multiple related items or any one of multiple related items.

[0030] The terms used herein are for describing embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit and / or restrict the present disclosure. Unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, the singular form includes the plural form. Further, it should be understood that the terms "comprising", "having", etc. used herein indicate the presence of the features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof. The same reference numerals presented in each drawing denote components that perform substantially the same functions.

[0031] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is Figure 1 a perspective view of the lower part of Figure 3 and is Figure 1 a view showing the state in which the lid is coupled in

[0032] Refer to Figure 1, the direction along the X-axis can be defined as the front-back direction, the direction along the Y-axis can be defined as the left-right direction, and the direction along the Z-axis can be defined as the up-down direction. Meanwhile, among the terms used in the following description, the "front-back direction", "left-right direction", "up-down direction", etc. are defined based on the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 , the dryer 100 is a device operated to dry drying materials. The dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body 110. The main body 110 may be formed in an approximate rectangular parallelepiped shape including a front surface 101, a rear surface 102, a top surface 103, a bottom surface 104, and side surfaces 105.

[0034] The dryer 100 may include a drum 130 for accommodating the drying materials. The drum 130 may have an open side through which the drying materials are put in. In the main body 110, an inlet 106 communicating with the drum 130 may be formed, and a door 120 for opening and closing the inlet 106 may be provided.

[0035] The drum 130 may be accommodated and installed in the main body 110 forming the exterior of the dryer 100. An operation unit 111 may be provided in the upper part of the front surface 101 of the main body 110 to allow a user to execute the functions of the dryer 100. In the operation unit 111, a rotary input unit 11a for selecting the functions of the dryer 100, a display unit 11b for displaying the selected functions and mode states of the dryer 100 according to the input of the rotary input unit 11a, a touch input unit 11c for allowing the user to select a mode by pressing, etc. may be provided. However, the configuration of the operation unit 111 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various ways.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 , the dryer 100 may include a heat exchanger 170 for supplying hot air to the drum 130. The heat exchanger 170 may be provided below the drum 130 and may be installed on a base 140 provided on the bottom surface 104 of the main body 110. As Figure 3 shown, a fan 161 installed on the base 140 may move the air of the drum 130 to a flow path switching unit 200, and the heat exchanger 170 may be provided at the rear end of the flow path switching unit 200. A cover 141 may be coupled to the upper part of the base 140 to form a duct structure allowing air to pass through the flow path switching unit 200 and the heat exchanger 170.

[0037] The heat exchanger 170 can supply hot air toward the drum 130 and can be a component constituting a refrigerant cycle. The refrigerant cycle can include the heat exchanger 170, the compressor 180, and the expansion device 190. The heat exchanger 170 can be configured to exchange air having heat and can include an evaporator 171 and a condenser 172. The refrigerant can circulate through a series of processes including compression - condensation - expansion - evaporation.

[0038] The compressor 180 can compress the refrigerant into a high - temperature and high - pressure state and discharge the refrigerant such that the discharged refrigerant is introduced into the condenser 172. The condenser 172 can condense the compressed refrigerant and discharge heat to the surrounding environment during the condensation process. In addition, the expansion device 190 can expand the refrigerant in a high - temperature and high - pressure state condensed by the condenser 172 into a low - pressure state. The evaporator 171 can evaporate the expanded refrigerant and take heat away from the surrounding environment during the evaporation process. The refrigerant passing through the evaporator 171 can move back to the compressor 180 and circulate.

[0039] Figure 4 is a diagram conceptually showing the flow path in the drying mode, and Figure 5 is a diagram conceptually showing the flow path in the dehumidification mode.

[0040] Reference Figure 4 , when the dryer 100 operates in a drying mode for drying a drying material, air can circulate within the main body 110 to dry the drying material. More specifically, the high - temperature and high - humidity air supplied from the drum 130 can be changed into low - temperature drying air while being cooled by passing through the evaporator 171 of the heat exchanger 170. When the high - temperature and high - humidity air is cooled in the evaporator 171, condensed water can be generated. The condensed water can move to the recovery container 109 provided in the dryer 100 or can be discharged to the outside of the main body 110.

[0041] The low - temperature drying air can pass through the condenser 172 of the heat exchanger 170 when passing through the evaporator 171. The low - temperature drying air discharged from the evaporator 171 can be heated to and changed into high - temperature drying air when passing through the condenser 172. The high - temperature drying air can be introduced to the back side of the drum 130 to dry the drying material. As the drying material is dried, the high - temperature and high - humidity air containing moisture can leak out from the drum 130 and pass through the evaporator 171 again. In this way, the air circulating within the main body 110 can dry the drying material accommodated in the drum 130.

[0042] Reference Figure 5, when the dryer 100 operates in a dehumidifying mode for dehumidifying external air, the air outside the dryer 100 can be introduced into the dryer 100 and dehumidified, and then discharged to the outside of the dryer 100. More specifically, the air outside the dryer 100 can be introduced into the dryer 100 and dehumidified when it is discharged to the outside of the dryer 100 after passing through the heat exchanger 170 and the drum 130.

