Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to a laundry treating apparatus comprising: a cabinet having a front panel provided with an insertion opening, a back panel forming a rear surface, an upper panel forming an upper surface, and first and second side panels forming both side surfaces; an outer tub having an outer tub main body provided inside the tank and storing water, and an outer tub insertion opening provided in the outer tub main body and communicating with the insertion opening; a drum rotatably provided inside the outer tub and storing clothes; an air supply part, the chamber main body is positioned between the upper panel and the outer barrel main body; the filtering chamber and the heat exchange chamber are arranged in the chamber main body and are connected with each other; a chamber supply flow path for guiding air inside the outer tub main body to the filter chamber and an outer tub supply flow path for guiding air discharged from the heat exchange chamber to the outer tub main body; the filtering part is arranged in the filtering chamber and is used for filtering air; and a heat exchange unit which is provided in the heat exchange chamber and sequentially dehumidifies and heats the air supplied from the filter chamber. And at least two surfaces of the chamber main body are fixed on the box body and are positioned between the outer barrel main body and the upper panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a garment processing device. Background Technology

[0002] The concept of a garment handling device includes a washing machine for washing laundry (hereinafter referred to as garments), a dryer for drying laundry (hereinafter referred to as garments), and a combined washing machine for washing and drying garments.

[0003] Clothing treatment devices that dry clothes remove moisture by supplying high-temperature air (hot air) to the clothes. Based on the air flow pattern, they can be divided into devices with exhaust drying sections and devices with circulating (condensation) drying sections.

[0004] An exhaust-type drying unit supplies hot air to the space where clothes are stored and exhausts the air that has exchanged heat with the clothes to the outside of the clothing handling unit. A recirculating drying unit supplies hot air to the space where clothes are stored, dehumidifies and heats the air that has exchanged heat with the clothes, and then supplies it back to the clothes.

[0005] The clothing handling apparatus having the circulating drying section includes an air supply section that forms a circulating air flow path and a heat exchange section that performs dehumidification and heating on the air moving along the air supply section.

[0006] The air supply section and heat exchange section mentioned above are large in size and may generate vibration or noise. Therefore, the location and fixing structure of the air supply section and heat exchange section inside the clothing handling device with limited space are important design considerations.

[0007] Furthermore, during the drying process, foreign matter discharged from the clothes may flow into the air supply unit or the heat exchange unit and remain there. Therefore, the filtration and removal of foreign matter are also important design considerations for clothing handling devices. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] The problem to be solved by this application is to provide a garment handling device that can improve the durability of the air supply section and the heat exchange section and minimize noise or vibration.

[0010] In addition, the problem to be solved by this application is to provide a clothing handling device that can reduce the space required for setting up an air supply unit and a heat exchange unit.

[0011] In addition, the problem to be solved by this application is to provide a clothing handling device that can minimize the inflow of foreign objects into the air supply section and the heat exchange section.

[0012] In addition, the problem to be solved by this application is to provide a clothing processing device and a control method for effectively removing foreign matter remaining in the air circulation path.

[0013] Technical solutions to the problem

[0014] This invention provides a clothing handling device, comprising: a housing having a front panel with an inlet, a back panel forming a rear side, an upper panel forming an upper surface, and a first side panel and a second side panel forming two sides; an outer tub having an outer tub body disposed inside the housing and storing water, and an outer tub inlet disposed in the outer tub body and communicating with the inlet; a roller rotatably disposed inside the outer tub for storing clothing; an air supply unit having a chamber body located between the upper panel and the outer tub body, a filter chamber and a heat exchange chamber disposed in the chamber body and communicating with each other, a chamber supply flow path for guiding air from inside the outer tub body to the filter chamber, and an outer tub supply flow path for guiding air discharged from the heat exchange chamber to the outer tub body; a filter unit disposed in the filter chamber for filtering air; and a heat exchange unit disposed in the heat exchange chamber for sequentially performing dehumidification and heating of the air supplied from the filter chamber.

[0015] At least two sides of the chamber body can be fixed to the box body, located between the outer barrel body and the upper panel.

[0016] The garment handling device may include a front support frame, which is fixed inside the housing and located between the front panel and the main body of the chamber; one end of the main body of the chamber may be fixed to the support frame, and the other end may be fixed to the back panel.

[0017] The front support frame can be fixed to the front panel and located behind the front panel, or the front support frame can be fixed to the first side panel and the second side panel and located behind the front panel.

[0018] The garment handling device may further include: a front support frame, fixed inside the housing and located between the front panel and the main body of the chamber; and a rear support frame, fixed inside the housing and located between the back panel and the main body of the chamber; one end of the main body of the chamber may be fixed to the front support frame, and the other end of the main body of the chamber may be fixed to the rear support frame.

[0019] The rear support frame can be fixed to the back panel and located in front of the back panel, or the rear support frame can be fixed to the first side panel and the second side panel and located in front of the back panel.

[0020] The garment handling device may further include an upper support frame, which is fixed to the first side panel and the second side panel and located between the upper panel and the chamber body, and the upper surface of the chamber body is fixed to the upper support frame.

[0021] The heat exchange section may include: a first heat exchanger disposed in the heat exchange chamber for dehumidifying the air supplied from the filter chamber; a second heat exchanger disposed in the heat exchange chamber for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger; a refrigerant pipe providing a circulation path for the refrigerant, passing through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; and a compressor located outside the heat exchange chamber for moving the refrigerant along the refrigerant pipe.

[0022] The air supply unit may further include a compressor mounting section that extends from the chamber body toward the rear panel and is located on the upper part of the outer barrel body, providing space for fixing the compressor.

[0023] The garment handling device may further include: a front fastening part disposed on the chamber body and fixed to the front support frame; a rear fastening part disposed on the chamber body and fixed to the back panel; and an upper fastening part disposed on the chamber body and fixed to the upper support frame.

[0024] The garment handling device may further include a front fixing hole that penetrates the front support frame; the front fastening part may be a fastening protrusion that protrudes from the chamber body toward the front support frame and is inserted into the front panel fixing hole.

