Drum-type laundry treatment device

Abstract

The present application provides a drum-type laundry treating apparatus, including: a housing including a front panel assembly located on a front surface side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus; an outer cylinder which is supported in the housing; an inner tub which is rotatably installed in the outer tub and is used for storing clothes; the drying device is positioned above the outer drum and is used for drying the clothes in the inner drum by utilizing the heated air; the machine door assembly is installed on the front panel assembly and used for opening and closing a clothes input opening formed in the outer cylinder, and an external air guide-in opening is formed in the portion, covered by the machine door assembly when the machine door assembly is closed, of the front panel assembly. Outer air guided in from the outer air guiding-in opening flows towards an air path in the drying device. In this way, it can be ensured that the overall appearance of the device is good, and cooling of the drying device is facilitated.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a drum-type laundry treating apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] Currently, there is an increasing demand for drum-type laundry treating apparatuses with drying function, such as washing and drying integrated machines, clothes dryers, etc. In drum-type laundry treating apparatuses, heat pump systems are increasingly adopted as a means for realizing drying function due to their energy saving, gentleness to laundry, etc.

[0003] In the laundry treating apparatus disclosed in CN117026600A (Patent Document 1), the temperature of the heat pump unit is lowered by allowing the lower-temperature external air to enter the circulating air duct of the heat pump unit, thereby avoiding damage to the heat pump unit caused by high temperature. However, in Patent Document 1, there is no mention of the design of the external air introduction port.

[0004] In existing drum-type laundry treating apparatuses, there are cases where the external air introduction port is provided on the outer surface of the apparatus, which can adversely affect the overall appearance of the apparatus. In addition, the design of the external air introduction port can also affect the cooling effect on the heat pump unit.

[0005] Therefore, there is room for improvement in the design of the external air introduction port of existing drum-type laundry treating apparatuses. SUMMARY

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present application is completed in view of the above-mentioned status quo, and aims to provide a drum-type laundry treating apparatus that can ensure good appearance of the overall apparatus and facilitate cooling of the drying apparatus.

[0008] Solution to Problem

[0009] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present application provides a drum-type laundry treating apparatus, comprising: a housing including a front panel assembly on a front surface side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus; an outer drum supported in the housing; an inner drum rotatably installed in the outer drum for receiving laundry; a drying apparatus located above the outer drum for drying the laundry in the inner drum using heated air; and a door assembly installed on the front panel assembly for opening and closing a laundry introduction port of the outer drum, an external air introduction port being provided on the front panel assembly at a portion covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed, and external air introduced from the external air introduction port flowing toward an air passage in the drying apparatus.

[0010] According to the structure, since the outside air introduction port is provided on the front panel assembly at a portion covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed, compared with the structure in which the outside air introduction port is provided on the outer surface of the device and is always exposed, the appearance of the entire device can be improved, and the appearance of the entire device can be ensured to be good. In addition, for the embedded drum-type laundry treatment device, the air temperature in the space in front of the device, that is, the side on which the door assembly is located, is generally lower than the air temperature in other directions when the device is operated. Therefore, by providing the outside air introduction port on the portion of the front panel assembly covered by the door assembly, so that the outside air introduction port communicates with the external air of lower temperature in front of the device through the gap between the front panel assembly and the door assembly, the outside air of lower temperature can be introduced into the device, which is conducive to cooling the drying device.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the front panel assembly has a ring-shaped surface drawn rearward from the front surface at the laundry introduction port, and the outside air introduction port is provided on the ring-shaped surface.

[0012] According to the structure, by providing the outside air introduction port on the ring-shaped surface drawn rearward from the front surface of the front panel assembly, the space drawn rearward is effectively utilized, so that the outside air introduction port can be covered by the door assembly to improve the appearance, and the entire device can be prevented from being large.

