Clothing treatment device

Abstract

The present application relates to a clothing treatment device comprising: a cabinet having an opening formed in the front thereof; a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet; a duct module provided with a duct body into which air flows downward from the inside of the drum through an inlet connected to the drum and which discharges the air to the rear through an outlet, a filter unit provided in the duct body to filter the air, and a circulation fan disposed further downstream than the outlet to move the air; and a dryer module for dehumidifying and heating the air which has moved from the duct module to supply same into the drum, the filter unit comprising a first filter inclined to traverse the cross-section of the air which is introduced through the inlet and flows into the outlet.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a clothing treatment device for drying laundry.BACKGROUND

[0002] The term clothing treatment device is a generic term for a device for washing laundry, a device for drying laundry, and a device capable of both washing and drying laundry.

[0003] Among conventional clothing treatment devices capable of drying laundry, some include a drum providing a space in which laundry is stored, a duct forming a flow path for re-supplying air discharged from the drum back to the drum, a first heat exchanger for cooling the air introduced from the drum into the duct to remove moisture contained in the air, a second heat exchanger for heating air that has passed through the first heat exchanger, and a fan for moving air that has passed through the second heat exchanger to the drum. In the conventional clothing treatment device having the above-described structure, since air discharged from the drum is dehumidified and heated while passing through the heat exchangers and then re-supplied to the drum, foreign substances such as lint may remain in the heat exchangers. To solve this problem, some conventional clothing treatment devices include a filter for filtering air supplied to the first heat exchanger (EP2691567B1).

[0004] However, in the case of a commercial dryer capable of performing drying cycles such as sterilization, wrinkle removal, deodorization, and drying by supplying steam or hot air to a large amount of laundry, the drying capacity is increased compared to a general dryer. Accordingly, there is a need for a commercial dryer to be designed to have a much larger volume and a higher flow rate of supplied hot air so as to quickly dry a large amount of laundry.

[0005] Accordingly, the importance of the filter is emphasized because foreign substances such as lint increase in amount and accumulate on the heat exchangers, which may reduce a heat transfer area and easily degrade drying performance.

[0006] However, in light of the specific characteristics of commercial dryers, the filtration reliability of filters provided in conventional general-purpose dryers is diminished. Even when a plurality of filters are provided, considering the bulkiness of a commercial dryer, filters inserted deep inside are difficult to access without disassembling the device. Therefore, the accessibility of the filters is poor, making it difficult to periodically check their condition and clean them.

[0007] Moreover, the filter does not closely contact the inner surface of the duct during cleaning and assembly of the filter, leading to a decrease in filtration performance and consequent degradation in hygiene.DISCLOSURE TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0008] An object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device in which a plurality of filters are optimally disposed, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0009] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device that facilitates the withdrawal and insertion of a filter.

[0010] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device with increased maintainability.

[0011] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter having improved structural robustness.

[0012] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter with improved maintainability.

[0013] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter that allows the degree of lint accumulation to be visually checked, thereby improving maintainability.TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0014] The present application provides a clothing treatment device including a cabinet having an opening formed at a front thereof, a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet, a duct module including a duct body receiving air from inside the drum downward through an inlet communicating with the drum and discharging the air rearward through an outlet, a filter unit provided in the duct body and filtering the air, and a circulation fan disposed downstream of the outlet and moving the air, and a drying module dehumidifying and heating air moved from the duct module and supplying the air into the drum. The filter unit includes a first filter obliquely crossing a cross-section of air introduced through the inlet and flowing toward the outlet.

[0015] The first filter may include an upper end and a lower end contacting the duct body, and the upper end may be disposed more forward or rearward than the lower end.

[0016] The duct body may be provided as a hexahedron having the inlet on a top surface thereof and the outlet on a rear surface thereof, the upper end may contact the rear surface, and the lower end may contact a bottom surface of the duct body.

[0017] The upper end may be spaced apart from the top surface.

[0018] The upper end may contact a corner shared by the rear surface and the top surface.

[0019] The lower end may be spaced apart from a front surface of the duct body.

[0020] The inlet may be disposed to be closer to a front of the top surface.

[0021] The clothing treatment device may further include a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, the top surface of the duct module may be formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, the inlet of the top surface may be formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, and a remaining area of the top surface may be formed as the bottom surface of the drying body.

[0022] The outlet may be disposed closer to one side of the rear surface in a left-right direction.

[0023] A width of the inlet in a transverse direction may be set to be larger than a width of the outlet in the transverse direction.

[0024] The first filter may be detachably provided in the duct body and withdrawn from the front surface.

[0025] The duct body may include a cover panel opening and closing the front surface thereof, and when the cover panel is opened, the first filter may be withdrawn through the front surface.

[0026] The filter unit may further include a second filter fixed to the top surface and covering the inlet.

[0027] The clothing treatment device may further include a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, the top surface of the duct module may be formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, the inlet of the top surface may be formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, a remaining area of the top surface may be formed as the bottom surface of the drying body, and the second filter may be provided to cover an entire area of the top surface.

[0028] The second filter may be inserted and withdrawn by sliding through a front of the duct body.

[0029] The second filter may be provided with a flange portion extending in a front-rear direction on both side surfaces thereof.

[0030] A support supporting the flange portion and assisting in insertion of the second filter may be formed in the duct body.

[0031] The second filter may have an insertion surface formed, on one surface thereof contacting the duct body, to be inclined in a height direction and tightly contacting the duct body, and an upper end of the insertion surface may be inclined to be disposed more rearward than a lower end thereof.

[0032] The insertion surface of the second filter may be formed not to interfere with the first filter.ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0033] The present application provides a clothing treatment device in which a plurality of filters are optimally disposed, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0034] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device that facilitates the withdrawal and insertion of a filter.

[0035] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device with increased maintainability.

[0036] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter having improved structural robustness.

[0037] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter with improved maintainability.

[0038] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter that allows the degree of lint accumulation to be visually checked, thereby improving maintainability.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary clothing treatment device. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary internal structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary clothing treatment device. FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary door of the clothing treatment device FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an exemplary front configuration of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary sealing structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary arrangement position of a driving unit of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary rear configuration of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary drum structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 12 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating the drum. FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary duct module of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary circulation fan of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary drying module of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary internal configuration of the drying module. FIG. 17 illustrates a simplified structure in which an auxiliary heat exchanger of the clothing treatment device is installed. FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary opening of the duct module. FIG. 19 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating a filter unit of the duct module. FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary process of manufacturing frames of the filter unit. FIG. 21 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing the frames of the filter unit. FIG. 22 illustrates an exemplary outer frame of the filter unit. FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary inner frame of the filter unit. FIG. 24 illustrates an example of concave-convex portions of the filter unit. FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary shape of concave-convex portion. FIG, 26 illustrates an exemplary frame of the filter unit. FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary shape retainer of the filter unit. FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary process of assembling the filter unit. FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary filter unit. FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line A-A' of FIG. 29. FIG. 31 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line B-B' of FIG. 29. FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line C-C' of FIG. 29. FIG. 33 illustrates an exemplary filter unit of the duct module. FIG. 34 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating the filter unit. FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary filter support of the duct module. FIG. 36 illustrates an exemplary duct module including the filter unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present disclosure, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced by the first description. As used herein, a singular expression includes plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, lest it should obscure the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed herein, a detailed description of a related known technology will be avoided in describing the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a clothing treatment device according to the present disclosure.

[0042] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as a dryer capable of performing an arbitrary drying course for removing moisture from clothing.

[0043] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a drying body 10 capable of accommodating clothing, a drying module 20 capable of supplying at least one of heated air (hot air) or steam to the drying body 10, and a duct module 30 providing a flow path through which air inside the drying body 10 may be discharged to the drying module 20 or to the outside.

[0044] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as a commercial dryer. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be disposed in an environment where a plurality of users repeatedly perform drying cycles more than a household dryer, or in an environment where a large amount of clothing such as blankets or bedding should be dried. Therefore, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure needs to be provided to accommodate a larger capacity of clothing than a household dryer and to perform drying cycles quickly by supplying more hot air than a household dryer.

[0045] To this end, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying body 10 needs to be larger than a configuration for accommodating clothing in a household dryer, the drying module 20 also needs to be larger than a drying module of a household dryer to generate a large amount of hot air, and the duct module 30 also needs to be larger than a duct module of a household dryer so that a sufficient flow may move.

[0046] Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided such that at least one of the drying module 20 or the duct module 30 is disposed as a separate configuration from the drying body 10 to be detachably coupled to the drying body 10.

[0047] As a result, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying body 10 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying module 20 or the duct module 30. Thus, the drying body 10 may be provided to accommodate a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0048] In addition, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying module 20 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying body 10 or the duct module 30. Therefore, the drying module 20 may also increase the volume of a heat supply that heats air or generates steam, and thus generate sufficient hot air to dry a large amount of clothing or generate sufficient steam for sterilizing and disinfecting the clothing.

[0049] In addition, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the duct module 30 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying body 10 or the drying module 20. Therefore, the duct module 30 may secure a flow path through which a sufficient flow of air moves to the extended drying body 10 and drying module 20, and a large-capacity filter, which will be described later, may also be stably installed.

[0050] When the drying body 10 is provided with an opening through which clothing is input, the drying module 20 and the duct module 30 may be provided to communicate with the drying body 10 at positions that do not interfere with the opening.

[0051] When the opening of the drying body 10 is disposed at the front, the drying module 20 may be disposed at any one of the top, bottom, both sides, and rear of the drying body 10, and the duct module 30 may be disposed at any one of the top, bottom, both sides, and rear of the drying body 10 at a position that does not interfere with the drying module 20.

[0052] For example, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the drying module 20 may be disposed at the rear of the drying body 10.

[0053] Accordingly, heating or heat exchange performance may be increased to the maximum by increasing the volume of the drying module 20 further than when the drying module 20 is disposed at the top or bottom of the drying body 10. In addition, the overall width of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is reduced by disposing the drying module 20 at the rear of the drying body 10 rather than at the side of the drying body 10. Therefore, a plurality of clothing treatment devices of the present disclosure may be easily arranged in a limited space. Further, as the drying module 20 is disposed at the rear of the drying body 10, a flow path direction in which hot air is discharged coincides with a flow path direction inside the drying body 10, thereby reducing overall flow resistance.

[0054] The duct module 30 may be disposed at either the top or the bottom of the drying body 10. Accordingly, the overall width of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be reduced, compared to when it is disposed at a side of the drying body 10.

[0055] The duct module 30 may be disposed at the bottom of the drying body 10. Accordingly, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the opening of the drying body 10 may be spaced further upward from the ground, and a user may easily put in and take out a large amount of clothing through the opening.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment in which components of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure are detachably provided.

[0057] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided such that at least one of the drying body 10, the drying module 20, or the duct module 30 is manufactured separately from the others and detachably coupled to allow communication of air.

[0058] Generally, the drying module 20 may be installed with heavy components for heating air or supplying steam and heavier than the drying body 10 or the duct module 30. Further, the drying module 20 may have more electronic components arranged therein than the internal components of the drying body 10 and the duct module 30, leading to a higher frequency of repair and maintenance.

[0059] To this end, the drying module 20 may be designed to be detachable from the drying body 10 in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be easily installed by transporting the drying module 20 separately from the drying body 10. When there is a problem with an electronic component of the drying module 20, it may be replaced separately from the drying body 10, and as some components of the drying module 20 may be replaced by separating it from the bulky drying body 10, repair and maintenance may be facilitated.

[0060] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided with the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 integrally. Accordingly, the connection force between the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be strengthened, thereby eliminating the possibility of air discharged from the drying body 10 leaking to the outside.

[0061] In addition, even if strong vibration occurs due to movement of a large amount of clothing in the drying body 10, the drying body 10 may be prevented from being arbitrarily separated from the duct module 30. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be disposed inside one cabinet, and may be manufactured and transported simultaneously.

[0062] This is merely an embodiment, and the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be provided as separate modules to be detachably coupled to each other.

[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the internal structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0064] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as an exhaust type, and thus while the drying module 20 and the drying body 10 may be arranged to communicate with each other and the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be arranged to communicate with each other, the drying module 20 and the duct module 30 may be arranged so as not to communicate with each other.

[0065] As illustrated, when the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is disposed as a circulation type, the drying body 10, the duct module 30, and the drying module 20 may be arranged such that air communicates with each other. Accordingly, as long as an installation space is secured, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be installed without difficulty, regardless of whether a corresponding indoor space communicates with the outdoors.

[0066] The drying body 10 may include a cabinet 110 forming the exterior and having an opening, a door 120 for opening and closing the opening, and a drum 150 rotatably provided inside the cabinet 110 to accommodate clothing input through the opening.

[0067] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a driving unit 160 for rotating the drum 150. Accordingly, clothing accommodated in the drum 150 may be dried by being exposed to hot air supplied to the drum 150 in a process of rising and falling inside the drum 150 by rotation of the drum 150.

[0068] The driving unit 160 may be disposed in the drying body 10.

[0069] Accordingly, the drum 150 and all components for rotating the drum 150 may be installed in the drying body 10, and repair and maintenance may be performed independently of the components of the duct module 30 or the drying module 20. In addition, since the entire configuration of the driving unit 160 is installed independently of the duct module 30, the duct module 30 may not be provided with a configuration for allowing the driving unit 160 to pass therethrough or be installed, thereby increasing the sealing performance of the duct module 30.

[0070] The duct module 30 and may include a circulation fan 330 disposed at the rear of a duct body 310, which is disposed below the drum 150 to receive air discharged from the drum 150, and moving the air, and a fan container 320 providing a space in which the circulation fan 330 is seated.

[0071] The duct body 310 may be provided such that all outer surfaces thereof are sealed to prevent the air from leaking to the outside, except for the inflow of air from the drum 150.

[0072] The duct body 310 may be provided in any shape as long as it may allow air discharged from the drum 150 above it to flow in and be delivered to the rear.