[0025] The garment handling device may further include an insulating part disposed in the front fixing hole, surrounding the circumferential surface of the front fastening part.

[0026] The upper fastening part can connect the compressor mounting part and the upper frame.

[0027] The garment handling device may further include a first through hole and a second through hole in the back panel; the rear fastening part may include: a support protrusion that protrudes from the compressor mounting part and is inserted into the first through hole in the back panel, which can set the position of the chamber body; and a fixing groove that is disposed in the compressor fixing part, wherein a bolt inserted into the second through hole in the back panel is fixed in the fixing groove.

[0028] The filter chamber and the heat exchange chamber can be configured parallel to the width direction of the outer barrel body; the chamber supply flow path can be configured to connect the upper circumferential surface of the outer barrel body and the filter chamber and be parallel to the length direction of the outer barrel body.

[0029] The garment processing device may further include a mounting hole that penetrates the upper panel and communicates with the filter chamber; the filter unit can be installed and removed from the filter chamber through the mounting hole.

[0030] The filter unit may include: a cover having a shape capable of closing the mounting hole; a support body fixed to the cover and located inside the filter chamber; and a screen disposed on the support body to separate foreign objects from the air.

[0031] Invention Effects

[0032] This application provides a garment processing device that can improve the durability of the air supply section and heat exchange section and minimize noise or vibration.

[0033] In addition, this application provides a clothing handling device that can reduce the space required for setting up an air supply unit and a heat exchange unit.

[0034] In addition, this application provides a garment handling device that can minimize the inflow of foreign objects into the air supply section and the heat exchange section.

[0035] In addition, this application provides a clothing processing device and a control method for effectively removing foreign matter remaining in the air circulation path. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example of a garment handling device is shown.

[0037] Figure 3 An example of a detergent supply department is shown.

[0038] Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 An example of an air supply section and a heat exchange section is shown.

[0039] Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 An example of the structure of a fixed air supply section and a heat exchange section is shown.

[0040] Figure 11 An example of a filter section is shown.

[0041] Figure 12 , Figure 13 and Figure 14 An example of a cleaning section is shown.

[0042] Figure 15 and Figure 16 Another embodiment of the cleaning unit is shown.

[0043] Figure 17 and Figure 18 An example of a control method for removing foreign matter remaining in the inlet connection and the chamber supply flow path is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The device configuration or control method described below is only for illustrating embodiments of the present invention and does not limit the scope of the invention. The same reference numerals used throughout the specification denote the same constituent elements.

[0045] Unless otherwise expressly stated in the context, singular expressions include plural expressions. In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as “comprising,” “having,” or “possessing” are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof described in the specification; therefore, unless specifically defined, the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features or numbers, steps, actions, constituent elements, components, or combinations thereof cannot be pre-excluded.

[0046] Expressions such as “in a certain direction,” “along a certain direction,” “parallel,” “perpendicular,” “center,” “concentric,” or “coaxial” indicate relative or absolute configurations. They not only strictly indicate such configurations but also indicate the state of relative displacement by angle or distance with tolerances or to achieve the same function.

[0047] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., including ordinal numbers, used in this specification can be used to describe various constituent elements, but the constituent elements are not limited by these terms; the terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from other constituent elements. Therefore, a first constituent element can be named a second constituent element, and similarly, a second constituent element can be named a first constituent element.

[0048] In addition, the terms “front,” “rear,” “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “front end,” “rear end,” “upper end,” and “lower end” used in the specification are defined based on the diagram or on the arrangement / configuration of the components or multiple components, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0049] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the garment handling apparatus and its control method will be described in detail.

[0050] Figure 1 An example of a garment handling device 100 is shown, which may include a housing 1 forming the appearance.

[0051] The housing 1 may include a front panel 11 forming the front of the garment processing device, a back panel 13 forming the rear of the garment processing device, side panels 12 forming the two sides of the garment processing device, and an upper panel 14 forming the upper part of the garment processing device.

[0052] The front panel 11 may be provided with an inlet 111 for loading and unloading clothing, and the inlet 111 may be opened and closed by a door 113 rotatably fixed to the front panel 11. The side panel 12 may be provided with a first side panel 121 and a second side panel 123 forming the right side and left side of the clothing handling device.

[0053] The garment handling device 100 may be provided with a base panel 15 forming the bottom surface. In this case, at least one of the front panel, the back panel, and the side panel may be fixed to the base panel 15.

[0054] For example, the first side panel 121 and the second side panel 123 can be fixed to the base panel 15, the front panel 11 can be connected to the front of the side panels 121 and 123, and the back panel 13 can be connected to the rear of the side panels 121 and 123.

[0055] To ensure a secure connection between the front panel 11 and the side panel 12, as well as between the back panel 13 and the side panel 12, a connecting frame may also be provided in the garment handling device 100.

[0056] The connecting frame (not shown) may be made of a bar-shaped metal or the like, which is fixed to the base panel 15 and extends along the height direction of the housing 1. The connecting frame may be located at the corner where the front panel 11 and the side panel 12 meet, and at the corner where the back panel 13 and the side panel 12 meet.

[0057] The upper panel 14 can be fixed to the upper edge of the side panels 121 and 123 and the upper edge of the back panel 13. Alternatively, unlike the figures shown, the upper panel 14 can be fixed to the upper edge of the front panel 11, the upper edge of the side panels 12, and the upper edge of the back panel 13.

[0058] like Figure 2As shown, the clothing handling device 100 may include an outer tub 2 disposed inside the housing 1 and providing a space for storing water, and a roller 3 rotatably disposed inside the outer tub and providing a space for storing clothing.

[0059] The outer bucket 2 may include an outer bucket body 21 for storing water and an outer bucket support part 22 for fixing the outer bucket body 21 inside the box 1.