[0013] In at least one embodiment, the drum-type laundry treatment device further comprises a filter device for filtering foreign matter in air flowing in the air path of the drying device, the front panel assembly has a ring-shaped surface drawn rearward from the front surface at the laundry introduction port, a filter device draw opening is provided on the ring-shaped surface, the filter device can be attached to and detached from the filter device draw opening, and the outside air introduction port is provided on an exposed surface of the filter device exposed from the filter device draw opening when the filter device is mounted in the filter device draw opening.

[0014] According to the structure, the filter device draw opening can be effectively provided on the ring-shaped surface formed by drawing of the front panel assembly, and the filter device can be easily inserted into the drying air path through the filter device draw opening provided on the ring-shaped surface. In addition, by providing the outside air introduction port on the exposed surface of the filter device exposed from the filter device draw opening, the outside air introduction port can be communicated with the drying air path by the filter device inserted into the drying air path, and the structure can be simplified.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the drying device includes a wind path housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an evaporator for dehumidifying air, a condenser for heating air passing through the evaporator, and a fan for flowing air, the outside air introduced from the outside air guide inlet flows to a space between the evaporator and the condenser, and after being combined with air flowing through the evaporator, flows to the condenser.

[0016] According to this structure, the outside air introduced from the outside air guide inlet flows to the condenser after being combined with air flowing through the evaporator, thereby allowing the condenser, which becomes relatively high in temperature due to continuous drying, to be cooled using the outside air, which is not heated and is relatively low in temperature, and further facilitating cooling of the drying device.

[0017] In at least one embodiment, the drying device includes a wind path housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, an evaporator for dehumidifying air, a condenser for heating air passing through the evaporator, and a fan for flowing air, the filter device pull opening is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner drum, the filter device is provided with an air outlet nozzle connected to the outside air guide inlet, and an outside air guide pipe for guiding outside air to the space between the evaporator and the condenser is connected to the air outlet nozzle.

[0018] According to this structure, since the filter device pull opening is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner drum, the appearance can be further improved, and the user can easily perform the operation of attaching and detaching the filter device with respect to the filter device pull opening. In addition, the outside air introduced from the outside air guide inlet is guided to the space between the evaporator and the condenser by means of the air outlet nozzle and the outside air guide pipe, and thus the outside air can be guided to the specified position using a simple structure.

[0019] In at least one embodiment, the fan is located on the downstream side of the evaporator and the condenser in the flow direction of air in the wind path housing.

[0020] According to this structure, the outside air can flow into the drying device from the outside air guide inlet using the negative pressure generated when the fan is operating, and thus the drying device can be cooled using a simple structure without the need for an additional driving unit for flowing the outside air from the outside air guide inlet.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, the air inlet is located on the front side or the upper side of the outer drum, the air outlet is located on the rear side or the upper side of the outer drum, which is located rearward of the air inlet, the air inlet and the air outlet are respectively connected to the inner cavity of the inner drum, the air inlet is biased to one side in the left-right direction with respect to the rotation axis of the inner drum, and the filter device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the flow direction of air.

[0022] According to this structure, by offsetting the air inlet to one side in the left-right direction with respect to the rotational axis of the inner cylinder, the front side and the upper side of the outer cylinder can be effectively utilized while ensuring miniaturization. In addition, since the filter device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the air flow direction, air from the air inlet is filtered by the filter device before flowing into the evaporator, and foreign matter such as lint contained in the air can be prevented from adhering to other components other than the filter device.

[0023] In at least one embodiment, an opening is provided on the filter device, which communicates with the outside air introduction port, and a mounting portion for mounting the air vent is formed at the opening. When the air vent is mounted to the mounting portion, the air vent communicates with the outside air introduction port via the opening.

[0024] According to this structure, by simply mounting the air vent to the mounting portion, communication between the air vent and the outside air introduction port can be achieved, and thus, the air introduced from the outside air introduction port can be guided using a simple structure.

[0025] In at least one embodiment, an air outlet is provided on the outer cylinder, which communicates with an outside space at the rear of the drum-type laundry treatment apparatus via an air outlet line, for discharging air in the outer cylinder to the outside space.