[0043] The high-humidity air that needs to be dehumidified can be changed into high-temperature drying air when passing through the heat exchanger 170. The high-temperature drying air can pass through the drum 130 and then can be discharged to the outside of the dryer 100 again, so that the high-humidity air outside the dryer 100 can be dehumidified. The dehumidifying mode can be operated in a state where no drying material is accommodated in the drum 130.

[0044] Thus, in the drying mode, the air circulates inside the main body 110, and in the dehumidifying mode, the external air is introduced and discharged to the outside via the heat exchanger 170 and the drum 130. The flow path switching unit 200 for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can be detachably coupled to the dryer 100 to selectively form a first flow path for the drying mode and a second flow path for the dehumidifying mode. The flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 can be engaged by being inserted into the mounting hole 108 formed in the main body 110. The mounting hole 108 can be opened and closed by the cover 107. Hereinafter, the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 will be described in detail.

[0045] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the flow path switching unit 200 in the first position according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the flow path switching unit 200 in the first position, and Figure 8 is Figure 7 a cross-sectional view of Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the flow path switching unit 200 in the second position, and Figure 11 is Figure 10 a cross-sectional view in which the opening / closing unit is opened in

[0046] The first position may refer to the position in a state where the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 is coupled to the dryer 100 to perform a drying operation, and the second position may refer to the position in a state where the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 is coupled to the dryer 100 to perform a dehumidifying operation.

[0047] The flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body portion 10 and a flow path guide 20.

[0048] Reference Figure 6 Figure 6 , the main body portion 10 may include a top surface 11, a bottom surface 12, a first side surface 13, and a second side surface 14. The first side surface 13 spans the main body portion 10 and is opposite to the second side surface 14. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body portion 10 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open front surface and a rear surface. When viewed from the front surface, the main body portion 10 may have a width that is greater than the height in the vertical direction in the horizontal direction. Since the main body portion 10 is formed to have a width in the horizontal direction that is greater than the height in the vertical direction, the space utilization rate of the lower part of the dryer 100 can be improved. As Figure 1 Figure 1 shown, since the drum 130 is disposed in the central portion of the main body 110 of the dryer 100, and the flow path switching unit 200 is disposed in the space in the lower part of the main body 110, the height of the main body portion 10 can be reduced to minimize interference with other structures.

[0049] In addition, the main body portion 10 may be formed such that the distance between the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14 is greater than the distance in its front and rear portions. By reducing the distance of the main body portion 10 in the front-rear direction, the layout space of the structure (for example, the heat exchanger 170) disposed in the rear side of the main body portion 10 can be effectively ensured. A relatively long distance between the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14 of the main body portion 10 can be ensured, so that the size of each region is sufficiently ensured when the main body portion 10 is divided into a first region A and a second region B at the second position. The shape of the main body portion 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be changed differently as long as it can form a flow path through which air flows.

[0050] The flow path guide 20 may guide air by partitioning the internal space of the main body portion 10. The flow path guide 20 may be coupled to the inside of the main body portion 10 to partition the internal space of the main body portion 10, and the partitioned space may be used as a flow path for the drying mode or the dehumidifying mode.

[0051] More specifically, the flow path guide 20 may form a first flow path for drying the drying material or a second flow path for dehumidifying the external air. That is, the flow path guide 20 may form a first flow path in the drying mode and a second flow path in the dehumidifying mode.

[0052] Reference Figure 7 And Figure 8 Figure 8 , in a state where the main body portion 10 is in the first position, the flow path guide 20 may provide a first flow path for guiding air from the drum 130 toward the heat exchanger 170. Reference Figure 10 AndFigure 11 When the main body 10 is in the second position, the flow path guide 20 can provide a second flow path in which, after outside air is introduced through the heat exchanger 170 and the drum 130 and dehumidified, the outside air is drawn back from the drum 130 to the main body 10 and discharged to the outside.

[0053] In this case, the second position of the main body 10 can be the position of the main body 10 where the main body 10 is rotated 180° and thus the positions of the top surface and the bottom surface are reversed from the first position. When the main body 10 is viewed from the front surface of the main body 10, the second position can be the position of the main body 10 where the main body 10 is rotated in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction with respect to the center of the front surface of the main body 10 and thus the top surface becomes the bottom surface and the bottom surface becomes the top surface.

[0054] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 10 and, a front cover 22 is coupled to the front portion of the main body 10, an inlet 24 and an outlet 25 are formed on the front cover 22, outside air is introduced through the inlet 24, and outside air is discharged through the outlet 25. The inlet 24 and the outlet 25 can be formed to have substantially the same size to facilitate the flow of air in the introduction and discharge of the outside air. A guide rib 26 that contacts and supports the flow path guide 20 while guiding the outside air to the opening 19 can be formed to protrude on the inlet 24. The guide rib 26 can be formed to have a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the flow path guide 20.