[0060] The outer barrel body 21 may have a hollow cylindrical shape, and the outer barrel support 22 may include a damper for fixing the lower space of the outer barrel body 21 to the base panel 15 and a spring for fixing the upper space of the outer barrel body 21 to the box body.

[0061] The outer barrel body 21 can receive water through the water supply section 23 and discharge the stored water to the outside of the box 1 through the drainage section 24.

[0062] The water supply unit 23 may include a water supply source connection pipe 232 connected to a water supply source, an outer bucket water supply pipe 231 supplying water to the outer bucket body 21, and a water supply valve 233 connecting the water supply source connection pipe and the outer bucket water supply pipe. The water supply valve 233 may be fixed to the rear panel 13 to control the opening and closing of the water supply source connection pipe 232.

[0063] The drainage section 24 may include a pump 243, a first drain pipe 241 that guides water inside the outer barrel body 21 to the pump 243, and a second drain pipe 242 that guides water discharged from the pump 243 to the outside of the tank 1.

[0064] An outer bucket inlet 211 may be provided on the front of the outer bucket body 21. The outer bucket inlet 211 can be connected to the inlet 111 of the box body through an inlet connector 4. In order to minimize the transmission of vibration of the outer bucket body 21 to the front panel 11, the inlet connector 4 is preferably made of a material such as rubber.

[0065] The roller 3 may have a cylindrical body 31 with a hollow interior. A roller inlet 311 may be provided on one side of the roller body 31 (the side of the roller body facing the outer barrel inlet), and roller through holes 312 may be provided on the circumferential surface and rear surface of the roller body 31 to communicate with the interior of the outer barrel body.

[0066] The roller body 31 can be rotated by a drive unit, which may include a stator 34 fixed to the rear of the outer drum body 21 and forming a rotating magnetic field, a rotor 35 located outside the outer drum body 21 and rotated by the rotating magnetic field, and a rotating shaft 33 passing through the rear of the outer drum body 21 and connecting the roller body 31 and the rotor 35.

[0067] In order to supply detergent to the outer tub body 21, a detergent supply unit 5 may be provided in the garment handling device 100.

[0068] like Figure 3 As shown, the detergent supply unit 5 may include a cover 51 fixed to the housing 1, a drawer 52 that provides space for storing detergent and can be drawn out from the cover 51, and a supply pump 53 that moves the detergent stored in the drawer to the outer tub body 21.

[0069] The cover 51 can be fixed to the base panel 15, or it can be fixed to the mounting panel 151 fixed to the base panel 15. The mounting panel 151 can be a panel fixed to the base panel 15 and located on the front of the housing 1.

[0070] A drawer inlet 511 for the drawer 52 to enter and exit may be provided on the front of the cover 51, and a mounting panel through hole for exposing the drawer inlet 511 may be provided on the mounting panel 151.

[0071] The drawer 52 may include a storage section 521 providing space for storing detergent, a detergent supply port 523 for dispensing detergent into the storage section 521, a detergent outlet 525 for discharging detergent from the storage section 521, and a valve 527 for controlling the opening and closing of the detergent outlet. The detergent supply port 523 may be an upper surface through-hole penetrating the upper surface of the storage section 521, and is opened and closed by a lid.

[0072] The valve 527 can be a check valve whose opening and closing of the detergent outlet 525 is controlled by the supply pump 53. That is, if the drawer 52 is inserted into the cover 51 and the inlet pipe of the supply pump 53 is in contact with the valve 527, the valve 527 can open the detergent outlet 525; if the drawer 52 is extended from the cover 51 and the inlet pipe of the supply pump 53 is not in contact with the valve 527, the valve 527 can close the detergent outlet 525.

[0073] The supply pump 53 can be a pump of various structures capable of moving the detergent discharged through the detergent outlet 525 toward the outer tub body 21.

[0074] Detergent discharged from the supply pump 53 can be supplied to the outer tub body 21 through the detergent supply pipe 533. The detergent supply pipe 533 may have a flow path connecting the supply pump 53 and the outer tub body 21 on a circumferential surface or a flow path connecting the supply pump 53 and the inlet connection part 4.

[0075] The inlet connection 4 may have a connecting body 41 that connects the inlet 111 of the housing and the inlet 211 of the outer tub. In this case, the detergent supply pipe 533 may have a flow path that connects the supply pump 53 and the connecting body 41. In addition, a water supply flow path 42 for connecting the water supply pipe 231 of the outer tub may be provided in the connecting body 41.

[0076] Although not shown in the figure, if the garment handling device 100 is provided with a circulation path for circulating water inside the outer tub body 21, the detergent supply pipe 553 can also be connected to the supply pump 53 and the circulation path.

[0077] In order to dry the clothes stored in the drum body 31, the clothes processing device 100 may be provided with an air supply unit 6 and a heat exchange unit 7.

[0078] like Figure 4 As shown, the air supply unit 6 may include a main body (chamber body) 61 located on the upper part of the outer tub body 21 and having chambers 611 and 612 inside, a chamber supply flow path 62 that guides the air inside the outer tub body 21 to the chambers, and an outer tub supply flow path 63 that guides the air discharged from the chambers to the outer tub body 21.

[0079] The chambers provided in the main body 61 may include a filter chamber 611 for mounting the filter section 8 and a heat exchange chamber 612 for mounting the heat exchangers 71 and 72 in the heat exchange section 7.

[0080] In this case, the chamber supply flow path 62 can be connected to the outer barrel exhaust port 212 provided on the outer barrel body 21 and the filter chamber 611, and the outer barrel supply flow path 63 can be connected to the heat exchange chamber 612 and the inlet connection part 4.

[0081] As previously described, the inlet connection 4 may have a cylindrical connecting body 41 that connects the inlets 111 and 211 of the housing and the outer barrel, and an air supply passage 43 may be provided on the circumferential surface of the connecting body 41. In this case, the outer barrel supply passage 63 may connect the heat exchange chamber 612 and the air supply passage 43.

[0082] In order to minimize heat loss and flow resistance during the movement of the supply flow path 63 through the outer barrel, the supply flow path 43 is preferably located at a position higher than the horizontal line H passing through the center of the connecting body 41.