[0026] According to this structure, since the air outlet for discharging air in the outer cylinder to the outside space is provided on the outer cylinder, when the air pressure in the inside of the apparatus, particularly in the outer cylinder, is increased, the air pressure can be restored to a stable state by timely discharging air, and thus, the safety and stability of the apparatus during operation can be ensured. In addition, since the space at the rear of the embedded drum-type laundry treatment apparatus is not easily noticed by the user, even if a small amount of condensed water is discharged with the air, it will not be noticed by the user, which is beneficial to improve the user experience.

[0027] In at least one embodiment, a cavity is provided in the air outlet line, which is used to condense at least part of the water vapor contained in the air flowing in the air outlet line into condensed water.

[0028] According to this structure, at least part of the water vapor in the air can be condensed into condensed water using the cavity, and the condensed water can be temporarily stored, thereby reducing the amount of condensed water discharged with the air, which is beneficial to further improve the user experience, and in addition, the damage caused by the condensed water to the furniture and the like around the embedded drum-type laundry treatment apparatus can be reduced. Furthermore, even if the foam generated during the washing process enters the air outlet line, the cavity can be used to temporarily store the foam, and the occurrence of adverse conditions caused by the foam being discharged with the air can be avoided.

[0029] In at least one embodiment, a valve for opening and closing the air discharge conduit is provided at a portion of the air discharge conduit between the air discharge port and the cavity.

[0030] According to this structure, the air discharge conduit can be opened and closed at an appropriate timing by the opening and closing valve, for example, the air discharge conduit is closed at the initial stage of the operation of the drying device, and thus the occurrence of a situation in which the drying air in the outer tub leaks to the outside through the air discharge conduit to cause a decrease in drying efficiency can be avoided. In addition, by closing the opening and closing valve during the washing process, the occurrence of an undesirable situation in which the foam during the washing process is discharged through the air discharge conduit can be more reliably avoided.

[0031] Effects of the Invention

[0032] According to the present application, a drum-type laundry treatment device that can ensure good appearance of the entire device and is advantageous in terms of cooling of the drying device can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the structure of the drum-type laundry treatment device of the present application, obtained by removing the top wall panel, as viewed from the side front.

[0034] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the structure of the drum-type laundry treatment device of the present application, obtained by removing the top wall panel and the front wall panel, as viewed from the side front.

[0035] Figure 3 is a plan view of the drum-type laundry treatment device of the present application, obtained by removing the top wall panel and the upper case of the air path case of the drying device.

[0036] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lower case of the air path case provided in the drying device of the drum-type laundry treatment device of the present application.

[0037] Figure 5 is a front view of a portion of the filter device provided with the outside air introduction port and connected to the outside air introduction conduit.

[0038] Figure 6 is a front view of a portion of the filter device provided with the outside air introduction port and not connected to the outside air introduction conduit.

[0039] Figure 7 is Figure 6 A-A sectional view of a portion of the filter device of

[0040] Figure 8 is a partial perspective view of the upper structure of the drum-type laundry treatment device of the present application, obtained by removing the upper case of the air path case of the drying device, as viewed from the oblique upper side.

[0041] Figure 9 This is a partial perspective view of the upper structure of the drum-type garment processing device of this application after the drying device has been removed, viewed from an obliquely upward angle.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a rear view of the drum-type garment processing device of this application.