[0055] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path guide 20 can extend from the front portion of any one of the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14 to the rear portion of the other of the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14.

[0056] As Figure 7 shown, the flow path guide 20 can extend from the front portion of the first side surface 13 to the rear portion of the second side surface 14. One end of the flow path guide 20 can be coupled to the front portion of the first side surface 13, and the other end can be coupled to the rear portion of the second side surface 14. The flow path guide 20 can be formed to be rounded to facilitate the flow of air. Although in Figure 7 the other end of the flow path guide 20 is coupled to the rear portion of the right side surface 14, the other end of the flow path guide 20 can also be coupled to the corner where the rear surface of the main body 10 intersects the right side surface 14 or to the rear surface adjacent to the corner.

[0057] The first inlet 15 and the outlet 16 may be formed in the main body portion 10. More specifically, in a state where the first inlet 15 is in the first position with respect to the main body portion 10, the first inlet 15 may be formed on the side surface to allow air to be introduced from the drum 130. The outlet 16 may be formed at the rear of the main body portion 10.

[0058] The air introduced from the first inlet 15 may form a first flow path when flowing to the outlet 16. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the area of the outlet 16 may be larger than the area of the first inlet 15. Since the area of the outlet 16 is larger than the area of the first inlet 15, the air introduced through the first inlet 15 can be smoothly discharged through the outlet 16.

[0059] Reference Figure 8 , the first inlet 15 may be formed on the first side surface 13 of the main body portion 10 that is connected to the end of the flow path guide 20. The outlet 16 may be formed on the rear surface of the main body portion 10 such that the air from the drum 130 can be introduced into the first side surface 13 where the first inlet 15 is formed and discharged to the rear where the outlet 16 is provided.

[0060] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, when viewed from the front surface 101 of the main body 110, the flow path switching unit 200 may be connected to the mounting portion 150 provided on the lower right portion of the main body 110. The drum 130 may be located in the central portion of the main body 110, and the flow path switching unit 200 may be formed on the right side of the drum 130 such that the first inlet 15 can be formed on the first side surface 13 of the main body portion 10, thereby simplifying the flow path of the air discharged from the drum 130.

[0061] As Figure 9 shown, when the flow path switching unit 200 is connected to the lower left portion of the main body 110, the flow path guide 20 formed in the main body portion 10 may be formed in a rounded shape from the front of the second side surface 14 to the rear of the first side surface 13. That is, one end of the flow path guide 20 may be connected to the front of the second side surface 14, and the other end may be connected to the rear of the first side surface 13. The other end of the flow path guide 20 may be connected to the corner where the first side surface 13 intersects the rear surface or to the rear surface adjacent to the corner.

[0062] In this case, the first inlet 15 may be formed on the right side surface 14, and the outlet 16 may be formed on the rear surface of the main body portion 10. That is, in an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path guide 20, the first inlet 15, and the outlet 16 may be symmetrically changed to Figure 7Structure. When observing the main body 110 from the front surface 101, since this structure is a structure in which the flow path switching unit 200 is joined to the lower left portion of the front surface 101 of the main body 110, the flow path introduced from the drum 130 can be simplified and applied.

[0063] In addition, the air dispersion ribs 21 can be formed in the flow path guide 20. Relative to the state of the main body portion 10 being in the first position, the air dispersion ribs 21 can protrude from the surface of the flow path guide 20 to the outlet 16. Since the air introduced through the first inlet 15 collides with the air dispersion ribs 21 and is injected, the air can flow to the outlet 16. The air can be dispersed by the air dispersion ribs 21 and smoothly escape through the outlet 16 to the heat exchanger 170.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body portion 10 can include a second inlet 17, a partition wall 18, and an opening 19.

[0065] The flow path guide 20 can extend from the front portion of any one of the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14 to the rear portion of the other of the opposite first side surface 13 and the second side surface 14, and the second inlet 17 can be formed on the other side surface to introduce air from the drum 130 in a state where the main body portion 10 is in the second position. When the main body portion 10 is Figure 7 vertically inverted from the first position, the main body portion 10 can change to Figure 10 the second position. As Figure 10 shown, when the main body portion 10 is inverted to the second position, the second inlet 17 can be arranged on the left side in the same way as the first inlet 15 in the first position.

[0066] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, when observing the main body 110 from the front surface of the main body 110, the flow path switching unit 200 can be coupled to the lower right portion of the front surface of the main body 110, so that the second inlet 17 can allow air to be easily introduced from the drum 130 arranged in the central portion of the main body 110 through the second inlet 17. This result can be because the top surface and the bottom surface of the flow path switching unit 200 are inverted by 180°, so that the second inlet 17 moves from the first position to the position of the first inlet 15.

[0067] More specifically, referring to Figure 8 , relative to the first position, the flow path guide 20 can extend from the front portion of the first side surface 13 to the rear portion of the second side surface 14, wherein the second inlet 17 can be formed on the second side surface 14, and the first inlet 15 can be formed on the first side surface 13. With this structure, the second inlet 17 can be formed on the opposite side of the first inlet 15. When the first inlet 15 is formed on the second side surface 14, the second inlet 17 can be formed on the first side surface 13.