[0083] like Figure 5 As shown, the chamber supply flow path 62 may be a flow path in which at least a portion of the area is composed of a bellows 621.

[0084] The outer barrel supply flow path 63 may include a fan cover 631 connecting the heat exchange chamber 612 and the supply flow path 43, and a fan 634 disposed inside the fan cover 631 to move air.

[0085] The fan housing 631 may include a housing inlet 632 that guides air discharged from the heat exchange chamber 612 to the fan 634 and a housing outlet 633 that guides air discharged from the fan 634 to the air supply path 43.

[0086] The fan 634 may include an impeller rotatably fixed inside the fan housing and a motor fixed outside the fan housing to rotate the impeller.

[0087] The heat exchange section 7 may include a first heat exchanger 71 and a second heat exchanger 72 disposed in the heat exchange chamber 612, a refrigerant pipe 75 that provides a circulation path for the refrigerant and passes through the first heat exchanger 71 and the second heat exchanger 72, a compressor 73 located outside the heat exchange chamber 612 and causing the refrigerant to move along the refrigerant pipe 75, and a pressure regulator 74 that regulates the pressure of the refrigerant circulating along the refrigerant pipe.

[0088] The first heat exchanger 71 is a structure that cools the air flowing into the heat exchange chamber 612 (a structure that removes moisture from the air), and the second heat exchanger 72 is a structure that heats the dehumidified air.

[0089] The refrigerant absorbs heat from the air and is vaporized through the first heat exchanger 71. The vaporized refrigerant is supplied to the second heat exchanger 72 via the compressor 73. The refrigerant that is condensed when passing through the second heat exchanger 72 can be supplied back to the first heat exchanger 71 via the pressure regulator 74.

[0090] like Figure 6As shown, an air supply port 615 is provided in the filter chamber 611, and an exhaust port 616 is provided in the heat exchange chamber 612. The air supply port 615 is a structure that allows air supplied from the chamber supply flow path 62 to flow into the filter chamber 611, and the exhaust port 616 is a structure that allows air discharged from the heat exchange chamber 612 to discharge into the outer barrel supply flow path 63.

[0091] In order to fix the chamber supply flow path 62 and the outer barrel supply flow path 63 to the main body 61, a first connecting part 617 and a second connecting part 619 may be provided in the air supply part 6.

[0092] The first connecting portion 617 may be a tubular flow path disposed on the rear side (facing the rear panel) of the main body 61 and surrounding the air supply port 615, and the second connecting portion 619 may be a tubular flow path disposed on the side side (facing the first side panel) of the main body 61 and surrounding the exhaust port 616. If the fan shroud 631 is fixed to the main body 61, the second connecting portion 619 may be connected to or inserted into the shroud inlet 632 of the fan shroud.

[0093] like Figure 7 As shown, the filter chamber 611 and the heat exchange chamber 612 can be spaces with open upper surfaces. The open upper surface (upper open surface) of the filter chamber 611 can be closed by the filter section 8 described later, and the open upper surface of the heat exchange chamber 612 can be closed by the cover 613.

[0094] Furthermore, the main body 61 may also be provided with a condensate drain section 65 for draining the condensate inside the heat exchange chamber 612.

[0095] The condensate discharge section 65 may include a condensate outlet 651 that penetrates one side of the main body 61 and is connected to the heat exchange chamber 612, and a condensate discharge pipe 653 that connects the condensate outlet 651 and the drainage section 24.

[0096] The main body 61 may be provided with a compressor mounting part 614 to support the compressor 73.

[0097] The compressor mounting section 614 serves as a space for installing the compressor 73. It can be a support plate extending from the main body 61 toward the rear panel 13, so that the compressor 73 is located at a position higher than the outer barrel main body 21.

[0098] The aforementioned main body 61 forms an installation space that connects the filter chamber 611, the heat exchange chamber 612, and the compressor mounting part 614 without additional fastening structures, thus facilitating the assembly of the air supply part 6 and the heat exchange part 7.

[0099] In order to control the temperature of the compressor 73 fixed to the compressor mounting part 614, a cooling part 77 may also be provided in the heat exchange part 7. Figure 7 This illustrates an example where the cooling unit 77 is a fan fixed to the cover 613.

[0100] like Figure 8 As shown, the air supply unit 6 and heat exchange unit 7 are preferably located between the upper panel 14 and the upper surface of the outer barrel body 21.

[0101] As described above, the detergent supply unit 5 and drain unit 24 are located at the lower part of the outer tub body 21. Therefore, if the air supply unit 6 and heat exchange unit 7 are to be installed at the lower part of the outer tub body 21, the volume of the housing 1 must be increased to provide additional space for their installation at the lower part of the outer tub body 21. However, if the air supply unit 6 and heat exchange unit 7 are installed at the upper part of the outer tub body 21, the space required for their installation can be minimized (the volume of the housing can be minimized).

[0102] On the other hand, in order to minimize the installation space of the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7, and to minimize the flow resistance (air travel distance) of the air moving from the outer barrel body 21 to the chamber supply flow path 62, the filter chamber 611 and the heat exchange chamber 612 can be arranged parallel to the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the outer barrel body, and the chamber supply flow path 62 can be arranged parallel to the length direction (X-axis direction) of the outer barrel body.

[0103] Furthermore, the chamber supply flow path 62 is preferably configured such that it is located closer to the horizontal line L, which passes through the center of the upper space of the outer tub body 21, than the second side panel 123. This is to allow the space between the horizontal line L and the second side panel 123 to be used as a space for a steam generator (generating steam and supplying it to the outer tub), a control module, a detergent supply unit (supplying detergent to the outer tub), etc.

[0104] Furthermore, the outer barrel supply flow path 63 can be configured to be located in the space formed between the front panel 11, the first side panel 121 and the upper circumferential surface of the outer barrel body 21.