[0073] For example, the duct body 310 may be provided in a case shape with all surfaces shielded, which is disposed under the cabinet 110 to support the cabinet 110.

[0074] Alternatively, the duct body 310 may be disposed inside the cabinet 110 and provided in a configuration in which a frame, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, disposed inside the cabinet 110 and supporting components inside the cabinet 110 is coupled to a plate or the like for shielding the inside of the frame. For example, the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be installed in one cabinet 110. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be provided to share the single cabinet 110. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be seated inside the cabinet 110 forming the exterior, or the duct module 30 may be seated at the bottom of the drying body after the drying body 10 is manufactured. Accordingly, leakage of hot air or steam between the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be prevented, installation and transport may be facilitated, and aesthetics may be enhanced.

[0075] The fan container 320 may be coupled to the duct body 310 or supported inside the duct body 310 to accommodate the circulation fan 330 therein.

[0076] The fan container 320 may be disposed further toward the rear than the front of the duct body 310 to secure a space through which air discharged from the front of the drum 150 may flow in. In addition, the fan container 320 may be disposed close to or in close contact with the drying module 20 to form a flow path for delivering air to the drying module 20.

[0077] The duct module 30 may further include a filter unit 4 disposed in front of the fan container 320 to filter foreign substances flowing into the circulation fan 330.

[0078] The filter unit 4 may be provided in front of the fan container 320, with a length corresponding to the width of the duct body 310 so as to filter foreign substances discharged from a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0079] The filter unit 4 may be detachably provided in the duct body 310 to easily remove accumulated foreign substances. The duct body 310 may include an inlet / outlet through which the filter unit 4 is inserted or withdrawn, and the inlet / outlet may be disposed at the front of the duct body 310. Accordingly, a user may check the status of and clean the filter unit 4 without being restricted by components such as the drying module 20 or the door 120.

[0080] The drying module 20 may be disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110 to supply hot air and steam into the cabinet 110.

[0081] The drying module 20 may be disposed such that a lower front portion thereof faces the duct module 30 and an upper front portion thereof faces the drying body 10 or the rear surface of the drum 150.

[0082] The drying module 20 may include a case 210 disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110 and a heat exchange unit 240 disposed inside the case 210 to dehumidify and heat air.

[0083] The case 210 may be provided in a height that enables the case 210 may face the entire rear surface of the drum 150 from the bottom of the duct module 30. The width of the case 210 may correspond to or be smaller than the width of the cabinet 110. Accordingly, the case 210 may be installed without problems as long as there is a space for installing the cabinet 110.

[0084] The thickness of the case 210 in a front-rear direction may be smaller than the thicknesses of the cabinet 110 and the duct module 30 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be designed to be compact in volume.

[0085] The drying module 20 may further include a flow path forming unit 220 disposed inside the case 210 to guide air discharged from the duct module 30 back to the drum 150. At least a portion of the heat exchange unit 240 may be disposed inside the flow path forming unit 220.

[0086] The flow path forming unit 220 may extend in a height direction of the cabinet 110 or the case 210 to receive air discharged from the duct module 30 and guide it toward the rear surface of the drum 150.

[0087] The duct body 310 may be provided with a pressure sensor that detects a change in air pressure.

[0088] The pressure sensor is sufficient as long as it detects pressure applied to the sensor and outputs it as another physical quantity such as an electrical quantity, and is not limited in its function and type, such as an absolute pressure sensor, a gauge pressure sensor, or a differential pressure sensor.

[0089] The pressure sensor may be configured to determine at least one of an upstream or downstream pressure value by a first pressure sensor PS1 disposed on an upstream side where air flows into the filter unit 4 and a second pressure sensor PS2 disposed on a downstream side where air is discharged through the filter unit 4.

[0090] It may be detected through the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 drops to or below a specific level. That is, when foreign substances are excessively accumulated on a mesh screen 41 of the filter unit 4 to a level where drying performance and condensation efficiency are not guaranteed, the filter unit 4 may be detected as being in a clogged state.

[0091] For example, when a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 is equal to or greater than a specific level, it may be determined that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 has deteriorated and air is accumulating upstream of the filter unit 4, and thus the filter unit 4 is clogged.

[0092] Alternatively, when a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than a specific level, it may be determined that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 has deteriorated and air is not moving to the rear of the filter unit 4, and this the filter unit 4 is clogged.

[0093] Preferably, the pressure sensor may be provided to detect pressure at the front and rear of the filter unit 4.

[0094] For example, a plurality of pressure sensors may be provided and disposed at the front and rear of the filter unit 4. Accordingly, pressure is measured respectively by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2, and when the difference between the measured pressures exceeds a preset threshold, the filter unit 4 may be determined to be clogged.

[0095] Alternatively, the pressure sensor may be provided as a differential pressure sensor, and when the difference between the pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a preset threshold, the flow before and after the filter unit 4 is not smooth, and thus the filter unit 4 may be determined to be clogged.

[0096] A plurality of filter units 4 may be provided, and the pressure sensor may be provided to determine clogging of each filter unit 4, to collectively determine clogging of the plurality of filter units 4 or to determine clogging of some of the filter units 4.

[0097] For example, clogging of each of the plurality of filter units 4 may be determined by measuring the difference between pressures upstream and downstream of each filter unit 4.

[0098] For example, clogging of the entire plurality of filter units 4 may be determined by measuring the difference between pressure upstream of a filter unit 4 that receives air from the drum 150 first and pressure downstream of a filter unit 4 that receives air from the drum 150 last.

[0099] For example, clogging may be determined by specifying the difference between the upstream and downstream pressures of some of the plurality of filter units 4 configured for detecting clogging.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an inlet through which air is delivered from the drum 150 is formed on the top surface of the duct body 310, and the filter unit 4 may include an upstream filter that filters air delivered to the inlet and a downstream filter that is disposed downstream of the upstream filter and delivers filtered air to the blowing fan 330.

[0101] In the above-described case, the pressure sensor may measure clogging of the upstream filter and the downstream filter, respectively by measuring the difference between the upstream and downstream pressures of the upstream filter and the downstream filter.

[0102] The upstream filter is provided to shield the inlet and filter air delivered to the inlet, and the downstream filter may be provided to cross air flowing in the front-rear direction through the duct body. In this case, the pressure sensor may detect clogging of the filter unit 4 by sensing pressure at at least one of the front or rear of the downstream filter.

[0103] In the above-described case, when the amount of change in pressure measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter is equal to or less than a threshold range, it may be determined that the flow of air in the downstream of the upstream filter and the upstream of the downstream filter is stagnant, and thus the upstream filter and the downstream filter are clogged. For example, when the difference between a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter and a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 at the rear of the downstream filter exceeds a threshold, clogging of the downstream filter may be detected.

[0104] In the above-described case, the pressure sensor may be provided as a differential pressure sensor to detect the difference between a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter and a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 at the rear of the downstream filter. In this case, when the difference between the pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than a threshold, clogging of the downstream filter may be detected. When the difference between the pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than the threshold and the rate of change of the difference value deviates from a specific level, it may be determined that both the upstream filter and the downstream filter are clogged.

[0105] The upstream filter may be exposed on the top surface of the duct body to allow for easy accessibility. Accordingly, the user may periodically check the status of the upstream filter to remove aggregated foreign substances, thereby preventing or resolving clogging.

[0106] Since the downstream filter is provided inside the duct body, it may be difficult to visually check for clogging. Therefore, the reliability of the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 may be improved simply by detecting clogging of the downstream filter through sensing pressures at the front and rear of the downstream filter.

[0107] The circulation fan 330 may be provided to be spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the duct body 310. This may minimize the occurrence of vortices or the like caused by collision of air discharged downward from the inlet of the duct body 310 with the bottom surface of the duct body 310. Therefore, the pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance or more, thereby increasing the reliability of sensing.

[0108] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed closer to either the left or right side of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced, compared to when the circulation fan 330 is disposed at the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. In this case, the pressure sensor may be provided to sense pressure at the left or right side to which the circulation fan 330 is closer in the duct body 310, thereby increasing the reliability of sensing.

[0109] The pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion where the inlet provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 extends in an up-down direction. Accordingly, error factors caused by interference from an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0110] The duct body 310 may include an outlet through which air is delivered to the circulation fan provided at the rear. The pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion where the outlet extends in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, error factors caused by interference from an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0111] When the difference between pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a first threshold, the pressure sensor may provide a notification requesting the user to clean the filter. The first threshold may be a range in which foreign substances are accumulated in the filter unit 4 to some extent and filtration performance is reduced, but drying performance and the like may still be guaranteed.

[0112] When it is detected through the pressure sensor that the difference between the pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 has exceeded the first threshold and reached a second threshold, the operation of the drying function may be stopped. The second threshold may be a range in which drying performance and condensation efficiency are excessively reduced such that energy efficiency falls to or below a specific level, or a range in which components are damaged due to idling.

[0113] The pressure sensor may detect the pressure of the drying module 20 or the drying body 10 in addition to the duct body 310.

[0114] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor may be provided to detect the difference between pressures upstream of an evaporator 241 and downstream of a condenser 242 through a third pressure sensor PS3 measuring pressure on the upstream side of the evaporator 241 and a fourth pressure sensor PS4 measuring pressure on the downstream side of the condenser 242. Accordingly, clogging of the heat exchange unit 240 or the filter unit 4 may be detected. Since the pressure value measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 may be replaced by the pressure value downstream of the filter unit 4, it may be replaced by the pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2.

[0115] When the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 exceeds a preset value, it may be determined that the amount of air discharged downstream of the condenser 242 is relatively small compared to the amount of air flowing upstream of the evaporator 241, and thus it may be detected that the heat exchange unit 240 including the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 is clogged.

[0116] When the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 is detected to be less than the preset value, it may be determined that the amount of air flowing upstream of the evaporator 241 itself has decreased, and thus clogging of the filter unit 4 may be detected.

[0117] However, in a case where the pressure sensor measures only the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4, when both the filter unit 4 and the heat exchange unit 240 are clogged, the difference value between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 may be similar to that in a case where neither the filter unit 4 nor the heat exchange unit 240 is clogged. Therefore, it may be clearly detected whether the clogged component is the filter unit 4 or the heat exchange unit 240 by separately detecting the clogging of the filter unit 4 through the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2.

[0118] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a front configuration of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0119] The cabinet 110 forming the exterior of the drying body 10 may include a front panel 111 disposed in front of the drum 150 and side panels 113 extending rearward from both sides of the front panel 111.

[0120] When the duct module 30 is installed inside the cabinet 110, the drying body 10 may further include a cover panel 112 provided to shield the front of the duct body 310.

[0121] The cover panel 112 may be disposed in parallel with the front panel 111 and provided in a width corresponding to the width of the front panel 111.

[0122] The cover panel 112 may be provided to have a height smaller than the height of the front panel 111 and smaller than the width of the cover panel 112.

[0123] The front panel 111 may be provided with a height greater than its width.

[0124] The drying body 10 may further include a control panel 190 on an upper part of the front panel 111 to receive commands for controlling the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure or to display the status of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0125] The drying body 10 may further include a payment device disposed at one side of the control panel 190 to receive payment. The payment device may be provided as an arbitrary payment means capable of receiving coins or processing payments by communicating with cards, smartphones, and the like.

[0126] The front panel 111 may be provided with an opening 1111 that allows the drum 150 to communicate with the outside. The drying body 10 may further include the door 120 for opening and closing the opening 1111. The door 120 may be rotatably coupled to the front panel 111, or a support structure inside the front panel 111 may be rotatably coupled to a hinge coupler 130 to open and close the opening 1111.

[0127] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a door structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 5(a), the door 120 may include an outer frame 121 provided to be larger than the area of the opening 1111 and exposed to the outside, an inner frame 122 coupled to the outer frame 121 to open and close the opening 1111, and a hinge portion 125 disposed between the inner frame and the outer frame to rotate the door 120 with respect to the cabinet 110.

[0129] The inner frame 122 may include a sealing portion 124 that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening 1111 to prevent hot air from leaking out of the opening 1111. The sealing portion 124 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the opening 1111.

[0130] The inner frame 122 and the outer frame 121 may be provided with through-holes through their centers to visually expose the inside of the opening 1111, and the door 120 may further include a glass 123 coupled between the inner frame 122 and the outer frame 121 to shield the through-holes and allow light to pass therethrough.

[0131] The inner frame 122 may be provided with a protrusion on its inner peripheral surface such that at least a portion of the protrusion is inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the opening 1111, and the sealing portion 124 may be made of an elastic material coupled to surround the periphery of the protrusion.

[0132] The inner frame 122 may be further provided with a fixing portion 126 configured to be detachably coupled to a fastening portion or the like provided on the front panel 111.

[0133] The door 120 may further include a handle 127 formed by recessing the outer surface of at least one of the inner frame 122 or the outer frame 121 inward so that it may be grabbed by the user's body.

[0134] For the fixing portion 126 and the fastening portion, configurations such as a conventional hook and hook fastener may be applied.

[0135] However, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, a configuration such as a locker that locks the door 120 to the front panel 111 to block the opening of the door 120 may be omitted. Accordingly, the drying capacity may be further increased by reducing the thicknesses of the front panel 111 and the door 120 and securing a more length for the drum 150.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 5(b), the outer frame 121 may include an outer body 1211 forming its exterior and having a through-hole at a center thereof to expose the glass 123, a coupling protrusion 1213 disposed on the inner surface of the outer body 1211 and coupled to the inner frame 122, and a grounding protrusion 1212 provided to penetrate through to the inner frame 122 so as to be contactable with the front panel 111.

[0137] An elastic material may be coupled to the grounding protrusion 1212 so that even if the door 120 collides with the front panel 111, the door 120 may be prevented from being damaged.

[0138] A plurality of grounding protrusions 1212 and a plurality of coupling protrusions 1213 may be provided.

[0139] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a front structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0140] The front panel 111 may be provided with the opening 1111 formed therethrough, and the opening 1111 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of the door 120.