[0043] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0044] 1: Drum-type garment handling device; 2: Outer shell; 21: Left wall panel; 22: Right wall panel; 23: Front wall panel; 24: Rear wall panel; 25: Front panel assembly; 28: Upper space; 250: Annular surface; 3: Outer drum; 31: Garment inlet; 32: Vibration damper; 4: Inner drum; 5: Drying device; 50: Air duct housing; 501: Upper housing; 502: Lower housing; 503: Bottom wall; 504: Peripheral wall; 51: Air inlet; 511: Air inlet ; 52: Air outlet; 521: Air outlet; 53: Evaporator; 54: Condenser; 55: Fan; 56: Compressor; 560: Compressor housing; 6: External air inlet; 61: External air inlet pipe; 7: Air outlet; 71: Air outlet pipe; 72: Cavity; 8: Drain pipe; 9: Filter device; 91: Loading / unloading part; 92: Filter part; 93: Opening; 94: Mounting part; H: Filter device pull-out port; X: Rotation axis; N: Vent. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Next, specific embodiments of this application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] As the drum-type garment handling device of this application, a washer-dryer combo that combines washing and drying functions will be used as an example for the following description. Those skilled in the art will understand that the drum-type garment handling device of this application can also be a dryer with only a drying function.

[0047] (1. Overall)

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drum-type garment handling device 1 includes: a housing 2; an outer drum 3 supported within the housing 2; an inner drum 4 rotatably mounted within the outer drum 3 for storing garments; and a drying device 5 located above the outer drum 3, which uses heated air to dry the garments inside the drum-type garment handling device 1 (i.e., inside the inner drum 4). Additionally, for ease of explanation, as... Figure 1 The front-back, left-right, and up-down directions are defined as shown, and these directions will be used in the following figures. It is understood that these directions are not intended to limit the actual configuration of the drum-type garment handling device 1.

[0049] (2. Outer shell)

[0050] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outer casing 2 forms a generally rectangular parallelepiped outline of the drum-type garment processing device 1, including a left wall panel 21, a right wall panel 22, a front wall panel 23, and a rear wall panel 24 (see reference) formed of sheet metal, resin, or other materials. Figure 10 The housing 2 includes a top wall panel (not shown). For ease of observation of the internal structure, some or all of the wall panels constituting the housing 2 are appropriately omitted in the accompanying drawings. The front wall panel 23, together with other panel members located on the front surface side of the drum-type garment handling device 1, constitutes the front panel assembly 25. In other words, the housing 2 includes the front panel assembly 25 located on the front surface side of the drum-type garment handling device 1, and the front panel assembly 25 constitutes the front panel of the drum-type garment handling device 1.

[0051] (3.Outer cylinder and inner cylinder)

[0052] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outer tube 3 is a bottomed cylindrical shape with a clothing inlet 31 at one end. The outer tube 3 is installed inside the outer casing 2 with the clothing inlet 31 facing forward, and is elastically supported on the outer casing 2 by the lower shock absorber 32 and the upper suspension spring (not shown), thereby preventing the vibration of the outer tube 3 from being transmitted to the outer casing 2.

[0053] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the inner drum 4 is a bottomed cylinder with one open end, used for storing clothes. The inner drum 4 is installed inside the outer drum 3 with its opening facing the clothes inlet 31 of the outer drum 3. Numerous fine holes can be formed on the outer circumferential and bottom walls of the inner drum 4, allowing washing water and heated air generated by the drying unit 5 to flow between the outer drum 3 and the inner drum 4. Furthermore, the inner drum 4 is driven by a motor (not shown) and can rotate around a horizontally extending axis of rotation X. The direction of rotation of the inner drum 4 can be from... Figure 1 The rotation direction when viewed from the front can be clockwise or counterclockwise, or it can switch between clockwise and counterclockwise directions continuously. In addition, the rotation axis X of the inner tube 4 can also be tilted upwards towards the clothing inlet 31.

[0054] (4. Drying device)

[0055] like Figure 2As shown, an integrally constructed drying device 5 is disposed in the upper space 28 located above the outer cylinder 3 within the outer casing 2. This drying device 5 uses heated air to dry the clothes inside the inner cylinder 4. The upper space 28 refers to the space sandwiched between the top wall plate and the arc-shaped outer peripheral surface of the upper side of the outer cylinder 3 in the vertical direction. It includes not only the space above the highest part of the outer cylinder 3, but also the spaces on the left and right sides of the highest part and slightly below the highest part.