[0105] By positioning the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7 between the upper panel 14 and the outer tub body 21, minimizing the transmission of vibrations from the outer tub body 21 to the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7 is beneficial for maintaining the durability of the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7.

[0106] In order to minimize the transmission of vibration from the outer barrel body 21 to the main body 61, at least two sides of the main body 61 can be fixed to the box body 1.

[0107] Figure 9 An example is shown where the front of the main body 61 is fixed to the front support frame 161 and the rear of the main body 61 is fixed to the rear panel 13.

[0108] The front support frame 161 may be a panel fixed inside the housing 1 and located between the front panel 11 and the main body 61.

[0109] The front support frame 161 can be fixed to the aforementioned connecting frame (not shown) and located behind the front panel 11, or it can be fixed to the front of the first side panel 121 and the front of the second side panel 123 and located behind the front panel 11, or it can be fastened to the rear of the front panel 11 and located inside the housing 1.

[0110] The main body 61 can be fixed to the front support frame 161 and the rear panel 13 by fastening.

[0111] The fastening part may include a front fastening part 641 disposed on the main body 61 and fixed to the front support frame 161, and a rear fastening part 643 disposed on the main body 61 and fixed to the rear panel 13.

[0112] The front fastening part 641 may be a fastening protrusion protruding from one side of the main body 61 (the side facing the front support frame). In this case, the front support frame 161 may be provided with a front fixing hole 162 for the front fastening part 641 to be inserted.

[0113] In order to minimize the transmission of vibrations generated in the main body 61 to the front support frame 161 when the fan 634 of the air supply unit or the compressor 73 of the heat exchange unit is running, and to minimize the transmission of vibrations of the housing 1 to the main body 61, an insulating part 163 may also be provided in the front fixing hole 162.

[0114] like Figure 10As shown in (a), the insulating part 163 may be an elastic body (such as rubber) that is fixed to the front fixing hole 162 and surrounds the circumferential surface of the front fastening part 641.

[0115] like Figure 10 As shown in (b), the rear fastening part 643 may include at least one of a support protrusion 643a and a fastening groove (rear fastening groove) 643b disposed on one side of the main body 61 (the side facing the rear panel).

[0116] When the rear fastening part 643 is formed by the support protrusion 643a and the rear fastening groove 643b, the rear panel 13 may be provided with a rear panel first through hole 131 and a rear panel second through hole 132.

[0117] like Figure 9 As shown, the first through hole 131 of the back panel can be a hole that penetrates the back panel 13 and allows the support protrusion 643a to be inserted, and the second through hole 132 of the back panel can be a hole that allows a rear fastening component (bolt, etc.) to be attached to the rear fastening groove 643b.

[0118] The front fastening part 641 and the support protrusion 643a can be a structure for temporarily assembling the main body 61 to the housing 1. That is, after the operator inserts the front fastening part 641 into the front fixing hole 162, the operator inserts the support protrusion 643a into the first through hole 131 of the rear panel, thereby temporarily fixing the position of the main body 61.

[0119] Reference Figure 10 When the main body 61 is temporarily assembled on the box 1, the operator can fasten the front fastening component (bolt, etc.) to the fastening groove (front fastening groove) 642 of the front fastening part, thereby fixing the main body 61 to the front support frame 161, and fasten the rear fastening component to the rear fastening groove 643b, thereby fixing the main body 61 to the back panel 13.

[0120] As shown in the figure, the front fastening part 641 can be disposed in the space provided by the main body 61 to form the front of the heat exchange chamber 612, and the rear fastening part 643 can be disposed in the space provided by the main body 61 to the rear of the compressor mounting part 614. This is because the front fastening part 641 and the rear fastening part 643 are arranged along the diagonal direction of the main body 61, which can more stably fix the main body 61.

[0121] Unlike the above, the rear fastener 643 is fixed to a rear support frame (not shown) located between the rear of the main body 61 and the rear panel 13.

[0122] The rear support frame can be fixed to the connecting frame, or to the two side panels 121, 123, or to the back panel 13. The rear support frame may be provided with a support protrusion through hole (not shown) for the support protrusion 643a to be inserted into, and a connecting hole (not shown) communicating with the rear fastening groove 643b.

[0123] like Figure 9 As shown, the clothing handling device 100 may further include a support frame 164 for fixing at least a portion of the upper surface of the main body 61 to the upper support frame 164 of the box body 1.

[0124] The upper support frame 164 may be a panel fixed to the first side panel 121 and the second side panel 123 and located between the upper panel 14 and the main body 61. That is, the upper support frame 164 may be a panel with one end fixed to the upper surface of the first side panel 121 and the other end fixed to the upper surface of the second side panel 123.

[0125] The main body 61 can be fixed to the upper support frame 164 by the upper surface fastening part 645. The upper surface fastening part 645 can be a fastening protrusion that protrudes from the upper surface of the compressor mounting part 614 and fixes the compressor mounting part 614 to the upper support frame 164. Figure 9 An example is shown where the upper fastening part 645 is respectively provided on both sides of the edge of the compressor mounting part 614.

[0126] The upper fastening part 645 may be provided with an upper fastening hole for fastening the upper fastening member (bolt, etc.), and the upper support frame 164 may be provided with an upper surface fixing hole 165 for the upper fastening member to pass through.

[0127] If the main body 61 is fixed to the box 1 by the front support frame 161, the back panel 13 and the upper support frame 164, the clothing handling device 100 can stably fix the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7 (which is beneficial to maintaining the durability of the air supply unit and the heat exchange unit) and can minimize the transmission of vibration of the outer tub main body 21 to the main body 21.

[0128] Furthermore, if the main body 61 is fixed to the housing 1 via the front support frame 161, the back panel 13, and the upper support frame 164, the vibrations generated when the fan 634 and compressor 73 operate can be transmitted to the side panel 12, the back panel 13, and the base panel 15. The vibrations transmitted to the base panel 15 can be absorbed by the heavy body, such as the outer tub, which is fixed to the base panel 15. Therefore, the clothing handling device 100 with the above structure can minimize the vibration or noise of the fan 634 and compressor 73.