[0141] The front panel 111 may further include the hinge coupler 130 to which the hinge portion 125 may be coupled at at least one of both sides of the opening 1111.

[0142] A plurality of hinge couplers 130 may be provided and arranged at one side of the opening 1111 to be spaced apart in the up-down direction.

[0143] Further, the hinge couplers 130 may be disposed on both sides of the opening 1111. The door 120 may be coupled to hinge couplers 130 disposed on the left side of the opening 1111 or to hinge couplers 130 disposed on the right side of the opening 1111 as needed. Accordingly, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, a rotation direction in which the door 120 opens and closes the opening 1111 may be selectively determined according to a location where the cabinet 110 is installed.

[0144] The cover panel 112 may be provided below the front panel 111 to be detachable from the front of the duct body 310.

[0145] A lower part of the cover panel 112 may be rotatably coupled to a lower part of the duct body 310 or a bottom panel of the cabinet 110, and an upper part thereof may be detachably coupled to an upper part of the duct body 310 or a lower part of the front panel 111. As a result, even when the cover panel 112 opens the duct body 310, the cover panel 112 may be prevented from being lost.

[0146] The duct body 310 may have a width corresponding to the width of the cabinet 110 so that a large flow may sufficiently move. In addition, a front opening of the duct body 310 may have a width corresponding to the width of the duct body 310, and the filter unit 4 may be detachably provided in the duct body 310. That is, when the cover panel 112 is opened, the filter unit 4 may be exposed to the outside. Therefore, when the cover panel 112 is opened, the filter unit 4 may be provided to be easily withdrawn through the front opening.

[0147] The filter unit 4 may be provided to allow air to pass therethrough and provided in a plate shape.

[0148] The filter unit 4 may be disposed to be inclined with respect to a height direction in the duct body 310. For example, the filter unit 4 may be provided such that an upper end forming an upper part and a lower end forming a lower part of the filter unit 4 are in close contact with the inner surface of the duct body 310, and the upper end may be disposed forward or backward relative to the lower end. As a result, a cross-sectional area of the filter unit 4 through which air passes is much larger than a cross-sectional area of the duct body 310 in the front-rear direction, thereby maximizing filtration performance.

[0149] The filter unit 4 may be disposed inside the duct body 310 such that the upper end is positioned further forward than the lower end. Accordingly, when the cover panel 112 is opened, it is easy for the user to clean foreign substances accumulated on the filter unit 4 that have fallen onto the bottom surface of the duct body 310 due to gravity or vibration caused by the driving of the drum 150. In addition, when the pressure sensor detects clogging of the filter unit 4 and the filter unit 4 is withdrawn through the front opening by opening the cover panel 112 for cleaning or replacement, the amount of foreign substances accumulated on the rear surface of the filter unit 4 is relatively small, thereby increasing convenience of withdrawal and hygiene.

[0150] When the pressure sensor detects clogging of the filter unit 4, the user

[0151] The filter unit 4 may include a frame coupled to an inner peripheral surface of the duct body 310 and a mesh member that shields the internal space of the frame and allows air to pass therethrough while filtering foreign substances.

[0152] The filter unit 4 may be detachably provided inside the duct body 310, and may be inserted into or withdrawn from the front opening of the duct body 310.

[0153] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an internal configuration of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, as viewed from the front.

[0154] The cabinet 110 may include a reinforcing frame 115 for fixing the side panels 113, disposed at one or more of the front and rear of the side panels 113.

[0155] The front panel 111 may be fixedly coupled to the reinforcing frame 115.

[0156] The rotatable drum 150 may be disposed inside the cabinet 110. The drum 150 may be provided with an inlet 1531 communicating with the opening 1111 at the front.

[0157] The drying body 10 may further include a housing 140 accommodated inside the cabinet 110 to accommodate the drum 150.

[0158] Generally, in the case of a household dryer, the drum 150 may be provided in a cylindrical shape without through-holes on its circumferential surface, support plates for rotatably supporting the drum may be formed at the front and rear of the drum 150, and ducts for communicating air with the duct module 30 or the like may be installed on the support plates.

[0159] However, in the case of a commercial dryer, not only are the diameter and length of the drum 150 much larger than those of a household dryer, but there is also a high possibility that a larger amount of clothing will be input into the drum 150 compared to the household dryer.

[0160] Further, when a large amount of clothing is wet in the drum 150, the weight inside the drum 150 is much greater than that of the household dryer. Therefore, it is difficult to stably support the drum 150 with resin-based support plates generally applied to household dryers.

[0161] In addition, a sufficient flow rate should be secured to dry a large amount of clothing accommodated in the drum 150. However, with the resin-based support plates generally applied to household dryers, it is impossible to install a duct through which a corresponding flow may pass. Even if such a duct may be installed, a problem may arise where the front-to-rear length of the cabinet 110 becomes excessively long.

[0162] To improve this, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may accommodate the drum 150 through the housing 140 and stably support the drum 150 from the bottom surface.

[0163] The housing 140 may be made of a metal material to stably support a support 170 that supports the drum 150, and provided in a thickness greater than that of the cabinet 110.

[0164] In addition, the housing 140 may have a cross-sectional area larger than that of the drum 150 and be provided in a duct shape capable of moving air, thereby maximizing the flow rate of hot air supplied into the drum 150.

[0165] In addition, the housing 140 may be configured to receive air from the drying module 20 through the rear and guide the air to the duct module 30 from the front, thereby making it possible to omit the formation of a separate duct at the front of the drum 150 or on the front panel 111.

[0166] Specifically, the housing 140 may include an outlet on the bottom surface supporting at least a portion of the load of the drum 150, for discharging air introduced into the housing 140 to the duct module 30. The width of the outlet may be increased to the maximum up to the width of the bottom surface of the housing, and the width of the outlet in the front-rear direction may be sufficiently extended in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface of the housing. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may supply sufficient air to the housing 140 by securing the area of the outlet.

[0167] In addition, the drum 150 may be provided with discharge holes on a portion of its circumferential surface, so that even if the length of the drum 150 is extended to the front panel 111, air inside the drum 150 may be easily discharged to the outlet. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may secure a sufficient flow rate for drying a large amount of clothing as a commercial dryer.

[0168] Specifically, the housing 140 may be disposed between the cabinet 110 and the drum 130 to form a flow path through which air moves.

[0169] The housing 140 may be provided to accommodate the drum 150 and provided in a duct shape to prevent hot air supplied to the drum 150 from leaking out of the cabinet 110.

[0170] The housing 140 may be provided to open the front and rear of the drum 150, while shielding the drum 150 along a circumferential direction.

[0171] The rear of the housing 140 may communicate with the drying module 20, and the front thereof may be provided to contact the front panel 111. Accordingly, hot air supplied from the drying module 20 may be guided to the front of the drum 150.

[0172] In addition, the housing 140 may be provided to communicate with the duct module 30. To allow hot air supplied from the drying module 20 to sufficiently move to the front of the drum 150, the housing 140 and the duct module 30 may be provided to communicate at a position closer to the front panel than to the rear panel of the cabinet 110.

[0173] The drying body 10 may further include the support 170 rotatably supporting the drum 150 inside the cabinet 110. Accordingly, even when the drum 150 is heavy or contains a large amount of clothing, it may stably rotate inside the cabinet 110 without a vibration or position change equal to greater than a threshold.

[0174] At least a portion of the support 170 may be seated in and supported by the housing 140. To this end, the housing 140 may be fixedly seated on the duct module 30.

[0175] Supports 170 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the housing 140 and the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150, or at both lower sides of the drum 150, respectively.

[0176] The housing 140 may be provided in a shape different from that of the drum 150, as long as it accommodates the drum 150 and may guide hot air to the front of the drum 150.

[0177] For example, while the drum 150 is provided with a circular cross-section in a radial direction, the housing 140 may be provided with a polygonal cross-section in the height direction.

[0178] The hinge coupler 130 may be coupled and fixed to the housing 140.

[0179] Hinge couplers 130 may be coupled to both side surfaces of the housing 140, and by being coupled to the inner surface of the housing 140, they may not interfere with the coupling between the housing 140 and the side panels 113 of the cabinet.

[0180] The housing 140 may be made of a metallic material and provided to support the support 170 and the hinge coupler 130.

[0181] The housing 140 may support the driving unit 160 from the outside of the housing 140.

[0182] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a sealing structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0183] The housing 140 may be provided such that its front is open to facilitate the installation or replacement of the drum 150 inside the housing 140.

[0184] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a sealing unit 180 provided in the drying body 10 to prevent hot air or steam supplied from the drying module 20 from leaking out of the cabinet 110.

[0185] Specifically, the sealing unit 180 may include a front sealer 181 coupled to the housing 140.

[0186] The front sealer 181 may be provided to seal between the front surface of the housing 140 and the inner surface of the front panel 111.

[0187] The front sealer 181 may be coupled along the periphery of the front surface of the housing 140. The front sealer 181 may be provided as an elastic member that is coupled and fixed to a distal end of the front surface of the housing 140.

[0188] The front sealer 181 may be provided to be contactable with the inner surface of the front panel 111.

[0189] The front surface of the housing 140 may be provided to have an area larger than the diameter of the drum 150 and the diameter of the opening 1111. Accordingly, the front sealer 181 may be disposed outside the opening 1111 and the drum 150.

[0190] In addition, since the housing 140 is a component fixed inside the cabinet 110, the front sealer 181 may maintain the housing 140 in the fixed state, when coupled to the housing 140. Therefore, the front sealer 181 may exert higher sealing performance than if it were coupled to a moving object such as the drum.

[0191] Since the front sealer 181 is disposed along the front periphery of the housing 140, components such as the support 170 and the hinge coupler 130 may be disposed inside the front sealer 181.

[0192] The duct module 30 may be disposed outside the front sealer 181.

[0193] The front sealer 181 may prevent hot air from leaking between the outside of the housing 140 and the inner surface of the cabinet 110, while the inside of the housing 140 communicates with the drying module 20 so that hot air moves.

[0194] FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of an arrangement position of the driving unit of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0195] The driving unit 160 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be seated on and supported by the top of the housing 140. The housing 140 may be made of a metallic material to stably support the driving unit 160.

[0196] The driving unit 160 may be provided as a belt / pulley type to rotate the drum 150. Therefore, when the driving unit 160 is disposed above the drum 150, a belt wound around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150 may also provide a force for supporting the drum 150.

[0197] Accordingly, even if a large amount of clothing or high-weight clothing is input in a wet state into the drum 150, the drum 150 may stably rotate inside the housing 140.

[0198] In addition, the tension of a belt connecting the driving unit 160 and the drum 150 may be stably maintained by the load of the drum 150 even as time elapses.

[0199] Specifically, the driving unit 160 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a driving motor 161 providing power to rotate the drum 150, a belt 162 provided to be rotated by the driving motor 161 and contacting the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150, and fixing portions 163 and 164 for fixing the driving motor 161 to the top of the housing 140.

[0200] The fixing portions 163 and 164 may include a front fixing portion 163 disposed in front of the driving motor 161 and seated on the top surface of the housing 140, and a rear fixing portion 164 disposed behind the driving motor 161 to face the front fixing portion 163.

[0201] The front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 may also serve to fix both side panels 113 of the cabinet.

[0202] The driving unit 160 may further include a swing portion 165 coupled to the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 to support the driving motor 161. The swing portion 165 may be provided such that its one side is rotatably coupled to the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 in the height direction, and its other side supports the driving motor 161. Accordingly, when the drum 150 vibrates or its position slightly varies during rotation, the swing portion 165 may reciprocate accordingly, thereby preventing excessive shock from being transmitted to the driving motor 161 and sudden changes in the tension of the belt 161.

[0203] The top surface of the housing 140 is spaced downward from a top panel of the cabinet to secure a space where the driving unit 160 may be installed.

[0204] That is, while the bottom and both side surfaces of the housing 140 may be provided in a flat plate shape, the top surface of the housing 140 may be provided in a polygonal shape such as a trapezoid.

[0205] For example, the housing 140 may be provided such that both sides are lower than a central portion according to the shape of the drum 150, thereby securing a space for installing the driving unit 160 between the drum 150 and the cabinet 110.

[0206] The housing 140 may include a top surface 143 disposed above the drum 150 to support the driving unit 160.

[0207] The top surface 143 may include inclined surfaces 1431 extending from the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110 toward above the drum 150 such that their heights increase.

[0208] The inclined surfaces 1431 are provided such that their heights decrease as they extend from a central portion of the drum 150 toward the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110, thereby securing a space for installing the driving unit 160 at both upper ends of the drum 150.

[0209] In addition, the top surface 143 may include an extension surface 1432 extending from top ends of the inclined surfaces 1431 toward above the drum 150 such that its height is maintained.

[0210] The inclined surfaces 1431 and the extension surface 1432 may be provided as flat plates without curves. Accordingly, even if a portion with a varying height is provided on the top surface 143, the occurrence of an area where residual stress is concentrated may be prevented.

[0211] Due to the extension surface 1432, the inclined surfaces 1431 are prevented from being excessively extended or having excessively high top ends, and the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 may be stably supported with left-right balance.

[0212] The inclined surfaces 1431 may be provided to extend from both ends of the extension surface 1432 toward the side panels 113 such that their heights decrease, and may be formed symmetrically with respect to the extension surface 1432.

[0213] The housing 140 may further include a bottom surface 141 supporting the support 170 and disposed on the duct module 30, and both side surfaces 142 extending upward from both sides of the bottom surface 141 to face the side panels 113 and be fixed to the side panels 113. The top surface 143 may be provided to connect both of the side surfaces 142 to each other.

[0214] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a rear structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0215] The drying module 10 may further include a rear support unit 172 on the rear surface thereof to rotatably support the drum 150.

[0216] The rear support unit 172 may form a center of rotation about which the drum 150 rotates, and may function as a rotation axis of the drum 150.

[0217] The rear support unit 172 may be coupled and fixed to a rear panel 114 forming the rear surface of the cabinet 110.

[0218] The rear panel 114 may be coupled and fixed to both of the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110 and the rear surface of the housing 140.