[0068] In the flow path of the air introduced through the first inlet 15 and flowing through the outlet 16, the surface of the flow path guide 20 can be used. On the other hand, the air introduced through the second inlet 17 can flow along the other surface of the flow path guide 20.

[0069] The partition wall 18 can be provided to project from the rear to the front of the flow path guide 20. The partition wall 18 can divide the front surface of the main body portion 10 into a first region A and a second region B, and the outside air is introduced through the first region A and discharged through the second region B.

[0070] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the partition wall 18 can be formed at the centers of the opposite first side surface 13 and second side surface 14 of the main body portion 10. The partition wall 18 can be formed at the centers of the opposite first side surface 13 and second side surface 14 such that the first region A and the second region B can have substantially the same size and the flow rate of the introduced outside air and the flow rate of the discharged outside air can be similar to each other, promoting the flow of air.

[0071] As Figure 10 shown, when the main body portion 10 is in the second position, the right side of the partition wall 18 can form the first region A into which the outside air is introduced, and the left side of the partition wall 18 can form the second region B from which the outside air is discharged.

[0072] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the area of the second region B can be larger than the area of the second inlet 17. Since the area of the second region B is larger than the area of the second inlet 17, the air introduced from the drum 130 through the second inlet 17 can be smoothly discharged to the outside through the second region B.

[0073] The opening 19 can be provided to open and close in the flow path guide 20 corresponding to the first region A. As Figure 7 、 Figure 8 、 Figure 9 and Figure 10 shown, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the opening 19 can be formed as a hole cut into a substantially comb shape. The opening 19 formed in a comb shape in this way can provide the effect of mainly filtering out foreign substances included in the outside air. However, the shape of the opening 19 is not limited thereto, and the opening 19 can have a size and shape sufficient to introduce air into the main body portion 10. For example, the opening 19 can have such a shape that a plurality of circular through holes are formed in the flow path guide 20, or rods arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions are arranged as a grille.

[0074] The second flow path may be formed such that outside air is introduced into the main body 10 through the opening 19, passes through the heat exchanger 170 and the drum 130, returns to the main body 10 through the second inlet 17, and is then discharged through the second region B.

[0075] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the area of the opening 19 may be smaller than the area of the outlet 16. Since the area of the outlet 16 is larger than the area of the opening 19, the outside air introduced through the opening 19 can be smoothly discharged to the heat exchanger 170 through the outlet 16.

[0076] As Figure 9 shown, when the flow path guide 20 extends circularly from the front of the second side surface 14 to the rear of the first side surface 13 at the first position, the first inlet 15 may be formed on the right side surface 14 of the main body 10, the outlet 16 may be formed on the rear surface of the main body 10, and the second inlet 17 may be formed on the left side surface 13 of the main body 10. In the example of the state shown in Figure 9 shown, the flow path switching unit 200 may enter the state shown in Figure 12 after switching to the second position. Referring to Figure 12 , when the main body 10 is in the second position, the first region A may be the left region divided by the partition wall 18 on the front surface of the main body 10, and the second region B may be the right region on the front surface of the main body 10. According to Figure 9 , the end of the flow path guide 20 may be coupled to the front of the second side surface 14 of the main body 10, and the other end may be coupled to the rear of the first side surface 13 of the main body 10. However, the other end of the flow path guide 20 may be coupled to the corner where the first side surface 13 of the main body 10 intersects the rear surface or to the rear surface of the main body 10 adjacent to the corner.

[0077] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the flow path switching unit in the second position, and Figure 14 is a perspective view of the state where the opening and closing unit is opened at the second position in Figure 13 . Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view observed from the rear to the front of the flow path switching unit, and Figure 16 is Figure 11 's plan view.

[0078] As Figure 13As shown in [Fig.], the opening and closing unit 30 for opening and closing the front part of the main body 10 may be coupled to the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The opening and closing unit 30 may open or close the first area A and the second area B divided by the partition wall 18. When the main body 10 is set to the drying mode in the state of being in the first position, the opening and closing unit 30 may keep the front part of the main body 10 closed. When the main body 10 is set to the dehumidifying mode in the state of being in the second position, the opening and closing unit 30 may keep the front part of the main body 10 open.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 14 shown in [Fig.], in the state where the main body 10 is in the second position, the opening and closing unit 30 may be opened by pivoting with respect to the hinge 81 provided at the opposite lower end portion. That is, the opening and closing unit 30 may be configured to open the first area A and the second area B when pivoting at the lower end portion by pulling the upper side of the opening and closing unit 30 forward in the state of being in the second position. The accommodation part 23 may be formed in the front cover 22, and the partition wall 18 may be inserted and accommodated in the accommodation part 23. When the front cover 22 is coupled to the main body 10, the partition wall 18 may be stably positioned by being inserted into the accommodation part 23.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the closing member 40 for sealing the opening 19 may be coupled to the opening and closing unit 30. The closing member 40 may be connected to the opening and closing unit 30 to open the opening 19 when the opening and closing unit 30 opens the front part of the main body 10. The opening and closing unit 30 and the closing member 40 may be fixed by the integrally formed connection rod 41. The protrusion 42 inserted into the opening 19 when the closing member 40 closes the opening 19 may be formed in the closing member 40.