[0129] Figure 11 An example of the filter unit 8 is shown, which is detachably mounted in the filter chamber 611 via the upper panel 14.

[0130] That is, such as Figure 1 As shown, the upper panel 14 may also be provided with a mounting hole (filter mounting hole) 141 that exposes the filter chamber 611 to the outside of the housing 1. The filter part 8 can be inserted into the filter chamber 611 or led out from the filter chamber 611 through the mounting hole 141.

[0131] like Figure 11 As shown, the filter section 8 may include a cover 81 having an open upper surface capable of closing the filter chamber 611, a support body 82 fixed to the cover 81 and located inside the filter chamber 611, and screens 825, 826, and 827 disposed on the support body 82 and separating foreign objects from the air.

[0132] The cover 81 can have various shapes that can close the open upper surface of the filter chamber 611 (through the main body and connecting the mounting hole and the filter chamber through a chamber communication hole). Figure 11 An example is shown where the cover 81 has a shape capable of closing the chamber communication hole and the mounting hole 141. A handle 811 may be provided on the cover 81.

[0133] The support body 82 is a structure that is fixed to the cover 81 and forms a flow path for air movement. An air intake 821 can be provided on one side of the support body 82, and a plurality of through holes 823 can be provided on the side where the air intake is not formed.

[0134] The air intake 821 can be located in the space provided by the support body 82 facing the air supply port 615 of the filter chamber, and the through hole 823 can be located on the two sides and the bottom of the support body.

[0135] The screen may include a first screen 825 fixed to the support body 82 and forming one of the left and right sides of the support body, a second screen 827 fixed to the support body 82 and forming the other of the left and right sides of the support body, and a third screen 829 fixed to the support body 82 and forming the bottom surface of the support body.

[0136] Therefore, the air supplied to the filter chamber 611 through the chamber supply flow path 62 can be supplied to the interior of the support body 82 through the air intake 821, and the air inside the support body 82 can move to the heat exchange chamber 612 through the through hole 823. During this process, foreign objects contained in the air can be filtered by the screens 825, 827, and 829.

[0137] The plurality of the screens are arranged on three sides of the support body 2 (the filter section has three filter surfaces), thus having a greater filtration capacity than an existing filter section with only one filter surface.

[0138] In the clothing handling device 100 with the above structure, foreign objects may remain in the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0139] When the air supply unit 6 and the heat exchange unit 7 are in operation, the air that is dehumidified and heated in the heat exchange chamber 612 is supplied to the outer barrel body 21 through the outer barrel supply flow path 63.

[0140] Air supplied to the interior of the outer tub body 21 and exchanging heat with the clothes is supplied to the filter chamber 611 through the chamber supply flow path 62. Foreign matter present in the air flowing into the filter chamber 611 is removed by the filter section 8. The air with foreign matter removed in the filter section 8 moves to the heat exchange chamber 612 and is dehumidified and heated by the first heat exchanger 71 and the second heat exchanger 72.

[0141] During the drying process described above, foreign matter contained in the air can be filtered out by the filter section 8, but some foreign matter may remain in the chamber supply flow path 62. When the chamber supply flow path 62 is formed of an elastic material such as rubber or has the structure of the bellows 621, it has the effect of minimizing the transmission of vibration of the outer barrel body 21 to the body 61, but the possibility of foreign matter residue cannot be ruled out.

[0142] In order to remove foreign matter remaining in the chamber supply flow path 62, a cleaning section may be provided in the clothing processing device 100.

[0143] Figure 12An example of a cleaning unit 9 is shown, which is capable of removing foreign objects by supplying an annular stream of water sprayed onto the inner circumferential surface of the flow path 62 to the chamber.

[0144] The cleaning part 9 can be fixed to the main body 61 by the first connecting part 617. The attached figure shows an example of the structure in which the cleaning part 9 is inserted into the first connecting part 617 and fixed to the main body 61.

[0145] The washing section 9 can be fixed to the main body 61 and located inside the filter chamber 611. However, in this case, the filtration capacity may be reduced if the volume of the filter chamber 611 is not increased. Therefore, the position of the washing section 9 is preferably set according to the filtration capacity of the garment processing device 100.

[0146] The washing section 9 can receive water through the water supply section 23. That is, the water supply section 23 may also include a washing section water supply pipe 234 that branches off from the outer tub water supply pipe 231 and supplies water to the washing section 9. In this case, the garment handling device 100 can wash the chamber connecting pipe 62 whenever water is supplied to the outer tub body 21.

[0147] Figure 13 An example of the cleaning unit 9 is shown. The cleaning unit 9 may include a cleaning body 91 inserted into and fixed to the first connecting part 617, a main body through hole 911 through the cleaning body 91 and allowing air supplied from the chamber supply flow path 62 to flow into the filter chamber 611, an annular cleaning flow path 913 surrounding the main body through hole 911, and a supply port 915 through the cleaning body 91 and supplying water to the cleaning flow path 913.

[0148] like Figure 14 As shown in (a), the cleaning flow path 913 can be a circulation flow path that allows water flowing into the supply port 915 to circulate along the circumferential surface of the main body through hole 911.

[0149] A spray section 917 may be provided on one side of the cleaning body 91 (the side of the cleaning body facing the chamber supply flow path) to spray water inside the cleaning flow path 913 into the inner circumferential surface of the chamber supply flow path 62. For example... Figure 13 As shown, the spray section 917 may have a plurality of spray holes 917a arranged in a ring shape.

[0150] In the cleaning section 9 of the above structure, the water discharged through the spray section 917 can form a ring-shaped water flow, which can clean the entire inner circumferential surface of the chamber supply flow path 62. Therefore, the garment processing device 100 having the cleaning section 9 can minimize the phenomenon of foreign matter remaining in the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0151] In order to facilitate the movement of water discharged from the spray hole 917a toward the inner circumferential surface of the chamber supply flow path 62, a guide may also be provided in the cleaning section 9.