[0219] The rear support unit 172 may include a rotation shaft 1721 coupled to the rear center of rotation of the drum 150, and a bracket 1722 fixing the rotation shaft 1721 to the rear panel 114.

[0220] The sealing unit 180 may further include a rear sealer 182 that seals between the rear surface of the drum 150 and the rear panel 114.

[0221] The bracket 1722 may be fixed to the inner surface of the rear panel 114 and made of a metallic material having a greater rigidity or greater thickness than the rear panel 114. The rotation shaft 1721 may have one end rotatably coupled to the bracket 1722 and the other end coupled to the drum 150 so as to rotate integrally with the drum 150.

[0222] The rotation shaft 1721 may serve to rotatably support the drum 150, and the power for directly rotating the drum 150 may be provided by the driving unit 160. As a result, a separate component of the driving unit 160 is not provided between the rear of the drum 150 and the rear panel 114, thereby allowing for a larger volume of the drum 150 to be secured and further reducing the distance between the drying module 20 and the drum 150.

[0223] The driving unit 160 may be disposed closer to the rear of the drum 150 than to the front of the drum 150. Specifically, the driving unit 160 may be disposed closer to the rear panel 114 than to the front panel 111. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the driving unit 160 from interfering with discharge holes provided in the drum 150, which will be described later.

[0224] FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of a drum structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0225] The housing 140 may be provided in a case shape that is open at the front to accommodate the drum 150.

[0226] The housing 140 may also be provided such that the rear is open. For example, the housing 140 may include the bottom surface 141, the two side surfaces 142, and the top surface 143.

[0227] The rear surface of the housing 140 may serve as an inlet through which air from the drying module 20 is introduced. In addition, a through-hole provided through the bottom surface 141 of the housing 140 may be provided as an outlet 1411 for discharging air to the duct module 30.

[0228] The outlet 1411 may be provided in a slit shape passing through the bottom surface 141 longer in the width direction than in the front-rear direction.

[0229] The drum 150 may be inserted from the front of the housing 140 and coupled to the rear support unit 172 coupled to the rear panel 114.

[0230] The drum 150 may include a drum body 151 provided in a cylindrical shape to provide a space for accommodating laundry.

[0231] The drum 150 may further include a front body 153 coupled to the front of the drum body 151 to maintain the shape of the drum body 151 and prevent laundry from being arbitrarily discharged from the drum body 151.

[0232] The front body 153 may be provided in a ring shape to form an inlet 1531 at a center through which the laundry is put in.

[0233] The drum 150 may include a lifter 156 coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 151 to lift and lower the laundry, and may further include a drum rear surface coupled to the rear of the drum body 151 and fixed to the rear support unit 172.

[0234] The drum 150 may further include discharge holes 154 through which hot air may move through the drum body 151.

[0235] A plurality of the discharge holes 154 may be provided along the circumference of the drum body 151. The discharge holes 154 may be disposed more toward the front than the rear of the drum body 151. Accordingly, hot air introduced into the drum body 151 may move as far as possible to the front of the drum body 151 to dry more laundry.

[0236] The outlet 1411 may be disposed more toward the front of the bottom surface 141 than the rear thereof. The discharge holes 154 may be disposed in an area facing the outlet 1411. The discharge holes 154 may be provided to be much longer than the width of the outlet 1411 in the front-rear direction. However, at least some of the discharge holes 154 may be disposed more toward the front of the drum body 151 than the rear thereof so as to overlap the outlet 1411 in the height direction. Accordingly, air introduced into the drum body 151 may be discharged while moving as close as possible to the outlet 1411.

[0237] The discharge holes 154 and the outlet 1411 may serve as a flow path through which air may move. The discharge holes 154 may be provided in a length corresponding to the diameter of the drum 150, and the outlet 1411 may be provided in a width corresponding to the width of the bottom surface 141. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may omit a separate duct structure disposed in front of the drum 150 to guide air discharged from the drum 150 to the duct module 30, and may sufficiently secure a drying capacity suitable for a commercial dryer by extending the length of the drum 150 as much as possible while preventing the length of the cabinet 110 in the front-rear direction from being excessively increased.

[0238] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of a drum rear structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0239] The drum 150 may include a rear body 152 coupled to the rear of the drum body 151 to form the rear surface of the drum 150. The rear body 152 may be provided in a disk shape to be coupled to the rear circumferential surface of the drum body 151.

[0240] The rear body 152 may prevent the laundry from escaping from the rear of the drum 150 and allow the drum 150 to rotate about the rotation shaft 1721.

[0241] The rear body 152 may be provided to face an exit through which hot air is discharged from the drying module 20.

[0242] The drum 150 may include a plurality of inlet holes 155 passing through the rear body 152 to introduce hot air into the drum body 151.

[0243] A coupler 157, which faces the rotation shaft 1721 and forms the center of rotation of the drum, may be disposed at the center of the rear body 152. The inlet holes 155 may be disposed between the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 and the outer circumferential surface of the coupler 157.

[0244] The rear body 152 may further include a plurality of radial ribs extending from the coupler 157 toward the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152, and the inlet holes 155 may be formed between the radial ribs. The rigidity of the rear body 152 may be further reinforced by the radial ribs.

[0245] The inlet holes 155 may be formed in an area recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 toward the drum body 151. The lifter 156 may be fixed such that its rear end is coupled to the front of the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 and its other end is coupled to the rear surface of the front body 153.

[0246] The drum 150 may further include at least one of a bushing portion 158 for reinforcing the rigidity of the coupler 157 or a shaft coupling portion 159 coupled to the bushing portion 158 to fix the rotation shaft 1721.

[0247] The bushing portion 158 may be made of a material that is thicker than the coupler 157 or has a higher strength than the coupler 157 to stably support the rotation shaft 1721.

[0248] The shaft coupling portion 159 may be coupled to a free end of the rotation shaft 1721 and provided in a disk shape having a diameter larger than the diameter of the rotation shaft 1721. The shaft coupling portion 159 may be coupled to the bushing portion 158 over an area wider than the rotation shaft 1721, thereby preventing the rotation shaft 1721 from being detached or separated from the drum 150 even if an excessive load is applied to the rotation shaft 1721.

[0249] The shaft coupling portion 159 may also be made of a material that is thicker than the coupler 157 or has a higher strength than the coupler 157. The diameter of the shaft coupling portion 159 may be smaller than the diameter of the bushing portion 158.

[0250] Due to the bushing portion 158 and the shaft coupling portion 159, the rear body 152 may be made of a relatively thin and lightweight material, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the drum 150 and lowering the load on the driving unit 160 by reducing the moment of inertia for rotating the drum 150.

[0251] The rear body 152 may be bent backward from its inner circumferential surface to secure an area or space where the rear sealer 182 may be seated.

[0252] The rear sealer 182 may be provided to surround the outermost periphery of the inlet holes 155 and disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152. The entire area of the exit of the drying module 20 may be disposed inside the rear sealer 182, and the rear sealer 182 may guide all of the supplied hot air to the inlet holes 155.

[0253] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the duct module of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0254] The duct module 30 may include the duct body 310 in which the filter unit 4 may be seated, the fan container 320 disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 to suck air using negative pressure, and the blowing fan 330 seated in the fan container 320 to generate the negative pressure.

[0255] The duct body 310 may be provided to provide a space therein through which air discharged from the housing 140 moves. The duct body 310 may be provided in a case shape, or may be provided as a combination of frames forming a rectangular parallelepiped and shielded by a plate covering the frames.

[0256] The duct body 310 may be made of a high-strength metallic material to support the drying body 10.

[0257] The fan container 320 may be seated in the duct body 310, or the fan container 320 may be disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 and disposed further back than the filter unit 4.

[0258] The fan container 320 may form a flow path that receives air from the front and discharges it to the rear. A fan fixing portion 340 for fixing the circulation fan 330 to the fan container 320 may be further included at the front of the fan container 320. Accordingly, even if the front of the fan container 320 is opened wider than the diameter of the circulation fan 330, the fan fixing portion 340 may prevent the circulation fan 330 from being detached from the fan container 320 and protect the circulation fan 330 from external shocks or foreign substances.

[0259] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed closer to the left or right side of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. This may reduce the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow, compared to when the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320.

[0260] The duct module 30 may further include a partition panel 313 disposed in front of the fan container 320 in the duct body 310 to partition the duct body 310 in the front-rear direction.

[0261] The partition panel 313 may be provided to shield an area of an open portion of the fan container 320 excluding an inlet area, and fix the fan container 320 within the duct body 310.

[0262] The fan fixing portion 340 may be coupled and fixed to the partition panel 313. The fan fixing portion 340 may be disposed to face the circulation fan 330, and an area of the fan fixing portion 340 facing the center of the circulation fan 330 may be perforated to serve as an inlet through which air is introduced into the fan container 320.

[0263] FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of installing the circulation fan in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0264] Referring to FIG. 14(a), the fan container 320 may include a seating portion 321 having a space in which the circulation fan 330 is installed and into which air introduced into the duct body 310 is sucked, and a connection portion 322 extending to the rear of the seating portion 321 or disposed at the rear of the seating portion 321 to form a flow path for delivering air discharged by the circulation fan 330 to the drying module 20.

[0265] The seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 may be made of a material that may be manufactured by a foaming method. Accordingly, even if the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are provided in complex structures to form flow paths therein, they may be manufactured to be thicker than when manufactured from metal or resin-based materials. As a result, even if the circulation fan 330 is large enough to generate a large flow, the fan container 320 may absorb noise, durability of the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 against a high flow velocity may be secured, and the overall weight of the fan container 320 may be significantly reduced.

[0266] In addition, a material that may be manufactured by the foaming method generally has a very low thermal conductivity. Therefore, even if the fan container 320 is large in volume and high-temperature hot air moves inside it, a heat loss rate may be significantly reduced compared to when manufactured from metal or resin-based materials.

[0267] The seating portion 321 may have an open surface formed at the front through which air is introduced and moves. The seating portion 321 may have a space for accommodating the circulation fan 330 on one side thereof, and a flow path for guiding air supplied from the circulation fan 330 in the width direction of the duct body 310 on the other side thereof.

[0268] The partition panel 313 may be coupled to the front of the seating portion 321 and provided to shield a portion of the open surface of the seating portion 321 excluding a protective panel.

[0269] The connection portion 322 may be disposed at the rear of the other side of the seating portion 321 and extend to the front of the drying module 20. The connection portion 322 may have a flow path therein through which air moves, and an outlet through which air is discharged on the rear surface thereof.

[0270] The connection portion 322 may be provided separately from the seating portion 321 and coupled and fixed to the rear of the seating portion 321 through a press-fit method or a fastening member. Thus, even if the extension directions of flow paths formed inside the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are different from each other, they may be manufactured by a foaming method without difficulty.

[0271] The circulation fan 330 may include an impeller 331 that generates power to move air, and a fan motor 332 coupled to the impeller 331 to rotate the impeller 331.

[0272] Referring to FIG. 14(b), the circulation fan 330 may be coupled to and supported by at least one of the seating portion 321 or the connection portion 322. In this case, when the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are made of a foam-moldable material rather than metal or resin-based materials, the rigidity for supporting the circulation fan 330 may be insufficient.

[0273] To this end, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include the fan fixing portion 340 coupled to the fan container 320 to fix an installation position of the circulation fan 330.

[0274] The fan fixing portion 340 may be made of a material having a higher strength than a foam material.

[0275] For example, the fan fixing portion 340 may include a fixing plate 341 provided in the shape of a metal plate that may be seated on a second body 312 and extend upward to be fixed.

[0276] The impeller 331 may be disposed in front of the fixing plate 341 and positioned inside the fan container 320, and the fan motor 332 may be disposed behind the fixing plate 341 and positioned outside the fan container 320.

[0277] The fixing plate 341 may further include a through-hole through which the fan motor 332 may pass. Accordingly, the circulation fan 330 may be coupled to the fixing plate 341 by inserting the fan motor through the through-hole of the fixing plate 341.

[0278] The fan fixing portion 340 may further include a seating plate 342 disposed between the fan motor 332 and the impeller 331 and coupled to the fixing plate. The seating plate 342 may be provided to shield the through-hole and fix the circulation fan 330 to the fixing plate 341.

[0279] FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment of the exterior of the drying module 20.

[0280] Referring to FIG. 15(a), the drying module 20 may include a case 210 disposed at the rear of the drying body 10 and the duct module 30. The case 210 may be disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110.

[0281] The case 210 may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and have a height equal to or smaller than the overall height of the cabinet 110.

[0282] Referring to FIG. 15(b), the case 210 may include the flow path forming unit 220 forming a flow path for receiving air from the duct module 30 and supplying it to the drying body 10, and an auxiliary flow path unit 230 disposed at one side of the flow path forming unit 220 to form a flow path through which the case 210 communicates with external air. The flow path forming unit 220 and the auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be partitioned from each other so that air does not move between them.

[0283] A plurality of heat exchangers for dehumidifying and heating air may be installed inside the flow path forming unit 220, and electrical components such as a compressor for supplying refrigerant to the heat exchangers for heat exchange with air may be installed in the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0284] The flow path forming unit 220 may be provided inside the case 210 to communicate with the duct module 30 and the housing 140 or the drum 150 of the drying body 10, thereby forming a flow path through which air from the drum 150 is circulated.

[0285] The flow path forming unit 220 may be formed to extend in the height direction inside the case 210.

[0286] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be disposed at one side of the flow path forming unit 220.

[0287] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be provided in a height corresponding to the height of the flow path forming unit 220, but in a width smaller than the width of the flow path forming unit 220. Accordingly, a sufficient flow rate flowing through the flow path forming unit 220 may be secured.

[0288] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be separated from the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 and provided to communicate only with external air. Accordingly, the auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be blocked from being heated by hot air or exposed to foreign substances discharged from the drum 150. As a result, electrical components may be installed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 and operate stably.

[0289] The flow path forming unit 220 may be provided in a duct shape disposed inside the case 210 so that air may flow therethrough.