[0081] The closing member 40 may be formed to have a size corresponding to the size of the opening 19. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the opening 19 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, the closing member 40 may be formed in a rectangular shape to block the opening 19. When the shape of the opening 19 changes, the shape of the closing member 40 may also change.

[0082] The closing member 40 may have a curved surface corresponding to the curved surface of the flow path guide 20. When the closing member 40 closes the opening 19, the closing member 40 and the flow path guide 20 may form the first flow path together. Therefore, the outer surface of the closing member 40 may be formed to form a single curved surface by extending the curved surface of the flow path guide 20.

[0083] Reference Figure 15, the sealing member 50 can be coupled in the circumferential direction of the closing member 40. Since the sealing member 50 is coupled in the circumferential direction of the closing member 40, the sealing member 50 can effectively prevent air leakage by sealing the circumferential surface of the opening 19 integrally. That is, when the main body 10 is set to the drying mode at the first position, the closing member 40 can keep the opening 19 sealed. When air flows from the drum 130 to the heat exchanger 170 along the flow path guide 20, surface sealing can be performed in the circumferential direction of the closing member 40 to effectively prevent air leakage through the opening 19. The sealing member 50 can include materials such as rubber or silicone. The material of the sealing member 50 is not limited thereto, and various materials can be selected.

[0084] Reference Figure 10 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 , Figure 13 , Figure 14 and Figure 15 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 may include a guide grille 60.

[0085] The guide grille 60 may be disposed in the second region B to guide the air discharged to the outside through the second region B. The guide grille 60 may guide the air discharged through the second region B in a direction away from the partition wall 18. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide grille 60 may be disposed in an inclined shape at the outlet 25 of the front cover 22.

[0086] As Figure 16 shown, the guide grille 60 may be disposed in such a manner that strip members having a certain width are separated from each other, and air can flow between the strip members. The front end of the guide grille 60 may be formed to be inclined in a direction away from the partition wall 18 and toward the front portion of the main body 10. That is, with respect to the width of the guide grille 60, the front end 61 may be further spaced apart from the partition wall 18 than the rear end 62. Since the air discharged along the guide grille 60 is discharged in a direction away from the partition wall 18, it is possible to prevent the air discharged through the second region B from being re-introduced into the first region A and minimize the interference with the external air introduced through the first region A.

[0087] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the guide grille 60 may be disposed to be inclined in a direction away from the partition wall 18 from the upper end of the guide grille 60 toward the lower end of the guide grille 60 in the vertical longitudinal direction. Since the guide grille 60 is inclined such that its lower end is away from the partition wall 18, the air passing through the guide grille 60 can be effectively discharged away from the partition wall 18.

[0088] The flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a filter member 70.

[0089] The filter member 70 may be coupled to the rear of the main body 10 to filter out foreign substances included in the flowing air. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the filter member 70 may be detachably coupled to the outlet 16. The filter member 70 may be formed to have a shape and size corresponding to the outlet 16.

[0090] When the dryer 100 operates in the drying mode with the main body 10 in the first position, the filter member 70 may filter out foreign substances included in the air circulating within the main body 110. In the drying mode, when the air introduced through the first inlet 15 exits through the outlet 16, foreign substances included in the air circulating within the main body 110 may be filtered out by the filter member 70. In the dehumidification mode, when the external air introduced through the opening 19 is discharged through the outlet 16, foreign substances included in the external air may be filtered out by the filter member 70.

[0091] The flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a handle 80.

[0092] The handle 80 may be provided to separate the main body 10 from the main body 110 and rotate the main body 10 from the first position to the second position. In a state where the main body 10 is in the first position, the handle 80 may be formed at the front lower side of the main body 10. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the front portion of the main body 10 may include a fixing unit 90 for engaging the flow path switching unit 200 to the mounting portion 150, and the handle 80 may be provided in the fixing unit 90.

[0093] Thus, when the main body 10 is in the first position, the user may separate the main body 10 from the main body 110 by using the handle 80. Then, the main body 10 may be rotated 180° so that its top surface and bottom surface are reversed. In a state where the position of the main body 10 is changed to the second position, the main body 10 may be engaged to the main body 110.

[0094] To perform the dehumidification mode in the second position, the opening 19 may be opened to guide the introduction of external air. When the lower end of the opposite side of the opening and closing unit 30 is pivoted through the hinge 81 and the upper side of the opening and closing unit 30 is pulled downward to open the opening 19 at the second position, the position of the handle 80 changes while being in the upper side state so that the opening and closing unit 30 does not interfere with the handle 80 when the opening and closing unit 30 is opened.