[0056] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the drying device 5 includes: an air duct housing 50, which has an air inlet 511 and an air outlet 521. The air inlet 511 is located on the front or upper side of the outer drum 3, and the air outlet 521 is located on the rear side of the outer drum 3 or on the upper side behind the air inlet 511. The air inlet 511 and the air outlet 521 are respectively connected to the inner cavity of the drum-type clothes handling device 1 (i.e., the inner cavity of the inner drum 4); and an evaporator 53, which is disposed inside the air duct housing 50 and removes air flowing inside the air duct housing 50 from the inner drum 4. The device includes a condenser 54, located downstream of the evaporator 53 in the airflow direction within the airflow housing 50, which heats the air passing through the evaporator 53; and a fan 55, also located downstream of the condenser 54 in the airflow direction within the airflow housing 50, which circulates air to draw air from the inner cylinder 4 into the airflow housing 50 via the air inlet 511, and to draw air that has passed through the evaporator 53 and condenser 54 into the inner cylinder 4 via the air outlet 521. Furthermore, the drying device 5 includes a compressor 56 for compressing the refrigerant flowing in the evaporator 53 and condenser 54.

[0057] It should be noted that the evaporator 53 only needs to dehumidify the air; it can be a microchannel structure or a copper tube finned structure. The condenser 54 only needs to heat the air; it can be a microchannel structure, but is not limited to a microchannel structure, and can also be a copper tube finned structure. Compared with conventional heat exchangers, microchannel evaporators and microchannel condensers are smaller in size while maintaining the same heat exchange efficiency, which is beneficial for the miniaturization of the drum-type clothing handling device. Therefore, considering both high heat exchange efficiency and device miniaturization, it is preferable that at least one of the evaporator 53 and condenser 54 is a microchannel structure, especially the condenser 54, which heats the air, is preferably a microchannel structure. In this embodiment, the case where both the evaporator 53 and condenser 54 are microchannel structures is shown.

[0058] By operating the compressor 56, the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. Then, the refrigerant is sent into the condenser 54, where it releases heat and becomes a low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. Next, the refrigerant passes through a throttling device and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. Then, the refrigerant enters the evaporator 53, where it absorbs heat and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. Finally, the refrigerant returns to the compressor 56 and is compressed again.

[0059] (4-1. Air duct casing)

[0060] like Figures 1-2 , Figure 4 As shown, the air duct housing 50 includes: an air inlet 51 that extends generally in a vertical direction and has an air inlet 511 at its lower end, as shown. Figure 2 As shown, the lower end of the air inlet 51 is connected to the outer cylinder 3 and communicates with the inner cavity of the inner cylinder 4 through a small hole in the wall of the inner cylinder 4; the air outlet 52 has an air outlet 521 at its lower end, and the lower end of the air outlet 52 is connected to the outer cylinder 3 on the rear side wall (i.e., the bottom wall) of the outer cylinder 3, and communicates with the inner cavity of the inner cylinder 4 through an air supply port (not shown) provided on the bottom wall of the outer cylinder 3, and the air flowing out from the air outlet 521 flows into the outer cylinder 3 through the air supply port; and the housing body is connected between the air inlet 51 and the air outlet 52.

[0061] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the main body of the air duct housing 50 has an upper housing 501 and a lower housing 502. The lower housing 502 is generally cup-shaped with an upward opening, and has a bottom wall portion 503 and a peripheral wall portion 504. An air inlet 51 is connected near the front end of the bottom wall portion 503, and an air outlet 52 is connected to the rear peripheral wall portion 504. The upper housing 501 is generally plate-shaped and is fixed to the upper end of the peripheral wall portion 504 of the lower housing 502 by screws or the like. Within the internal space of the main body of the air duct housing 50, which is surrounded by the upper housing 501 and the lower housing 502, an evaporator 53, a condenser 54, and a fan 55 are arranged. Figure 3 As shown, the fan 55 is disposed behind the condenser 54 within the main body of the air duct housing 50. In other words, in the direction of airflow within the air duct housing 50, the fan 55 is located downstream of the evaporator 53 and the condenser 54.