[0290] However, to simplify the configuration of the drying module 20 and reduce the weight of the drying module 20, the flow path forming unit 220 may be automatically formed by the configuration of the case 210. For example, the flow path forming unit 220 may be automatically formed through the arrangement of a front panel 219 forming the front surface of the case 210, a rear panel 212, a partition panel 218, and side panels 211.

[0291] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be automatically formed through the arrangement of the front panel 219, an auxiliary panel 214, the partition panel 218, and the side panels 211.

[0292] The auxiliary panel 214 may include a plurality of through-holes formed in the height direction so as to communicate with external air.

[0293] Referring back to FIG. 15(a), the case 210 may include the side panels 211 forming both sides and the rear panel 212 coupled to the side panels 211 to form the rear of the case 210.

[0294] The rear panel 212 may be provided to form the rear surface of the flow path forming unit 220 and to block the flow path forming unit 220 from being exposed to the outside. In this case, the case 210 may further include the auxiliary panel 214 disposed at one side of the rear panel 212 to form the rear surface of the auxiliary flow path unit 230 and to block the auxiliary flow path unit 230 from being exposed to the outside.

[0295] The auxiliary panel 214 and the rear panel 212 may form the rear surface of the case.

[0296] The case 210 may further include a detachable panel 213 detachably provided on the rear panel 212 to expose the internal heat exchangers to the outside. Accordingly, even without separating the entire rear panel 212 from the case 210, only the detachable panel 213 may be separated from the rear panel 212 to clean, repair, or replace the heat exchangers.

[0297] The rear panel 212 may be provided with a perforated area on the rear surface where the heat exchangers are installed, and the detachable panel 213 may be detachably coupled to the perforated area of the rear panel 212.

[0298] FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of an internal configuration of the drying module.

[0299] FIG. 16(a) illustrates the internal configuration of the case 210 in the drying module, as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 16(b) illustrates the internal configuration of the case 210 in the drying module, as viewed from the front.

[0300] Referring to FIG. 16(a), the drying module 20 may include the heat exchange unit 240 seated inside the case 210 to generate hot air by dehumidifying and heating air supplied from the duct module 30.

[0301] The heat exchange unit 240 may include the evaporator 241 disposed in the flow path forming unit 220 to cool the air supplied from the duct module 20, and the condenser 242 to heat the air that has passed through the evaporator 241.

[0302] The evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 may be disposed inside the flow path forming unit 220 and arranged in a vertical direction within the flow path forming unit 220. The condenser 242 may be spaced apart from and disposed above the evaporator 241.

[0303] The heat exchange unit 240 may further include a compressor 243 that receives refrigerant from the evaporator 241, heats it, and delivers it to the condenser 242, and an expansion valve 244 that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 to reduce the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The compressor 243 and the expansion valve 244 may be disposed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be separated from the flow path forming unit 220.

[0304] The heat exchange unit 240 may further include an auxiliary heat exchanger 245 connected to the condenser 241 and the evaporator 242 to exchange heat between the refrigerant and external air, and a switching valve 246 for selecting whether the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 241 is to be supplied to either the expansion valve 244 or the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0305] The auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may also be disposed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be separated from the flow path forming unit 220.

[0306] The auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may be disposed above the compressor 243, and the compressor 243 may be seated on the bottom surface of the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0307] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may further include an auxiliary fan 231 that induces external air to come into contact with the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0308] The auxiliary fan 231 may be disposed above the auxiliary heat exchanger 245. Accordingly, when the auxiliary fan 231 is driven, the external air may cool the compressor 243 while moving to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0309] The drying module 20 may further include a control panel 232 that provides commands to perform a drying cycle by controlling at least one of the auxiliary fan 231, the compressor 243, the expansion valve 244, or the switching valve 246. The control panel 232 may be installed in the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be prevented from being exposed to hot air passing through the flow path forming unit 220. The control panel 232 may be disposed in a plate shape facing either the front or the rear of the auxiliary flow path unit 230. Accordingly, when the auxiliary fan 231 is driven, the control panel 232 may also be cooled by external air and prevented from obstructing the movement of the external air supplied to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 in the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0310] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may further include an auxiliary partition plate 233 that blocks air passing through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 from approaching the control panel 232. The auxiliary partition plate 233 may be disposed between the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the control panel 232 and extend to an area where the auxiliary fan 231 is disposed.

[0311] Referring to FIG. 16(b), the front panel 219 forming the front of the flow path forming unit 230 may be disposed at the front of the flow path forming unit 230 and disposed spaced apart from the front of the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0312] Alternatively, the case 210 may further include an additional panel 219 forming the front surface of the flow path forming unit 230 by connecting the partition panel 218 and a side panels 211 at the rear of the front panel 219.

[0313] While the following description is given based on an embodiment including the additional panel 219, the same may be applied to an embodiment including only the front panel 219.

[0314] The additional panel 219 may include an inlet 215 disposed at a lower portion of the flow path forming unit 220 through which air that has passed through the duct module 30 is introduced, and an outlet 216 disposed above the inlet 215 through which air that has passed through the condenser 242 is discharged.

[0315] The inlet 215 may be disposed at a position facing the fan container 320 below the evaporator 241, and the outlet 216 may be disposed at a position facing the interior of the housing 140 or the rear body 152 of the drum 150 on the rear panel 114 of the cabinet 110.

[0316] Accordingly, air discharged from the outlet of the connection portion 322 may be introduced through the inlet 215, rise by the power of the circulation fan 330, sequentially passes through the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 to be dehumidified and heated, and then be discharged through the outlet 216 into the housing 140 and the drum 150.

[0317] As air is cooled, moisture may be condensed in the evaporator 241, and the condensed water may drop from the evaporator 241 and be collected on the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220.

[0318] The drying module 20 may include a drainage unit 250 communicating with the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220 to discharge the condensed water.

[0319] The drainage unit 250 may include a drainage body 251 disposed on the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220 to collect water, and a drainage pipe 254 extending from a lower portion of the drainage body 251 to the outside of the case 210 to discharge water. The drainage unit 250 may prevent the water condensed in the flow path forming unit 220 from re-evaporating and re-entering the drum 150, and prevent the interior of the flow path forming unit 220 from decaying.

[0320] The drying module 20 may further include a cleaner capable of spraying water onto the evaporator 241 to wash away foreign substances or residual bacteria accumulated on the evaporator 241, and a water supply 260 for supplying water to the cleaner.

[0321] The cleaner may be provided to spray water toward the evaporator 241 from below the evaporator 241. Additionally, the evaporator 241 may be disposed to be inclined, which may not only increase a heat exchange area to improve drying performance but also guide the water sprayed from the cleaner to move along a surface of the evaporator 241 to wash away foreign substances.

[0322] The drainage unit 250 may discharge all of the water sprayed from the cleaner and the foreign substances separated from the evaporator 241 to the outside of the drying module 20.

[0323] The water supply 260 may also use water condensed in the evaporator 241.

[0324] Alternatively, the water supply 260 may be provided to receive direct water from an external water source and supply it to the cleaner.

[0325] The water supply 260 may include a water supply valve 261 communicating with an external water source, and a water supply pipe 262 connected from the water supply valve 261 to the cleaner to supply the water to the cleaner.

[0326] The control panel 280 may also be provided to control the water supply valve 261.

[0327] FIG. 17 is a simplified diagram illustrating a structure in which the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is installed.

[0328] FIG. 17 illustrates a state in which the switching valve 246 uses the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as an evaporator. However, the switching valve 246 may change a flow path state to a state in which the auxiliary heat exchanger is used as a condenser.

[0329] Using the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as an evaporator may correspond to a state in which the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 passes through the switching valve 246 and the expansion valve 244 and is then guided to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245. Using the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as a condenser may correspond to a state in which the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 is guided directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 via the switching valve 246.

[0330] Since the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is provided as a commercial dryer, there is a need to quickly dry a large amount of laundry. To this end, it may be considered for the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure to further increase the cross-sectional area of the evaporator 241 to quickly supply hot air from the beginning of a drying cycle, and to further increase the cross-sectional area of the condenser 242 to supply high-temperature hot air during the middle and end of the drying cycle.

[0331] However, when the areas of the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 are excessively increased, the volume of the drying module 20 may be excessively increased.

[0332] Moreover, while an increase in the area of the evaporator 241 may initially help in heating the compressor 243, if the compressor 243 operates normally, an excessive amount of heat may be supplied to the compressor 243, potentially overheating the compressor 243.

[0333] In addition, while an increase in the area of the condenser 242 may help to quickly supply sufficient hot air at the beginning of a drying cycle, if the compressor 243 operates normally, an excessive amount of heat may be supplied into the drum 150, which may damage laundry and collectively increase temperature across an entire circulation flow path, leading to a decrease in a coefficient of performance.

[0334] To address this, the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may be further disposed in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, so that the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 may be converted and used as either the evaporator 241 or the condenser 242 as needed.

[0335] For example, at the beginning of the drying cycle, the control panel 280 may control the switching valve 246 to use the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as the evaporator 241. Specifically, the switching valve 246 may guide the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 242 to the expansion valve 244, and the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 244 may pass through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and then flow into the evaporator 241.

[0336] In this process, the refrigerant may absorb heat from external air in the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and then flow back into the evaporator 241 to absorb heat from air flowing through the flow path forming unit 220. As a result, the energy of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 243 may increase further, allowing the compressor 243 to operate normally and shortening a time required to increase the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0337] When the compressor 243 operates normally, such as during the middle or end of the drying cycle, the control panel 280 may control the switching valve 246 to use the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as the condenser 242. Specifically, the switching valve 246 may guide the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 242 directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245, and the refrigerant that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 may flow into the evaporator 241 after passing through the expansion valve 244.

[0338] In this process, the refrigerant may heat air flowing through the flow path forming unit 220 by discharging heat in the condenser 242, and then move to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 to discharge some of the remaining heat back to external air. Accordingly, the refrigerant, in a state where its enthalpy has significantly dropped, may be lowered to a sufficient temperature and pressure while passing through the expansion valve 244 and then introduced into the evaporator 241. As a result, it is possible to prevent the heat exchange unit 240 from overheating and to prevent the coefficient of performance from decreasing by ensuring a larger temperature difference between the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242.

[0339] FIG. 18 illustrates an example of the duct module 30.

[0340] The duct module 30 may include the duct body 310 provided with an inlet 315 for receiving air from the drum 150 and an outlet 316 for discharging the air received from the inlet 315, the circulation fan 330 disposed to communicate with the outlet 316 to move the air in the duct module 310, and the fan container 320 providing a space in which the circulation fan 330 is seated.

[0341] The inlet 315 and the outlet 316 may be provided regardless of their locations, such as on the top surface, bottom surface, or side surfaces of the duct body 310, and the flow of air moved through the duct body 310 may extend in one direction, have its direction changed at least once, or recirculate.

[0342] The inlet 315 may be positioned to receive air from the drum 150 in a first direction, and the outlet 316 may be positioned to discharge the air received from the inlet 315 in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0343] The duct body 310 may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with the inlet 315 provided on a first surface and the outlet 316 provided on a second surface that shares one corner with the first surface.

[0344] The duct body 310 may include an opening 350 therein. The opening 350 may serve as a communication port through which air received from the drum 150 flows into the inlet 315 and is discharged through the outlet 316.

[0345] It is sufficient for the opening 350 to be provided so as to cross the flow cross-section of air moving through the duct body 310, and a plurality of openings may be provided.

[0346] Air discharged from the drum 150 and delivered to the duct module 30 may contain foreign substances such as lint discharged from clothing. To prevent air containing foreign substances from being delivered to the drying module 20 and lowering the coefficient of performance of the heat exchange unit 240 or deteriorating hygiene, the filter unit 4 for filtering air, which will be described later, may be provided in the opening 350.

[0347] A plurality of the filter units 4 may be formed in the duct body 310 and have the same or different structures.

[0348] FIG. 19 is an exploded view illustrating a first filter 4a as an embodiment of the filter unit 4.

[0349] The first filter 4a may be used for the purpose of filtering air not only in the clothing treatment device 1 having the above-described structure but also in any product including a duct forming a flow path through which air moves.

[0350] The first filter 4a may be provided to include a frame unit F formed along the periphery of the opening 350, a mesh screen 41 with edges fixed by the frame unit F to filter air, and a shape retainer 44 inserted into the frame unit F to maintain the shape of the frame F.

[0351] The frame unit F may include an inner frame 6 formed along the periphery of the opening 350 and fixed to the duct module 30, and an outer frame 5 coupled to the inner frame 6 and exposed toward the outside of the duct module 30.

[0352] The shape retainer 44 may be provided to extend along the periphery of the opening 350 and be interposed between the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5.

[0353] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having a higher rigidity than at least one of the inner frame 6 or the outer frame 5 to prevent deformation of the frame unit F.

[0354] The mesh screen 41 may provide tension toward the inside of the frame unit F in response to a tensile force pulling its edges by the frame unit F. Accordingly, a torsional moment may be generated in the frame unit F due to the tension of the mesh screen 41. The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having a torsional rigidity or higher that may resist the torsional moment generated in the frame unit F, thereby preventing twisting of the frame unit F.

[0355] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of the frame unit F, and FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing process of the frame unit F. The manufacturing process of the frame unit F will be described below with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21.

[0356] The frame unit F may be manufactured by a manufacturing method including an extrusion step S1 of continuously extruding a product with a constant cross-section by heating a material forming the frame unit F at a high temperature, a cutting step S2 of cutting the material that has undergone the extrusion step S1 to fit the length of each side of the opening 350, and a fusion step S3 of connecting the ends of the material that has undergone the cutting step S2 by heating and thermal fusion to correspond to the shape of the opening 350.

[0357] Therefore, since the frame unit F in the form of a closed curve formed along the periphery of the opening 350 is not integrally produced by injection molding or the like, initial mold manufacturing costs are reduced and the range of material selection for the frame unit F is expanded.