[0095] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, opposite ends of the handle 80 may be formed to protrude on opposite side surfaces of the main body portion 10. The shape of the handle 80 is not limited thereto, and the position and shape of the handle 80 may be changed differently so as not to interfere with the opening and closing unit 30 when the opening and closing unit 30 is opened.

[0096] Thus, the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can provide a drying mode and a dehumidifying mode by using one unit, thereby improving user convenience. When separate units are used for each mode, the unused units must be stored separately and may be lost. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the functions in the drying mode and the dehumidifying mode are achieved by one unit, the cost can be reduced compared to manufacturing separate units for each mode.

[0097] Meanwhile, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dryer 100 including the flow path switching unit 200 may be provided.

[0098] The dryer 100 is a device for drying a drying material and can provide a drying mode and a dehumidifying mode. The drying mode may be a mode for drying a drying material, and the dehumidifying mode may be a mode for dehumidifying the air outside the dryer.

[0099] The dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body 110. The main body 110 may be formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape including a front surface 101, a rear surface 102, a top surface 103, a bottom surface 104, and side surfaces 105.

[0100] The dryer 100 may include a drum 130 that accommodates the drying material. The drum 130 may have an open side into which the drying material is put. In the main body 110, an inlet 106 communicating with the drum 130 may be formed, and a door 120 for opening and closing the inlet 106 may be provided.

[0101] The drum 130 may be accommodated and installed in the main body 110 forming the outside of the dryer 100. An operation unit 111 may be provided in an upper portion of the front surface 101 of the main body 110 to allow a user to perform the functions of the dryer 100. In the operation unit 111, a rotary input unit 11a for selecting the functions of the dryer 100, a display unit 11b for displaying the selected functions and mode states of the dryer 100 according to the input of the rotary input unit 11a, a touch input unit 11c for allowing the user to select a mode by pressing, etc. may be provided. However, the configuration of the operation unit 111 is not limited thereto and may be implemented in various ways.

[0102] Reference Figure 2, the dryer 100 may include a heat exchanger 170 that supplies hot air to the drum 130. The heat exchanger 170 may be disposed below the drum 130 and may be mounted on a base 140 provided on the bottom surface 104 of the main body 110. As Figure 3 shown, a fan 161 mounted on the base 140 may move the air of the drum 130 to the flow path switching unit 200, and the heat exchanger 170 may be disposed at the rear end of the flow path switching unit 200. A cover 141 may be coupled to the upper portion of the base 140 to form a duct structure that allows air to pass through the flow path switching unit 200 and the heat exchanger 170.

[0103] The heat exchanger 170 may be disposed below the drum 130 and may be mounted on a base 140 provided on the bottom surface 104 of the main body 110. The heat exchanger 170 may be arranged to supply hot air toward the drum 130 and may be a component that constitutes a refrigerant cycle.

[0104] The refrigerant cycle may include a heat exchanger 170, a compressor 180, and an expansion device 190. The heat exchanger 170 may be arranged to exchange air having heat and may include an evaporator 171 and a condenser 172. The refrigerant may circulate through a series of processes including compression - condensation - expansion - evaporation. A detailed description of the heat exchanger 170, the compressor 180, and the expansion device 190 has been provided in the description of the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100, and thus is omitted here.

[0105] In the dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path switching unit 200 may be detachably coupled to the main body to provide a first flow path for a drying mode at a first position and a second flow path for a dehumidifying mode at a second position. Refer to Figure 1 , when the main body 110 is viewed from the front surface, the flow path switching unit 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be detachably mounted in the lower right portion of the front surface. The installation position of the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 is not limited thereto, and may be changed to the left side of the front surface as described above.

[0106] The first flow path may be a flow path for supplying air from the drum 130 to the heat exchanger 170 when the air within the main body 110 circulates by sequentially flowing to the drum 130, the flow path switching unit 200, and the heat exchanger 170. The second flow path may be a flow path for introducing outside air into the heat exchanger 170 and discharging the air to the outside of the drum 130 when the outside air is introduced through the flow path switching unit 200, passes through the heat exchanger 170 and the drum 130, and then is led back to the flow path switching unit 200 and discharged to the outside. The flow path switching unit 200 may provide the first flow path at a first position and provide the second flow path at a second position where the top surface and the bottom surface are reversed from the first position.

[0107] The dryer 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the above-described flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100, thereby providing the structure, operation, and effects of the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100. Thus, a redundant description of the flow path switching unit 200 for the dryer 100 will be omitted.