[0062] Furthermore, a compressor housing 560 is continuously provided forward on the front peripheral wall portion 504. This compressor housing 560 is a generally bottomed cylindrical shape that opens upwards. The compressor 56 is installed inside the compressor housing 560 and is disposed outside the internal space of the main body of the air duct housing 50. Thus, the evaporator 53, condenser 54, fan 55, and compressor 56 are disposed in the upper space portion 28 in an integral manner using the main body of the air duct housing 50.

[0063] (5. Filter device)

[0064] As shown in Figures 2-3 , Figure 5 , the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 further includes a filter device 9 for filtering foreign matters such as lint in the air flowing in the air flow path of the drying device 5. The filter device 9 is located at the upstream side of the evaporator 53, the condenser 54 and the fan 55 in the air flow direction, and more particularly, the filter device 9 is located between the air inlet 511 and the evaporator 53 in the air flow direction. In this way, the air is filtered by the filter device 9 before passing through the evaporator 53, the condenser 54 and the fan 55, and thus, the foreign matters such as lint contained in the air can be prevented from adhering to the evaporator 53, the condenser 54 and the fan 55 to cause the drying efficiency to be reduced. Accordingly, the drying efficiency of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 can be improved.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3 and Figure 5 , the filter device 9 includes a detachable portion 91 and a filtering portion 92. The detachable portion 91 is a portion for a user to operate when detaching the filter device 9 from the filter device pull-out opening H, which will be described later. The filtering portion 92 is a portion for filtering foreign matters such as lint.

[0066] (6. Filter device pull-out opening)

[0067] In the structure shown in Figures 1-2 , the front panel assembly 25 has a ring-shaped surface 250 drawn rearward from the front surface at the laundry loading port 31. The filter device pull-out opening H is provided on the ring-shaped surface 250, and the filter device 9 can be detached with respect to the filter device pull-out opening H. Preferably, as shown in Figure 1 , the filter device pull-out opening H is located directly above the rotational axis X of the inner drum 4. At this time, the air inlet 511 is biased to one side in the left-right direction with respect to the rotational axis X of the inner drum 4 (in the case of being biased to the right side, as shown in Figure 2 , the filter device 9 is located between the air inlet 511 and the evaporator 53 in the air flow direction. Preferably, in the case where the evaporator 53 is located directly above the rotational axis X of the inner drum 4, the filter device 9 is located directly in front of the evaporator 53, and thus, the filter device 9 can be provided at a height position at which a user can easily perform a detaching operation, and the detaching operation of the filter device 9 can be facilitated.

[0068] It should be noted that the filter pull-out port H is not limited to being located on the annular surface 250. As long as the filter 9 installed at the filter pull-out port H is located between the air inlet 511 and the evaporator 53 in the airflow direction, the filter pull-out port H can be set at any position on the front panel assembly 25. Alternatively, the filter 9 can be installed and removed at an angle relative to the filter pull-out port H with its front end close to the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 4 and its rear end away from the rotation axis X of the inner cylinder 4.

[0069] In addition, the drum-type garment handling device 1 also includes a door assembly (not shown) mounted on the front panel assembly 25, which is used to open and close the garment inlet 31 of the outer drum 3. When the door assembly is closed, the annular surface 250 is covered by the door assembly. That is, the part of the filter device pull-out port H located on the front panel assembly 25 that is covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed.

[0070] (7. External air inlet)

[0071] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drum-type garment handling device 1 has an external air inlet 6. (As indicated...) Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the external air inlet 6 is connected to the air duct housing 50 via the external air inlet pipe 61, located between the evaporator 53 and the condenser 54, so that the external air introduced from the external air inlet 6 flows into the air duct of the drying device 5. That is, the external air introduced from the external air inlet 6 merges with the air flowing through the evaporator 53 and flows into the condenser 54.