[0358] In addition, since it is processed using only compressive and shear stresses, the degree of freedom in shape is improved when a cross-section for fixing the shape retainer 44 and / or the mesh screen 41 is formed inside the frame unit F.

[0359] A fusion line L1 may be generated on the frame unit F by fusion of the ends of each material. The fusion line L1 may not be clearly visually distinguished.

[0360] The fusion line L1 may be identified by the use of a polymerizing agent different from the material forming the frame unit F during the fusion process.

[0361] It is sufficient for the fusion line L1 to be distinguished from other portions in physical or chemical shape, structure, or physical properties by deformation of the ends of the material that has undergone the extrusion step S1 and the cutting step S2 due to physical forces such as heat. The fusion line L1 is sufficient as long as it may be recognized by a person skilled in the art as a feature caused by fusion.

[0362] The inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 may be manufactured separately with different cross-sections or materials.

[0363] FIG. 20(a) illustrates a method for manufacturing the outer frame 5, and FIG. 20(b) illustrates a method for manufacturing the inner frame 6.

[0364] The outer frame 5 may be manufactured in a manufacturing method including an outer frame extrusion step S1a, an outer frame cutting step S2a of cutting a material that has undergone the outer frame extrusion step S1a, and an outer frame fusion step S3a of heating and thermally fusing ends of the material.

[0365] An outer frame fusion line L11 may be formed on the outer frame 5 by the outer frame fusion step S3a.

[0366] A coupling magnet 42 generating a magnetic force may be accommodated inside the inner frame 6, and at least a portion of the duct module 30 may be provided as a magnetic body capable of being coupled to the coupling magnet 42, so that the inner frame 6 may be detachably fixed to the duct module 30.

[0367] Since the coupling magnet 42 may be accommodated in the inner frame 6, it may be manufactured as follows.

[0368] The inner frame 6 may be manufactured in a manufacturing method including an inner frame extrusion step S1b, an inner frame cutting step S2b of cutting a material that has undergone the inner frame extrusion step S1b, an insertion step S25 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated in the cut material, and an inner frame fusion step S3b of heating and thermally fusing ends of the material in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated.

[0369] That is, in the case of an attachment object such as the inner frame 6, since the coupling magnet 42 should be accommodated inside it, the insertion step S25 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated may be further included after the cutting step S2.

[0370] In order to prevent the separation of the coupling magnet 42 and ensure its attachment reliability, it is preferable that the coupling magnet 42 is inserted into a coupling magnet accommodation groove 62, which will be described later, separately formed inside the inner frame 6. Therefore, the insertion step S25 may be performed after the cutting step S2 and before the fusion step S3.

[0371] An inner frame fusion line L12 may be formed on the inner frame 6 by the inner frame fusion step S3b.

[0372] FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to an extrusion direction of the outer frame 5 (hereinafter, a cross-section), and FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to an extrusion direction of the inner frame 6 (hereinafter, a cross-section). The characteristics of the cross-sections of the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6 will be described below.

[0373] Concave-convex portions 51 and 61 may be formed to protrude or be recessed from contact surfaces where the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 face each other for coupling, and the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 may be coupled to each other by fitting the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 with each other.

[0374] At least one of the inner frame 6 or the outer frame 5 may be provided with shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 in which the shape retainer 44 is accommodated.

[0375] The edges of the mesh screen 41 may be fixed to the frame unit F by a pressing force generated by the fitting of the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 and the coupling of the shape retainer 44 and the frame unit F.

[0376] The concave-convex portions may include a first concave-convex portion 61 protruding from a surface of the inner frame 6 facing the outer frame 5, and a second concave-convex portion 51 recessed in a surface of the outer frame 5 facing the inner frame 6 to fit with the first concave-convex portion 61.

[0377] As the first concave-convex portion 61 is provided in a protruding shape, the degree of freedom for the position and shape of the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 may be increased.

[0378] The inner frame 6 may be disposed relatively downstream of air flowing through the duct module 30, compared to the outer frame 5.

[0379] The mesh screen 41 may apply an external force to the frame unit F in a downstream direction due to the air flow. In this case, when the first concave-convex portion 61 is provided in a protruding shape and the second concave-convex portion 51 is provided in a recessed shape, a force with which the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 support the mesh screen 41 in an upstream direction may be increased. Accordingly, the mesh screen 41 may be stably fixed to the frame unit F without excessive elongation.

[0380] The concave-convex portions 51 and 61 may include a plurality of protrusions protruding from a contact surface and a plurality of recesses fitting with the plurality of protrusions. The plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses may be arranged in a row along a direction crossing the extrusion (extension) direction of the frame unit F. The ease of manufacturing the frame unit F may be improved.

[0381] Preferably, on each side of the frame unit F, the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses may be arranged in a row from an inner side toward an outer side of the frame. Accordingly, a coupling force through the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 is most effectively transmitted to the mesh screen 41, allowing the mesh screen 41 to be stably fixed to the frame unit F.

[0382] The shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 may be formed between the plurality of recesses and between the plurality of protrusions. Accordingly, when the shape retainer 44 is accommodated in the frame unit F, the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 are coupled in inner and outer directions of the frame unit F, thereby preventing the shape retainer 44 from being separated and stably fixing it.

[0383] A sealing rib 52 may be formed to protrude around the outer peripheral surface of the outer frame 5 and exposed to the outside of the duct module 30. When the first filter 4a is fixed to the opening, the sealing rib 52 may block air from flowing into a joint between the outer peripheral surface of the frame unit F and the opening 350.

[0384] An angle at which the sealing rib 52 protrudes from an edge of the frame unit F may be larger than an angle formed by the opening 350, in which the first filter 4a is mounted, with the inner surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the sealing rib 52 and the inner surface of the duct body 310 naturally come into contact and are pressurized, so that the flow of air may be efficiently blocked.

[0385] A handle 53 may be formed to protrude from at least a portion of the outer frame 5 to the outside of the duct module 30 so that the user may grip the handle 53.

[0386] The user may separate the frame unit F from the opening 350 by pulling the handle 53, which is exposed to the outside of the duct module 30, in an outward direction of the duct module 30. Usability may be improved because the user does not need to insert a finger into a narrow gap formed between the opening 350 and the outer peripheral surface of the frame unit F to remove the first filter 4a.

[0387] Not only the outer frame 5 but also the inner frame 6 may be pulled out at once by pulling the handle 53 by setting a coupling force generated by the fitting of the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 to be greater than an attachment force by which the coupling magnet 42 is attached to the duct module 30.

[0388] The protrusion angle and position of the handle 53 may be changed according to a position where the first filter 4a is disposed. The handle 53 may be provided such that a user of average height may grip the handle 53 within the range of motion of the arm without lifting the heels or bending the waist.

[0389] An anti-slip portion 531 may be provided on the handle 53 to improve usability for the user. The anti-slip portion 531 may be provided in a shape of a groove or protrusion matching a finger shape or a shape for preventing friction, and may be formed separately from the frame unit F and attached to the handle 53 afterward.

[0390] FIG. 22(a) illustrates an example of the outer frame 5 in which the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 are formed, and

[0391] FIG. 22(b) illustrates an example of the outer frame 5 in which the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 are not formed.

[0392] As illustrated in FIG. 23, the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 in which the coupling magnet may be accommodated may be formed in the inner frame 6. The coupling magnet 42 may be made of an elastic material to facilitate its accommodation in the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62.

[0393] FIG. 24 illustrates the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 provided in the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5.

[0394] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first concave-convex portion 61 is shown as a protrusion protruding from the contact surface in the inner frame 6, and a second concave-convex portion 51 is shown as a recess recessed from the contact surface in the outer frame 5. This is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure, and the protrusion and the recess may be interchangeably provided in the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6.

[0395] For convenience of description, the protrusion will be referred to as the first concave-convex portion 61 and the recess will be referred to as the second concave-convex portion 51 hereinafter.

[0396] The first concave-convex portion 61 may include a first extension 611 extending from the contact surface, and a second extension 612 extending from an end of the first extension 611.

[0397] The first extension 611 and the second extension 612 may have different shapes in a cross-section perpendicular to the extension direction of the frame unit F.

[0398] In a cross-section perpendicular to a protruding direction of the first concave-convex portion 61, it is preferable that at least a portion of the second extension 612 does not overlap with the first extension 611 in the protruding direction of the first concave-convex portion 61. Accordingly, even if an external force acts in a direction to separate them while the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51 are coupled, they may be prevented from being easily separated.

[0399] FIG. 24(a) illustrates an example 612a of the second extension 612 formed in a rounded shape.

[0400] The second extension 612 may be provided in a circular shape having a diameter larger than an extension width of the first extension 611.

[0401] Accordingly, at least a portion of an extending cross-section of the second extension 612 may be provided to be larger than an extending cross-section of the first extension 611, thereby preventing separation between the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6.

[0402] FIG. 24(b) illustrates an example in which one side of the second extension 612 is provided in a hook shape 612b from the end of the first extension 611.

[0403] With reference to FIG. 25, when the second extension 612 is provided in the hook shape 612b, a direction in which the second extension 612 is bent from the first extension 611 will be described below.

[0404] FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-section taken along line D-D' crossing the inside and outside of the frame unit F having a closed curve shape. For convenience of description, a direction toward the outside of the frame unit F is referred to as an outward direction R1, and a direction toward the inside of the frame unit F is referred to as an inward direction R2.

[0405] In FIG. 25(a), in a pair of second extensions 612, one second extension 612 is shown as bent from the first extension 611 in the outward direction R1, and the other second extension 612 is shown as bent from the first extension 611 in the inward direction R2.

[0406] When the second extensions 612 are bent from the ends of first extensions 611 in directions facing each other as illustrated in FIG. 25(a), the edges of the mesh screen 41 may be prevented from being separated from the frame unit F.

[0407] For example, when the mesh screen 41 is pulled in the outward direction R1 or the inward direction R2, which is a direction in which it is separated from the frame unit F, the bent second extensions 612 may be deformed toward the center inside of the frame unit F by an elastic force of their material itself. Accordingly, a force with which the ends of the second extensions 612 bind the mesh screen 41 to the center of the frame unit F may be increased, thereby improving the fixing reliability of the mesh screen 41.

[0408] In FIG. 25(b), a pair of second extensions 612 are shown as bent from the first extensions 611 in the outward direction R1. When the second extensions 612 are arranged as illustrated in FIG. 25(b), it may be advantageous in resisting the tension of the mesh screen 41.

[0409] For example, when the mesh screen 41 filters air inside the drum 150, receives a force at its center portion, and thus transmits tension in the inward direction of the frame unit F, the second extensions 612 are arranged in the outward direction R2, and thus maximize a force resisting buckling deformation, thereby allowing the frame unit F to stably support the mesh screen 41.

[0410] In this case, when the first concave-convex portions 61 are formed as protrusions on the inner frame 6, the second extensions 612 may support the mesh screen 41 receiving a force in the downstream direction toward the upstream side, which may improve the binding reliability between the mesh screen 41 and the frame unit F.

[0411] FIG. 26 illustrates an example of the frame unit F. FIG. 26(a) illustrates the inner frame 6 viewed from the front of the opening 350, and FIG. 26(b) illustrates the outer frame 5 coupled to the inner frame 6.

[0412] The frame unit F illustrated in FIG. 26 is an example provided in a rectangular shape in which all internal angles are right angles and a pair of opposite sides are longer than the other pair of opposite sides.

[0413] For convenience of description, a pair of relatively long opposite sides will be referred to as a long side D1, and the remaining pair of relatively short opposite sides will be referred to as a short side D2 hereinafter.

[0414] The inner frame 6 has the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 formed in the extrusion step S1, and the coupling magnet 42 may be accommodated in each side that has undergone the cutting step S2 to match the length of each side of the opening 350.

[0415] When the ends of the sides accommodating the coupling magnet are fused, a specific fusion separation gap G may be formed between the coupling magnet 42 and each fused end to prevent the fusion from being hindered by the coupling magnet 42 or a coupling force from being reduced due to the fusion. Accordingly, the fusion separation gap G may be formed such that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the fusion line L1.

[0416] The fusion separation gap G may be formed at each corner of the inner frame 6 so that the coupling magnet 42 is interposed in the inner frame 6 so as to be discontinuous at the corners.

[0417] As illustrated in FIG. 26(b), when the mesh screen 41 and the outer frame 5 are coupled to the inner frame 6, the mesh screen 41 may be pressurized in an air flow direction (a direction penetrating the front of the opening 350), while its edges are pulled by the frame unit F. Accordingly, the frame unit F may receive tension in the inward direction R2.

[0418] When the frame unit F receives tension in the inward direction R2, the center portion of each side with a rigidity reinforced by the coupling magnet 42 may resist the tension. However, portions with fusion separation gaps G, in which rigidity is attenuated by the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 and the coupling magnet 42 is not accommodated, may fail to resist the tension of the mesh screen 41 and become deformed. Therefore, the frame unit F may be deformed such that it is bent or folded based on the corners where the fusion separation gaps G are formed.

[0419] Moreover, when twisting occurs in each side due to the tension of the mesh screen 41, a twist angle F1 occurring on the long side D1 may be larger than a twist angle F2 occurring on the short side D2 because the twist angle is proportional to the length of the side.

[0420] Accordingly, as the long side D1 twists, the frame unit F may be deformed as if folded based on a pair of opposite corners.

[0421] FIG. 27 illustrates an example of the shape retainer 44. FIG. 27(a) illustrates the shape retainer 44 viewed from the front of the opening 350, and FIG. 27(b) illustrates a cross-section of the shape retainer 44 that forms a closed curve, taken along line F-F' crossing from the inside to the outside of the shape retainer 44.

[0422] The shape retainer 44 may be provided in the form of a round bar extending along the circumference of the opening 350.

[0423] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a metallic material and include at least one welding line L2 generated by welding ends thereof to form a closed curve.

[0424] The welding line L2 may not be clearly distinguishable by appearance. However, it may be identified by a form that physically protrudes unevenly on a surface due to welding, a mark from grinding an uneven surface, a discoloration mark from heat treatment, or a surface treatment mark.