[0108] To understand the present disclosure, reference numerals are given in the embodiments of the present disclosure shown in the drawings, and specific terms are used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific terms, and the present disclosure may include all components that are generally conceived by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0109] Certain executions described herein are embodiments of the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. For the sake of brevity of illustration, descriptions of the conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the system may be omitted. The line connections or connection members between the components shown in the drawings are examples of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections, and in practice, may represent various alternative or additional functional connections, physical connections, or circuit connections. Further, when not specifically mentioned, such as "necessary" or "important", they may not be necessary components for the application of the present disclosure. Expressions such as "comprising", "including", etc. used herein are to be understood as open-ended descriptive terms.

[0110] In the specification (especially the claims) of the present disclosure, the use of the term "the" and its similar referents may correspond to both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present disclosure, the range includes the disclosure of individual values falling within the range (unless otherwise stated), and is the same as the description of the individual values constituting the range in the specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Finally, when there is no obvious description of the order of operations constituting the method according to the present disclosure or no contrary description thereof, these operations may be performed in an appropriate order. However, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the described order of operations. The use of all examples or exemplary terms (e.g., etc.) in the present disclosure is for simply and detailedly describing the present disclosure, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited by the embodiments or exemplary terms unless limited by the claims. In addition, it is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes can be easily made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0111] The flow path switching unit for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may use a flow path switching unit that provides a bidirectional flow path for a drying mode and a dehumidifying mode, allowing a user to use the drying mode or the dehumidifying mode according to the purpose of use with a single flow path switching unit, thereby improving user convenience, eliminating problems regarding storage and loss, and reducing costs such as material costs.

[0112] The flow path switching unit for a dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be coupled to a dryer that receives a drying material in a drum and dries the drying material with heat exchanged to dehumidify external air.

[0113] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a body portion that includes a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface.

[0114] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a flow path guide that divides an internal space of the body portion to selectively form one of a first flow path for air for drying a drying material and a second flow path for air for dehumidifying external air according to the arrangement position of the body portion.

[0115] In a state where the body portion is arranged at a first position in the dryer, the flow path switching unit may provide a first flow path to guide air from the drum of the dryer toward the heat exchanger of the dryer.

[0116] In a state where the main body part is disposed at the second position in the dryer, the flow path switching unit may provide a second flow path to guide outside air introduced from the outside of the dryer toward the heat exchanger and discharge the outside air that has been dehumidified after passing through the heat exchanger and the drum to the outside of the dryer.

[0117] In the first position, the main body part may be disposed such that the first surface is the top surface of the main body part and the second surface is the bottom surface of the main body part, and in the second position, the main body part may be disposed such that the first surface is the bottom surface of the main body part and the second surface is the top surface of the main body part.

[0118] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path guide extends from the first side surface to the second side surface.

[0119] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first inlet located at the first side surface and configured to receive air from the drum in a state where the main body part is disposed at the first position in the dryer.

[0120] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include an outlet located at the rear surface of the main body part and configured to output air toward the heat exchanger in a state where the main body part is disposed at the first position in the dryer.

[0121] The first flow path of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be formed to allow air to flow from the first inlet to the outlet.

[0122] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second inlet located at the second side surface and configured to receive air from the drum in a state where the main body part is disposed at the second position in the dryer.

[0123] The flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: a partition wall protruding forward from the flow path guide and dividing the main body part into a first region and a second region. In a state where the main body part is disposed at the second position in the dryer, outside air is introduced through the first region, and in a state where the main body part is disposed at the second position in the dryer, outside air is discharged through the second region; and an opening configured to be opened and closed at the first region in the flow path guide.

[0124] The second flow path may be configured such that the outside air introduced through the opening is received through the second inlet after passing through the drum and then discharged through the second region.

[0125] The flow path switching unit may further include an opening / closing unit that is coupled to the main body portion and configured to open and close the front portion of the main body portion. A closing member for sealing the opening may be coupled to the opening / closing unit of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0126] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, when the opening / closing unit opens the front portion, the closing member may open the opening.

[0127] The closing member of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may have a size corresponding to the opening, and the flow path switching unit further includes a sealing member coupled to the periphery of the closing member.

[0128] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a guide grille may also be included, which is disposed in the second region and configured to guide air to the outside of the main body portion.

[0129] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a guide grille may also be included, which is disposed in the second region and configured to guide air to the outside of the main body portion.

[0130] The guide grille may also be configured to introduce air in a direction away from the partition wall.

[0131] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, air dispersion ribs protruding from the surface of the flow path guide member toward the outlet may also be included.

[0132] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it may be configured to be opened by the pivot of the hinge of the main body portion in a state where the main body portion is in the second position.

[0133] The distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the main body portion is greater than the distance between the first surface and the second surface.

[0134] The partition wall of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be disposed at the central position between the first side surface and the second side surface.

[0135] The area of the outlet of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be larger than the area of the first inlet and the outlet.

[0136] The area of the second region of the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be larger than the area of the second outlet.

[0137] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body portion may include a filter member configured to filter out foreign substances.

[0138] In the flow path switching unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flow path switching unit may further include a handle configured to rotate the main body portion from a first position to a second position.

[0139] In a state where the main body portion is in the first position, the handle may be at the front lower side of the main body portion.