[0072] There is no limitation on the specific location of the external air inlet 6. For example, the external air inlet 6 can be located at the front of the drum-type garment handling device 1, or it can be located on one side of the drum-type garment handling device 1 in a direction intersecting with the rotation axis X of the inner drum 4 (e.g., left-right direction). However, it is preferable to provide the external air inlet 6 on the front panel assembly 25, in a position covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed. In this case, a gap is left between the external air inlet 6 and the door assembly to ensure that the external air inlet 6 is not blocked by the door assembly. For example, if an annular surface 250 is provided, it is preferable to provide the external air inlet 6 on the annular surface 250.

[0073] In this embodiment, such as Figures 1-2 , Figure 5 As shown, more preferably, an external air inlet 6 is provided on the exposed surface (i.e., the front-facing housing wall surface) of the filter device 9 (more specifically, the mounting / unmounting part 91) exposed from the filter device pull-out port H when the filter device 9 is installed in the filter device pull-out port H.

[0074] like Figure 5As shown, the external air inlet 6 is composed of a number of small holes distributed on the housing wall of the loading and unloading section 91 of the filter device 9. However, the external air inlet 6 is not limited to this; for example, the shape, size, number, and layout of the small holes can be changed according to actual conditions, and the external air inlet 6 can also be formed by a single opening. Preferably, the ratio of the opening area of ​​the external air inlet 6 to the opening area of ​​the air inlet 511 is 3% to 30%. When the external air inlet 6 is composed of a number of small holes, the opening area of ​​the external air inlet 6 refers to the sum of the opening areas of all the small holes.

[0075] like Figures 5-7 As shown, a vent N connected to an outside air inlet 6 is installed on the filter device 9 (specifically, the mounting / unmounting section 91). An outside air inlet pipe 61 for guiding outside air into the space between the evaporator 53 and the condenser 54 is connected to the vent N. Specifically, the filter device 9 (specifically, the mounting / unmounting section 91) has an opening 93 that communicates with the outside air inlet 6 through the internal space of the mounting / unmounting section 91. A mounting section 94 for mounting the vent N is formed at the opening 93. When the vent N is mounted on the mounting section 94, the vent N is connected to the outside air inlet 6 through the opening 93. The vent N is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure that can connect the outside air inlet 6 to the outside air inlet pipe 61.

[0076] The structure of the external air inlet pipe 61 is not limited as long as it can introduce external air between the evaporator 53 and the condenser 54. In this embodiment, for example... Figures 2-4 As shown, the external air inlet pipe 61 extends sequentially from the vent N along the front, left and rear sides of the peripheral wall 504 of the lower housing 502, and reaches the position between the evaporator 53 and the condenser 54.

[0077] (8. Air outlet)

[0078] like Figure 9 As shown, an air outlet 7 is provided on the outer drum 3 (specifically, on the upper rear part). The air outlet 7 is connected to the external space of the drum-type garment handling device 1 and is used to discharge the air inside the outer drum 3 to the external space. The air outlet 7 is connected to the external space of the drum-type garment handling device 1 via an air outlet pipe 71.

[0079] Preferably, when the outside air introduction port 6 is provided at the front of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1, the air outlet port 7 is connected to the outside space at the rear of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 via the air outlet duct 71. Also, when the outside air introduction port 6 is provided at one side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 in a cross direction (e.g., left-right direction) intersecting the rotational axis X of the inner drum 4, the air outlet port 7 can be connected to the outside space at the other side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 in the cross direction via the air outlet duct 71. For example, the air outlet duct 71 can be connected to a wall opening of a rear wall panel, a left wall panel, or a right wall panel of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1, which is connected to the outside space.

[0080] It is understood that the specific positions of the outside air introduction port 6 and the air outlet port 7 are not limited to the above, and can be adjusted according to the actual situation. For example, when the outside air introduction port 6 is provided at the front of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1, the air outlet port 7 can be connected to the outside space at one side of the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 in the cross direction via the air outlet duct 71.