[0425] Even if the welding line L2 is not noticeable in appearance, it may be distinguished by having a density or thickness that is somewhat non-uniform or different compared to other portions. The welding line L2 is sufficient as long as those skilled in the art may recognize it as a feature generated by welding

[0426] A welded joint of the welding line L2 on the shape retainer 44 may have a lower strength than other portions. Accordingly, the welding line L2 may be provided at a point that does not overlap with the fusion separation gap G or the fusion line L1, thereby avoiding deformation concentrated at the fusion separation gap G or the fusion line L1.

[0427] When the frame unit F is provided in a rectangular shape in which all internal angles are right angles and a pair of opposite sides are longer than the other pair of opposite sides, the welding line L2 may be formed at a portion inserted into the short side D2 among the sides of the frame unit F.

[0428] As described above, when twisting occurs in each side due to the tension of the mesh screen 41, the twist angle is proportional to the length of the side. Since the twist angle F1 occurring on the long side D1 is larger than the twist angle F2 occurring on the short side D2, forming the welding line L2 on the short side D2 may prevent a strong load from acting on the welding line L2 with a relatively low strength, thereby improving the reliability of the strength of the shape retainer 44.

[0429] When the opening 350 is provided in a polygonal shape, a corner portion 441 of the shape retainer 44 may be formed to be curved with a radius R. Accordingly, when an external force is applied to the shape retainer 44, it is possible to prevent breakage due to load concentration on the corner portion 441.

[0430] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having at least a rigidity to withstand the tension of the mesh screen 41 and a torsional rigidity or higher to resist the torsional moment of the frame unit F generated by the tension applied by the mesh screen 41 to the frame unit F. Thus, as described above, it is possible to prevent the long side D1 from twisting and the frame unit F from deforming as if folded based on a pair of opposite corners.

[0431] FIG. 28 illustrates assembly of the frame unit F, the mesh screen 41, and the shape retainer 44.

[0432] The shape retainer 44 may be inserted into the center of the frame unit F. That is, a length t1 from a contact surface P of the outer frame 5 to an end of the outer frame 5 and a length t2 from a contact surface P of the inner frame 6 to an end of the inner frame 6 may be equal, and recessed lengths of the shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 from the contact surfaces P may be equal.

[0433] That is, the distance from the shape retainer 44 to the outside of the outer frame 5 and the distance from the shape retainer 44 to the outside of the inner frame 6 may be set to be the same.

[0434] When the frame unit F is made of the same material and the shape retainer 44 extends to cross the center of each side of the frame unit F, deformation of the frame unit F may be most effectively prevented, and production and design may be simplified.

[0435] The first filter 4a may be formed by an assembly step S4 in which the mesh screen 41 is stacked on the outer frame 5, the shape retainer 44 is inserted onto the mesh screen 41, and the protrusion (first concave-convex portion 61) of the inner frame 6 is fitted into the recess (second concave-convex portion 51) of the outer frame 5 so that the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 are coupled.

[0436] When the first concave-convex portion 61 is formed in the shape of a protrusion on the inner frame 6 and the second concave-convex portion 51 is formed in the shape of a recess on the outer frame 5, the mesh screen may be interposed and fixed between the outer frame 5 and the shape retainer 44. When an external force is applied to the mesh screen 41 in the downstream direction by a flow force of air, the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 of the frame unit F and the shape retainer 44 may support the mesh screen 41 in the upstream direction, and thus the mesh screen 41 may be stably fixed to the frame unit F without excessive elongation.

[0437] FIG. 29 illustrates the first filter 4a viewed from the front of the opening 350.

[0438] The duct module 30 may be provided with a magnetic sensor 314 to be described later, which detects the intensity of a magnetic field or the like. Accordingly, the frame unit F may accommodate a magnetic field source 43 from which a magnetic signal is detected by the magnetic sensor 314 to sense whether the filter unit 4 is attached to the duct module 30.

[0439] The handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 may be formed on or accommodated in at least a portion of the frame unit F. FIG. 29 illustrates an example in which the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated in an upper center of the frame unit F and the handle 53 is formed on the left side of the frame unit F.

[0440] Based on FIG. 29, FIGS. 30 to 32 illustrate cross-sections crossing from the inside to the outside of the frame unit F. FIG. 30 illustrates a cross-section taken along line A-A', in which the handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 are not formed, FIG. 31 illustrates a cross-section taken along line B-B', in which the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated, and FIG. 32 illustrates a cross-section taken along line C-C', in which the handle 53 is accommodated. This is merely an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 may not be formed, or may be formed to overlap.

[0441] FIG. 30 illustrates the inner frame 6 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated and the first concave-convex portion 61 is formed to protrude from the contact surface P, the shape retainer 44 stacked on the inner frame 6, the mesh screen 41 stacked on the shape retainer 44, and the outer frame 5 in which the second concave-convex portion 51 is formed to be recessed from the contact surface P and stacked on the mesh screen 41.

[0442] The frame unit F may be coupled by fitting of the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51, and the mesh screen 41 may be fixed by pressure from the shape retainer 44 and the frame unit F.

[0443] The above is an embodiment, and the protruding and recessed directions of the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51 may be switched at the respective contact surfaces P, and the mesh screen 41 may be fixed by pressure between the shape retainer 44 and the inner frame 6.

[0444] As the mesh screen 41 is tautly pressurized by the frame unit F and the shape retainer 44, it may aesthetically convey to the user that the first filter 4a possesses a rigid strength suitable for commercial use in terms of appearance.

[0445] FIG. 31 illustrates the magnetic field source 43 fixed to the inner frame 6. The inner frame 6 may be provided with a magnetic field source accommodation groove 63 in which the magnetic field source 43 may be accommodated.

[0446] The magnetic field source accommodation groove 63 may replace a portion of the first concave-convex portion 61 and protrude from the contact surface P to be fitted into the second concave-convex portion 51 of the outer frame 5.

[0447] Accordingly, even if the inner frame 6 is extruded as a whole, the magnetic field source 43 may be accommodated through a process such as cutting only a portion of the first concave-convex portion 61 during post-processing, thereby reducing production costs.

[0448] FIG. 32 illustrates the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 formed on the outer frame 5.

[0449] As described above, the protrusion angle and the forming position of the handle 53 may be changed according to the position where the first filter 4a is disposed.

[0450] The handle 53 may be provided such that a user of average height may grip the handle 53 within the range of motion of the arm without lifting the heels or bending the waist.

[0451] For example, when a lower portion of the first filter 4a is close to the ground, the handle may be provided on an upper portion or a side of the first filter 4a in consideration of user accessibility, and the protrusion angle may be formed to be biased toward the inside of the opening 350 to prevent interference with the duct module 30 in which the first filter 4a is accommodated.

[0452] For ease of production, the handle 53 may be formed separately from the outer frame 5 and then attached to it.

[0453] As described above, the angle at which the sealing rib 52 protrudes from an outer edge of the outer frame 5 may be greater than the angle formed by the opening 350, in which the filter module 4a is mounted, with the inner surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the sealing rib 52 and the inner surface of the duct body 310 naturally come into contact and are pressurized, so that the flow of air may be efficiently blocked.

[0454] The sealing rib 52 may be formed on only a portion of the outer frame 5, and for ease of production, the sealing rib 52 may be formed separately from the outer frame 5 and then attached to it.

[0455] FIG. 33 illustrates a second filter 4b as another embodiment of the filter unit 4, and FIG. 34 is an exploded view illustrating the second filter 4b. The second filter 4b will be described below with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34.

[0456] The second filter 4b may be dedicated to filtering air in any product including a duct forming a flow path through which air moves, as well as the clothing treatment apparatus 1 having the above-described structure.

[0457] The second filter 4b may include a filter body 8 having an opening formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, the mesh screen 41 for shielding the opening, and a panel unit 9 exposed to the outside of the duct body 310 to receive an external force from the user.

[0458] The second filter 4b may be provided to be slid into and out of the duct body 310.

[0459] When the second filter 4b is inserted through the front of the duct body 310, the filter body 8 may be provided with a flange portion 85 extending in the front-rear direction, and the duct body 310 may include a support 72 supporting the flange portion 85, which will be described later, to assist in the insertion and extraction of the filter body 8, so that the filter body 8 may be easily inserted into the duct body 310.

[0460] The support 72 may be formed to be recessed to a predetermined depth so that the flange portion 85 may be inserted a specific distance and maintained in a fixed state, thereby preventing the filter body 8 from being detached from the duct body 310 arbitrarily or by vibration.

[0461] The flange portion 85 may include a flat portion 852 extending parallel to a direction in which the filter body 8 is inserted, and an inclined portion 851 extending obliquely forward from a front end of the flat portion. The inclined portion 851 may be provided to interfere with the support 72 more than the flat portion 852. Accordingly, the filter body 8 may be prevented from being pulled out contrary to the user's intention. In addition, when the user inserts the filter body 8 into the duct body 310, the inclined portion 851 may interfere with the support 72 and transmit an increased reaction force, making it easy for the user to identify a point of full insertion.

[0462] Obviously, the filter body 8 may be provided with a rotating member (not shown) including a rotatable wheel and a shaft coupled to the center of the wheel at a position where the flange portion 85 is formed. Similar to the case where the flange portion 85 is provided, the support 72 may be formed to be recessed to a predetermined depth so that one side of the rotating member is inserted and moved. Accordingly, as the wheel rotates within the support 72, the filter body 8 may be pulled out from and pushed into the duct body 310.

[0463] The filter body 8 may include a restriction rib 86 on an upper portion of the flange portion 85, the upward movement of which is restricted by the support 72, thereby preventing the filter body 8 from being separated upward by the operation of the dryer 1.

[0464] The filter body 8 may be provided with fixing ribs 84 extending in a grid from the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 8 to cross the opening. The fixing ribs 84 may include a first fixing rib 84a extending in a first direction and a second fixing rib 84b provided perpendicular to the first fixing rib 84a.

[0465] The mesh screen 41 may be fixed such that its edges contact the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 8 and the fixing ribs 84. Accordingly, the mesh screen 41 may be prevented from being deformed by an air flow direction, thereby improving the reliability of filtration performance and increasing user satisfaction by conveying structural robustness in terms of form.

[0466] A plurality of filter bodies 8 may be provided. The plurality of filter bodies 8 may be arranged in the width direction to form the filter body 8.

[0467] FIGS. 33 and 34 illustrate an example in which the filter body 8 includes a first filter body 8a and a second filter body 8b.

[0468] Each of the first filter body 8a and the second filter body 8b may include a bonding surface 87 which is a surface in contact with the other one, a side surface 83 on which the flange portion 85 is provided, a front surface 81 in contact with the panel unit 9, and a rear surface 82 connecting a rear end of the bonding surface 87 and a rear end of the side surface 83 to form the rear of the filter body 8.

[0469] The second filter 4b may be inserted through the front of the duct body 310, and the rear surface 82 may come into contact with the duct body 310.

[0470] An insertion surface 821 may be provided to be inclined with respect to a height direction on the rear surface 82.

[0471] As will be described later, the duct body 310 may be provided with a seating surface 73 provided to contact the insertion surface 821 when the second filter 4b is completely inserted into the duct body 310, and the seating surface 73 may be provided to fit with the insertion surface 821.

[0472] Since the seating surface 73 is inclined, a contact area between the filter body 8 and the duct body 310 may be increased, enhancing the sealing effect of a joint between the filter body 8 and the duct body 310. Accordingly, the discharge of unfiltered air through the outlet 316 by the filter body 8 may be minimized.

[0473] The second filter 4b may receive air from the top and discharges it downward, and the insertion surface 821 may be inclined such that an upper end thereof is disposed further rearward than a lower end thereof. Accordingly, the filtration efficiency of air may be improved by increasing the area of the opening of the filter body 8. In addition, a tactile sensation during insertion and extraction may be improved by reducing the area of the filter body 8 in contact with the duct body 310.

[0474] The panel unit 9 may include a gripping portion 911 provided to be gripped by a user or to receive an external force.

[0475] The panel unit 9 may include a first panel 91 exposed to the outside of the duct body 310 and a second panel 92 disposed behind the first panel 91. Accordingly, the self-weight of the panel unit 9 may be reduced, and thus the filter body 8 may be prevented from sagging or the panel unit 9 from being separated from the filter body 8. In addition, a separate component or the like may be inserted through a gap between the first panel 91 and the second panel 92.

[0476] The gripping portion 911 may be provided in a groove shape recessed rearward from the front surface of the first panel 91, and a gripping recessed portion 912 through which the gripping portion 911 may pass may be formed in the second panel 92.

[0477] As a gripping portion accommodation groove 812 recessed along the gripping portion 911 is provided on the front surface 81 of the filter body 8, a sufficient space for the user to grip the gripping portion 911 may be secured.

[0478] The front surface 81 may be provided with a front opening groove 811 with a lower end bent upward, at a portion that does not interfere with the gripping portion accommodation groove 812. Therefore, after pulling out the second filter 4b a specific distance by gripping the gripping portion 911 of the panel unit 9, the user may easily pull it out by putting a hand into the lower end of the panel unit 9 and pulling the rear surface of the panel unit 9 forward.

[0479] FIG. 35 illustrates a filter support unit 7 mounted in the opening 350 to support the filter unit 4.

[0480] The duct body 310 may include the filter support unit 7 to easily fix the filter unit 4 to the opening 350. The filter support unit 7 may be fixed to the duct module 310 and formed in a structure on which the filter unit 4 is seated.

[0481] FIG. 35(a) illustrates an example of the filter support unit 7 supporting a filter that is detachably attached to the duct body 310, such as the first filter 4a, and FIG. 35(b) illustrates an example of the filter support unit 7 supporting the second filter 4b.

[0482] A bent portion 71 with the end of each side bent may be formed on filter support unit 7 illustrated in FIG. 35(a). Accordingly, the frame unit F may be stably supported by the filter support unit 7 via the bent portion 71.