[0152] like Figure 14 As shown in (b), the guide 92 may be an inclined surface that extends from the edge of the main body through hole 911 toward the edge of the cleaning body 91 (the inner peripheral surface of the chamber supply flow path) and is inclined in a direction away from the cleaning body 91.

[0153] Figure 15 Another embodiment of the cleaning unit 9 is shown.

[0154] The cleaning unit 9 in this embodiment also includes a cleaning body 91 installed on the first connecting part 617, a main body through hole 911 that passes through the cleaning body 91 and allows air supplied from the chamber supply flow path 62 to flow into the chamber, and a supply port 915 that passes through the cleaning body 91 and communicates with the main body through hole 911.

[0155] like Figure 16 As shown, the cleaning body 91 may be provided with a guide 93 that causes the water discharged from the supply port 915 to change into an annular water flow rotating along the inner circumferential surface of the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0156] The guide 93 may include a first guide body 931 that is inclined toward the supply port 915 from the cleaning body 91 and guides the water discharged from the supply port 915 along the circumferential surface of the chamber supply flow path 62, and a second guide body 932 that guides the water moved by the first guide body 931 along the length direction (-X axis direction) of the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0157] The second body 932 of the guide may have an inclined surface that is inclined from one side of the first body 931 (the side facing the filter chamber) toward the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0158] like Figure 15 As shown, the water supplied through the water inlet 618 forms vortices inside the chamber supply flow path 62 due to the water flow C1 moving along the circumferential direction of the first guide body 931 and the water flow C2 moving along the length direction of the chamber supply flow path 62 by the second guide body 932. Therefore, the cleaning section 9, which has the first guide body 931 and the second guide body 932, can clean the inside of the chamber supply flow path 62 with a strong water flow.

[0159] On the other hand, the cleaning unit 9 may also include a branch 933 that divides the water C1 moving along the first body 931 of the guide into a water flow C2 moving towards the second body 932 of the guide and a water flow C3 moving along the length direction (-X axis direction) of the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0160] The garment processing device 100 with the above structure can clean the inlet connection 4 and the chamber supply flow path 62 by controlling the rotation speed of the drum body 31.

[0161] If the rotational speed of the drum body 31 is increased, the water inside the outer tub body 21 forms a water flow that circulates along the circumference of the outer tub body 21. This water flow removes foreign matter remaining in the inlet connection 4 and the chamber supply flow path 62. This effect can only be achieved by the supply pump 53 opening and closing the flow path through which the detergent supply section 5 supplies detergent to the outer tub body 21.

[0162] In a laundry treatment apparatus without a flow path for supplying detergent to the outer drum body 21, if the rotation speed of the drum body 31 is increased to circulate water inside the outer drum body 21 along its circumference, water may flow into the detergent supply section. However, the laundry treatment apparatus 100 does not experience this problem even when the rotation speed of the drum body 31 is increased.

[0163] The following describes an example of a control method for a garment handling device that can achieve the above-mentioned effects.

[0164] like Figure 17 As shown, the control method includes a water supply step S10 and a cleaning step S30. For example... Figure 18 As shown in (a), the water supply step S10 may be a step of supplying water to the outer barrel body 21 until a reference water level W1, which is set to be higher than the lowest end of the drum body 31, is reached.

[0165] The water supply step S10 is a process in which the control unit (not shown) supplies water to the outer barrel body 21 by controlling the water supply valve 233. The control unit can determine the amount of water supplied to the outer barrel body 21 by using a water level sensor (not shown, a structure that senses the water level inside the outer barrel body).

[0166] The reference water level W1 is a value set to obtain the power required for water to move along the inner circumferential surface of the outer barrel body 21 from the drum body 31. If the reference water level W1 is high, a large amount of water circulates along the inner circumferential surface of the outer barrel body 21, thus easily cleaning the inlet connection 4 or the chamber supply flow path 62. However, if the reference water level W1 is too high, the possibility of water flowing backwards to the air supply section 6 through the air supply flow path 43 provided at the inlet connection 4 cannot be ruled out. Therefore, the reference water level W1 is preferably set to be higher than the lowest point of the drum body 31 and lower than the lowest point of the inlet connection 4.

[0167] The cleaning step S30 is a step in which the water inside the outer drum body 21 circulates along the inner circumferential surface of the outer drum body 21 by rotating the drum body 31 at a preset cleaning speed. The cleaning speed can be set to various speeds that allow the water inside the outer drum body 21 to flow into the chamber supply flow path 62.

[0168] The cleaning speed can be set to a speed at which the water inside the outer tub body 21 rises to a position lower than the connection position 617 between the chamber supply flow path 62 and the filter chamber 611. Figure 18 (a) shows an example of a case where the cleaning revolutions are set to cause the water in the outer tub body 21 to rise to at least a portion of the area (W2) of the bellows 621.

[0169] If the drum body 31 is rotated at the aforementioned cleaning speed, a water flow moving along the circumferential surface of the outer drum body 21 can be formed inside the outer drum body 21. A portion of this water flow can clean the connecting body 41 of the inlet connection. That is, during the cleaning step, a portion of the water flow inside the outer drum body 21 can be supplied to the circumferential surface of the connecting body 41, thereby removing foreign matter remaining on the connecting body 41.

[0170] On the other hand, such as Figure 18 As shown in (b), the connecting body 41 is provided with a supply air flow path 43 for connecting the outer barrel supply flow path 63 of the air supply unit. Therefore, if the water flow inside the outer barrel body 21 is too strong, water may flow into the supply air flow path 43.

[0171] This phenomenon is more likely to occur the lower the connection position 44 between the outer tub supply flow path 63 and the connecting body 41. Therefore, the connection position 44 between the outer tub supply flow path 63 and the connecting body 41 is preferably set to be higher than the horizontal line H passing through the center of the connecting body 41.

[0172] In addition, in order to minimize the flow of water into the air supply path 43, the cleaning speed is preferably set to a speed that causes the water inside the outer tub body 21 to rise to a position lower than the connection position 44.