[0140] A dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a flow path switching unit for the dryer.

[0141] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to this description and also includes various modifications and improvements made by those of ordinary skill in the art using the concepts of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flow path switching unit (200) of a dryer (100), the dryer (100) being configured to dry a drying material, the flow path switching unit (200) comprising: A main body portion (10) including a first surface (11), a second surface (12) opposite to the first surface (11), a first side surface (13), and a second side surface (14) opposite to the first side surface; And A flow path guide (20) that divides an internal space of the main body portion (10) to selectively form one of a first flow path for air for drying the drying material and a second flow path for air for dehumidifying external air according to an arrangement position of the main body portion, Wherein, in a state where the main body portion (10) is arranged at a first position in the dryer, the flow path switching unit provides the first flow path to guide air from a drum (130) of the dryer (100) toward a heat exchanger (170) of the dryer (100), Wherein, in a state where the main body portion (10) is arranged at a second position in the dryer, the flow path switching unit provides the second flow path to guide the external air introduced from the outside of the dryer toward the heat exchanger, and discharges the external air that has been dehumidified after passing through the heat exchanger and the drum to the outside of the dryer, and Wherein, in the first position, the main body portion is arranged such that the first surface is the top surface of the main body portion and the second surface is the bottom surface of the main body portion, and in the second position, the main body portion is arranged such that the first surface is the bottom surface of the main body portion and the second surface is the top surface of the main body portion.

2. The flow path switching unit according to claim 1, wherein, The flow path guide (20) extends from the first side surface to the second side surface, Wherein, the flow path guide includes: A first inlet (15) located at the first side surface and configured to receive air from the drum (130) in a state where the main body portion is arranged at the first position in the dryer; and An outlet (16) located at a rear surface of the main body portion (10) and configured to output air toward the heat exchanger in a state where the main body portion is arranged at the first position in the dryer, and Wherein, the first flow path is configured to allow air to flow from the first inlet (15) to the outlet (16).

3. The flow path switching unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The flow path guide (20) extends from the first side surface to the second side surface, Wherein, the flow path guide includes: A second inlet (17) located at the second side surface and configured to receive air from the drum (130) in a state where the main body portion is arranged at the second position in the dryer; The partition wall (18) projects forward from the flow path guide (20) and divides the main body portion into a first region (A) and a second region (B). In a state where the main body portion is arranged at the second position in the dryer, the outside air is introduced through the first region (A). In a state where the main body portion is arranged at the second position in the dryer, the outside air is discharged through the second region (B); and The opening (19) is configured to be opened and closed at the first region (A) in the flow path guide (20), and wherein the second flow path is configured such that the outside air introduced through the opening (19) is received through the second inlet (17) after passing through the drum (130), and then discharged through the second region (B).

4. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further includes an opening and closing unit (30). The opening and closing unit (30) is coupled to the main body portion (10) and is configured to open and close the front portion of the main body portion (10).

5. The flow path switching unit according to claim 3 further includes: An opening and closing unit (30) configured to open and close the front portion of the main body portion (10); And A closing member (40) coupled to the opening and closing unit (30) and configured to seal the opening, wherein the closing member (40) is further configured to open the opening (19) when the opening and closing unit (30) opens the front portion.

6. The flow path switching unit according to claim 5, Among them, The closing member (40) has a size corresponding to the size of the opening (19), and wherein the flow path switching unit further includes a sealing member (50). The sealing member (50) is coupled to the periphery of the closing member (40).

7. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further includes a guiding grille (60). The guiding grille (60) is disposed in the second region and is configured to guide air to the outside of the main body portion (10).

8. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further includes a guiding grille (60). The guiding grille (60) is disposed in the second region and is configured to guide air to the outside of the main body portion (10), and Among them, The guiding grille (60) is further configured to introduce the air in a direction away from the partition wall (18).

9. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8 further includes an air dispersion rib (21). The air dispersion rib (21) projects from the surface of the flow path guide (20) toward the outlet.

10. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein, The opening and closing unit (30) is configured to be opened by the pivot rotation of the hinge (81) of the main body portion (10) in a state where the main body portion is in the second position.

11. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, The distance between the first side surface and the second side surface of the main body portion (10) is larger than the distance between the first surface and the second surface, and Among them, the partition wall (18) is provided at the central position between the first side surface and the second side surface.

12. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The area of the outlet (16) is larger than the area of the first inlet (15). Among them, the area of the outlet is larger than the area of the outlet (19), and Among them, the area of the second region (B) is larger than the area of the second inlet (17).

13. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein, The main body part (10) includes a filter member (70), and the filter member (70) is configured to filter out foreign matters.

14. The flow path switching unit according to any one of claims 1 to 13 further includes a handle (80), and the handle (80) is configured to rotate the main body part (10) from the first position to the second position. Among them, In a state where the main body part (10) is in the first position, the handle (80) is located at the front lower side of the main body part (10).

15. A dryer includes the flow path switching unit (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

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