[0081] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 includes an outer drum 3, an inner drum 4, a drum motor 5, an air introduction duct 61, an air outlet duct 71, and a drum motor cover 10. Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 includes an outer drum 3, an inner drum 4, a drum motor 5, an air introduction duct 61, an air outlet duct 71, and a drum motor cover 10.

[0082] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 includes an outer drum 3, an inner drum 4, a drum motor 5, an air introduction duct 61, an air outlet duct 71, and a drum motor cover 10.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 includes an outer drum 3, an inner drum 4, a drum motor 5, an air introduction duct 61, an air outlet duct 71, and a drum motor cover 10. Figure 10 As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the drum-type laundry treating apparatus 1 includes an outer drum 3, an inner drum 4, a drum motor 5, an air introduction duct 61, an air outlet duct 71, and a drum motor cover 10.

Claims

1. A drum-type garment processing device, characterized in that, The drum-type garment processing device includes: The housing includes a front panel assembly located on the front surface side of the drum-type garment handling device; The outer cylinder is supported within the outer shell; An inner tube, which is rotatably installed inside the outer tube, is used to store clothing; A drying device, located above the outer drum, uses heated air to dry the clothes inside the inner drum; and The door assembly, mounted on the front panel assembly, is used to open and close the clothing inlet of the outer drum. An external air inlet is provided on the front panel assembly at a location covered by the door assembly when the door assembly is closed, and external air introduced from the external air inlet flows into the air passage inside the drying device.

2. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front panel assembly has an annular surface at the clothing inlet, which is drawn back from the front surface, and the external air inlet is disposed on the annular surface.

3. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drum-type garment processing device also includes a filter device for filtering foreign objects in the airflow within the drying device. The front panel assembly has an annular surface at the clothing inlet, which is drawn back from the front surface, and a filter device pull-out opening is provided on the annular surface. The filter device is detachable from the pull-out port of the filter device, and the external air inlet is located on the exposed surface of the filter device that is exposed from the pull-out port of the filter device when it is installed in the pull-out port of the filter device.

4. The drum-type garment processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The drying device includes an air duct housing with an air inlet and an air outlet. Inside the air duct housing are an evaporator for dehumidifying the air, a condenser for heating the air passing through the evaporator, and a fan for circulating the air. The outside air introduced from the outside air inlet flows into the space between the evaporator and the condenser, merges with the air flowing through the evaporator, and then flows into the condenser.

5. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The drying device includes an air duct housing with an air inlet and an air outlet. Inside the air duct housing are an evaporator for dehumidifying the air, a condenser for heating the air passing through the evaporator, and a fan for circulating the air. The pull-out port of the filter device is located directly above the rotation axis of the inner cylinder. A vent is installed on the filter device and connected to the external air inlet. An external air inlet pipe for guiding external air into the space between the evaporator and the condenser is connected to the vent.

6. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the direction of air flow within the air duct housing, the fan is located downstream of the evaporator and the condenser.

7. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The air inlet is located on the front or upper side of the outer cylinder, and the air outlet is located on the rear side of the outer cylinder or on the upper side further rear than the air inlet. The air inlet and the air outlet are respectively connected to the inner cavity 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 filter device is located between the air inlet and the evaporator in the airflow direction.

8. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The filter device has an opening communicating with the external air inlet, and a mounting portion for installing the air nozzle is formed at the opening. When the vent is installed on the mounting part, the vent is connected to the external air inlet via the opening.

9. The drum-type garment handling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, An air outlet is provided on the outer tube, and the air outlet is connected to the external space behind the tubular clothing processing device via an air outlet pipe, for discharging the air inside the outer tube to the external space.

10. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The air outlet duct is provided with a cavity for condensing at least a portion of the water vapor contained in the air flowing in the air outlet duct into condensate.

11. The drum-type garment processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that, An on / off valve for opening and closing the air outlet is provided at the location between the air outlet and the cavity in the air outlet pipeline.

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