[0173] Through the water supply step S10 and the cleaning step S30 described above, the control method can clean the chamber supply flow path 62 and the connecting body 41.

[0174] Furthermore, the control method may also include a foreign matter removal step S20, which involves spraying water into the chamber supply flow path 62 through the cleaning unit 9. The foreign matter removal step S20 may be performed before the start of the cleaning step S30, or it may be performed during the cleaning step S30. Figure 17 An example is shown where the foreign matter removal step S20 is performed before the cleaning step S30 begins.

[0175] As described above, the cleaning unit 9 can receive water through the cleaning water supply pipe 234, which branches off from the outer tub supply pipe 231 that supplies water to the outer tub body 21. In this case, the foreign matter removal step S20 can be performed together with the water supply step S10.

[0176] However, if a cleaning water valve (not shown) is provided to control the opening and closing of the cleaning water supply pipe 234, the foreign matter removal step S30 can be performed during the water supply step S10, during the cleaning step S30, or after the cleaning step S30 is completed.

[0177] Unlike the above, when the cleaning water supply pipe 234 is directly connected to the cleaning unit 9 and the water source and has a flow path that is controlled to open and close by the cleaning water valve, the foreign matter removal step S20 can also be performed during the water supply step S10, during the cleaning step S30, or after the cleaning step S30 is completed.

[0178] After completing the cleaning step S30, the control method can execute a drainage step S40 to drain the water from inside the outer tub body 21. This allows foreign matter removed from the chamber supply path 62 or the connecting body 41 to be discharged to the outside of the outer tub body 21.

[0179] The above control method is described based on the case where the cleaning speed is set to be able to clean the chamber supply flow path 62 and the connecting body 41. However, the cleaning speed can also be set to be able to clean only one of the chamber supply flow path 62 and the connecting body 41.

[0180] The above-described garment handling apparatus and control method are used to illustrate one example of the present invention; therefore, the scope of the claims of this application is not limited to the illustrated structure or control method.

Claims

1. A garment processing device, characterized in that, include: The housing has a front panel with an inlet, a rear panel forming the rear side, an upper panel forming the upper part, and a first side panel and a second side panel forming the two sides. The outer bucket has an outer bucket body disposed inside the box and storing water, and an outer bucket inlet disposed on the outer bucket body and communicating with the inlet. A roller, rotatably disposed inside the outer tub, stores clothing; An air supply unit has a chamber body located between the upper panel and the outer barrel body, a filter chamber and a heat exchange chamber disposed in the chamber body and communicating with each other, a chamber supply flow path for guiding air inside the outer barrel body to the filter chamber, and an outer barrel supply flow path for guiding air discharged from the heat exchange chamber to the outer barrel body. A filter unit, disposed in the filter chamber, filters air; and A heat exchange unit, disposed in the heat exchange chamber, sequentially performs dehumidification and heating of the air supplied from the filter chamber; At least two sides of the chamber body are fixed to the box body and are located between the outer barrel body and the upper panel.

2. The garment processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a front support frame, which is fixed inside the housing and located between the front panel and the chamber body; One end of the chamber body is fixed to the support frame, and the other end is fixed to the back panel.

3. The garment processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The front support frame is fixed to the front panel and located behind the front panel, or the front support frame is fixed to the first side panel and the second side panel and located behind the front panel.

4. The garment processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A front support frame is fixed inside the housing and located between the front panel and the main body of the chamber; as well as The rear support frame is fixed inside the box and located between the rear panel and the main body of the chamber; One end of the main body of the chamber is fixed to the front support frame, and the other end of the main body of the chamber is fixed to the rear support frame.

5. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes an upper support frame, which is fixed to the first side panel and the second side panel and located between the upper panel and the chamber body, and the upper surface of the chamber body is fixed to the upper support frame.

6. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The heat exchange unit includes: A first heat exchanger is disposed in the heat exchange chamber to dehumidify the air supplied from the filter chamber; A second heat exchanger is disposed in the heat exchange chamber to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger; A refrigerant pipe provides a circulation path for the refrigerant, passing through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; and A compressor, located outside the heat exchange chamber, moves the refrigerant along the refrigerant pipe; The air supply unit also includes a compressor mounting section that extends from the chamber body toward the rear panel and is located on the upper part of the outer barrel body, providing space for fixing the compressor.

7. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: A front fastening part is provided on the main body of the chamber and fixed to the front support frame; A rear fastening part is provided on the main body of the chamber and fixed to the rear panel; as well as The upper fastening part is provided on the main body of the chamber and fixed to the upper support frame.

8. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a front fixing hole that penetrates the front support frame; The front fastening part is a fastening protrusion that protrudes from the chamber body toward the front support frame and inserts into the front panel fixing hole.

9. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes an insulating part, which is disposed in the front fixing hole and surrounds the circumferential surface of the front fastening part.

10. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The upper fastening part connects the compressor mounting part and the upper frame.

11. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a first through hole and a second through hole in the back panel that penetrate the back panel; The rear fastening part includes: A support protrusion protrudes from the compressor mounting portion and inserts into the first through hole of the rear panel, enabling the setting of the position of the chamber body; as well as A fixing groove is provided in the compressor fixing part, and a bolt inserted into the second through hole of the rear panel is fixed in the fixing groove.

12. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filtration chamber and the heat exchange chamber are arranged parallel to the width direction of the outer barrel body; The chamber supply flow path is configured to connect the upper circumferential surface of the outer barrel body and the filter chamber and is parallel to the length direction of the outer barrel body.

13. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes mounting holes that penetrate the upper panel and communicate with the filter chamber; The filter unit can be installed and removed from the filter chamber through the mounting hole.

14. The garment processing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that, The filtration unit includes: The cover has a shape capable of closing the mounting hole; The supporting body, fixed to the cover, is located inside the filter chamber; and A mesh screen, installed on the supporting body, separates foreign objects from the air.

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