[0483] The bent portion 71 may be formed on only a portion of the filter support unit 7. For example, when an angle formed between one side of the filter support unit 7 where the bent portion 71 is formed and the inner surface of the duct body 310 is less than 90°, the bent portion 71 may be omitted as it may interfere with the separation of the filter unit 1.

[0484] Preferably, the bent portion 71 may be bent at an angle that does not restrict a path through which the filter body 4 is separated.

[0485] The filter support unit 7 may be provided as a magnetic body, and thus the frame unit F accommodating the coupling magnet 42 may be easily attached and detached.

[0486] In FIG. 35(b), the support 72 may be formed to support the flange portion 85 or the rotating member provided at a position where the flange portion 85 is formed.

[0487] The support 72 may include a lower support portion 721 supporting the flange portion 85 or the rotating member from below, an upper support portion 723 supporting the flange portion 85 or the rotating member from above, and a connection surface 722 connecting the lower support portion 721 and the upper support portion 723.

[0488] The connection surface 722 may form the outer peripheral surface of the filter support unit 7, and the upper support portion 723 and the lower support portion 721 may be provided in a shape protruding from one end and the other end of the connection surface toward the inside of the filter support unit 7.

[0489] As described above, since the support 72 is formed in a shape recessed by a predetermined depth, and since at least portions of the flange portion 85 and the rotating member are accommodated and maintained in a fixed state within the support 72, the filter body 8 may be prevented from being detached from the filter support unit 7.

[0490] The filter support unit 7 may include the seating surface 73, on which the insertion surface 821 is seated, on the rear surface connecting the rear ends of both side surfaces where supports 72 are formed.

[0491] Since the seating surface 73 is formed to be inclined so as to fit with the insertion surface 821, a contact area between the insertion surface 821 and the seating surface 73 may be increased and a joint between the filter support unit 7 and the filter body 8 may be effectively shielded, thereby improving the filtration reliability of the filter unit 4.

[0492] FIG. 36 illustrates the duct module 30 provided with the first filter 4a and the second filter 4b.

[0493] The filter unit 4 may be disposed to obliquely cross the flow cross-section of air that is introduced in the first direction through the inlet 315 and discharged toward the outlet 316 located in the second direction, or to perpendicularly cross a direction in which air flows.

[0494] The inlet 315 may disposed on the top surface of the duct body 310 to receive air from the drum 150 downward, and the outlet 316 may be disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 to deliver the air rearward.

[0495] In the above-described case, the filter unit 4 may be disposed parallel to the ground to be perpendicular to the flow direction of the air delivered downward from the inlet 315, or may be disposed in a direction perpendicular to the ground to be perpendicular to the flow direction of the air discharged rearward through the outlet 316, or may be disposed to be inclined in the height direction inside the duct body 310.

[0496] Regarding the upper and lower ends of the filter unit 4 in contact with the duct body 310, the upper end may be disposed further rearward than the lower end. In this case, the area of the filter unit 4 in contact with air may be increased, improving filtration efficiency.

[0497] The lower end of the filter unit 4 may be provided to be spaced apart from the front surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the filter unit 4 may be prevented from being separated or detached due to interference with the cover panel 112 attached to the front of the duct body 310.

[0498] In addition, when the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated in the periphery of the filter unit 4, the magnetic sensor 314 may be easily installed in the duct body 310.

[0499] The duct body 310 may be provided as a hexahedron in which the inlet 315 is provided on the top surface, and the outlet 316 is provided on a side surface sharing one edge with the top surface.

[0500] The upper end of the filter unit 4 may contact the rear surface of the duct body 310, and the lower end of the filter unit 4 may contact the lower end of the duct body 310.

[0501] The upper end of the filter unit 1 may be provided to be spaced apart from the top surface of the duct body 310. In this case, an additional component may be installed or a component such as another filter may be disposed, on the top surface of the duct body 310, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0502] The filter unit 4 may be formed on a surface having, as a pair of sides, edges that do not contact each other between the top surface provided with the inlet 315 and the side surface provided with the outlet 316. In this case, the filtration efficiency of the filter unit 4 may be maximized.

[0503] The inlet 315 may be disposed to be closer to the front of the top surface of the duct body 310.

[0504] As the outlet 1411 of the bottom surface 141 of the drum 150 serves as the inlet 315, and the top surface of the duct body 310 contacts the bottom surface 141 at the rear thereof includes the inlet 315 formed at the front thereof, processes such as separately manufacturing and coupling the top surface of the duct body 310 may be omitted.

[0505] Regarding the upper end and the lower end of the filter unit 4 in contact with the duct body 310, the upper end may be disposed further forward than the lower end. Therefore, when the cover panel 112 is separated, the bottom surface of the duct body 310 may be exposed. Accordingly, it may be easy to clean foreign substances that have been separated from the filter unit 4 and accumulated in the duct body 310 due to the operation of the dryer 1 or gravity. FIG. 36 illustrates a state in which the second filter 4b is disposed to perpendicularly cross the flow cross-section of air delivered in the first direction through the inlet 315, and the first filter 4a is disposed to obliquely cross the flow cross-section of air that has been filtered through the second filter 4b and moves toward the outlet 316 in the second direction different from the first direction.

[0506] More specifically, the second filter 4b may be provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 to filter air moving downward from the drum 150, and the first filter 4a may be disposed below the second filter 4b to re-filter the air that has been filtered by the second filter 4b and is moving toward the rear of the duct body 310.

[0507] When the second filter 4b is provided on the top surface of the duct body 310, the lower end of the first filter 4a may be provided to be spaced apart from the front surface of the duct body 310 to secure an installation space for the second filter 4b. In this case, the insertion surface 821 and the seating surface 73 may also be formed at positions that do not interfere with the first filter 4a.

[0508] As described above, when the top surface of the duct body 310 contacts the bottom surface 141 at the rear thereof and includes the inlet 315 formed at the front thereof, the second filter 4b may be provided to shield the entire top surface of the duct body 310, and thus the filtration reliability of air introduced from the inlet 315 may be guaranteed.

[0509] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed to be closer to either the left side or the right side within the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced compared to a case where the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320.

[0510] Accordingly, the outlet 316 communicating with the circulation fan 330 may also be disposed to be closer to one side of the rear surface of the duct body 310.

[0511] The first filter 4a may include an upper end and a lower end in contact with the duct body 310, and the upper end may be disposed further rearward than the lower end so as to be inclined in the height direction. The magnetic sensor 314 may be provided to detect the magnetic field source 43, when the first filter 4a is inserted through the inlet and the lower end of the first filter 4a comes into contact with the duct body 310.

[0512] Preferably, the magnetic field source 43 may be disposed at a relatively lower end of the first filter 4a, and the magnetic sensor 314 may also be disposed on a lower portion of a side surface of the duct module 30 or on the side of the bottom surface of the duct module 30. Accordingly, the mounting of the first filter 4a may be sensed only when the first filter 4a is properly positioned to be in close contact with a lower end of the duct body 310. Thus, unfiltered air may be prevented from flowing through a gap at the opening of the lower end of the first filter 4a.

[0513] In the duct module 30 provided with the filter unit 4 as illustrated in FIG. 36(a), when inspection, replacement, or cleaning of the filter unit 4 is required, the user may pull out the second filter 4b by sliding it from the duct body 310 and separate the first filter 4a toward the top surface where the second filter 4b was located, as illustrated in FIG. 36(b). Accordingly, the filter unit 4 may be easily accessed without disassembling the duct module 30.

[0514] When clogging of the first filter 4a is detected because the difference between pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a threshold, the first filter 4a may be separated from the duct body 310 for cleaning or replacement. Since a relatively large amount of foreign substances are attached to one surface of the first filter 4a facing upward, the scattering of accumulated foreign substances due to movement occurring when pulling out the first filter 4a may be minimized when the first filter 4a is pulled out upward.

[0515] As described above, the circulation fan 330 may be provided to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the generation of vortices or the like due to air discharged downward from the inlet 315 of the duct body 310 colliding with the bottom surface of the duct body 310 may be minimized. At least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may be provided to measure pressure at a portion spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance or more.

[0516] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed to be closer to either the left or right side within the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced, compared to a case where the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. In this case, at least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may be provided to sense pressure at the left or right side of the duct body 310 to which the circulation fan 330 is disposed to be closer, thereby improving the reliability of sensing.

[0517] At least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may measure pressure at a portion where the inlet 315 provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 extends in the vertical direction. In addition, at least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may measure pressure at a portion where the outlet 316 extends in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, error factors due to interference with an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0518] Like the first filter 4a, the second filter 4b may also be provided with the magnetic field source 43 detected by the magnetic sensor 314 to sense whether the second filter 4b is attached or detached.

[0519] A plurality of magnetic sensors 314 may be provided to respectively detect a plurality of filter units 4, such as the first filter 4a and the second filter 4b, and the magnetic sensor 314 is sufficient as long as it detects a magnetic force regardless of its type, such as a Hall element, a magnetoresistive element, or an optical fiber.

[0520] When the rear surface 82 or the insertion surface 821 of the second filter 4b comes into contact with the duct body 310, the magnetic sensor 314 may detect the magnetic field source 43 of the second filter 4b.

[0521] Preferably, the magnetic field source 43 may be disposed at a relatively rear portion of the second filter 4b, and the magnetic sensor 314 may also be disposed on the side of the rear surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the mounting of the second filter 4b may be sensed only when the second filter 4b is properly positioned to be in close contact with the rear surface of the duct body 310. Thus, unfiltered air may be prevented from flowing through a gap between the rear surface of the second filter 4b and the opening.

[0522] The present disclosure may be modified and implemented in various forms, and the scope of rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, when a modified embodiment includes the components of the claims of the present disclosure, it should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0040]Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present disclosure, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced by the first description. As used herein, a singular expression includes plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, lest it should obscure the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed herein, a detailed description of a related known technology will be avoided in describing the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0041]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a clothing treatment device according to the present disclos...

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a clothing treatment device for drying laundry.BACKGROUND

[0002] The term clothing treatment device is a generic term for a device for washing laundry, a device for drying laundry, and a device capable of both washing and drying laundry.

[0003] Among conventional clothing treatment devices capable of drying laundry, some include a drum providing a space in which laundry is stored, a duct forming a flow path for re-supplying air discharged from the drum back to the drum, a first heat exchanger for cooling the air introduced from the drum into the duct to remove moisture contained in the air, a second heat exchanger for heating air that has passed through the first heat exchanger, and a fan for moving air that has passed through the second heat exchanger to the drum. In the conventional clothing treatment device having the above-described structure, since air discharged from the drum is dehumidified and heated while passing through the heat exchangers and then re-supplied to the drum, foreign substances such as lint may remain in the heat exchangers. To solve this problem, some conventional clothing treatment devices include a filter for filtering air supplied to the first heat exchanger (EP2691567B1).

[0004] However, in the case of a commercial dryer capable of performing drying cycles such as sterilization, wrinkle removal, deodorization, and drying by supplying steam or hot air to a large amount of laundry, the drying capacity is increased compared to a general dryer. Accordingly, there is a need for a commercial dryer to be designed to have a much larger volume and a higher flow rate of supplied hot air so as to quickly dry a large amount of laundry.

[0005] Accordingly, the importance of the filter is emphasized because foreign substances such as lint increase in amount and accumulate on the heat exchangers, which may reduce a heat transfer area and easily degrade drying performance.

[0006] However, in light of the specific characteristics of commercial dryers, the filtration reliability of filters provided in conventional general-purpose dryers is diminished. Even when a plurality of filters are provided, considering the bulkiness of a commercial dryer, filters inserted deep inside are difficult to access without disassembling the device. Therefore, the accessibility of the filters is poor, making it difficult to periodically check their condition and clean them.

[0007] Moreover, the filter does not closely contact the inner surface of the duct during cleaning and assembly of the filter, leading to a decrease in filtration performance and consequent degradation in hygiene.DISCLOSURE TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0008] An object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device in which a plurality of filters are optimally disposed, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0009] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device that facilitates the withdrawal and insertion of a filter.

[0010] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device with increased maintainability.

[0011] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter having improved structural robustness.

[0012] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter with improved maintainability.

[0013] Further, an object of the present application is to provide a clothing treatment device including a filter that allows the degree of lint accumulation to be visually checked, thereby improving maintainability.TECHNICAL SOLUTION

[0014] The present application provides a clothing treatment device including a cabinet having an opening formed at a front thereof, a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet, a duct module including a duct body receiving air from inside the drum downward through an inlet communicating with the drum and discharging the air rearward through an outlet, a filter unit provided in the duct body and filtering the air, and a circulation fan disposed downstream of the outlet and moving the air, and a drying module dehumidifying and heating air moved from the duct module and supplying the air into the drum. The filter unit includes a first filter obliquely crossing a cross-section of air introduced through the inlet and flowing toward the outlet.

[0015] The first filter may include an upper end and a lower end contacting the duct body, and the upper end may be disposed more forward or rearward than the lower end.

[0016] The duct body may be provided as a hexahedron having the inlet on a top surface thereof and the outlet on a rear surface thereof, the upper end may contact the rear surface, and the lower end may contact a bottom surface of the duct body.

[0017] The upper end may be spaced apart from the top surface.

[0018] The upper end may contact a corner shared by the rear surface and the top surface.

[0019] The lower end may be spaced apart from a front surface of the duct body.

[0020] The inlet may be disposed to be closer to a front of the top surface.

[0021] The clothing treatment device may further include a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, the top surface of the duct module may be formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, the inlet of the top surface may be formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, and a remaining area of the top surface may be formed as the bottom surface of the drying body.

[0022] The outlet may be disposed closer to one side of the rear surface in a left-right direction.

[0023] A width of the inlet in a transverse direction may be set to be larger than a width of the outlet in the transverse direction.

[0024] The first filter may be detachably provided in the duct body and withdrawn from the front surface.

[0025] The duct body may include a cover panel opening and closing the front surface thereof, and when the cover panel is opened, the first filter may be withdrawn through the front surface.

[0026] The filter unit may further include a second filter fixed to the top surface and covering the inlet.

[0027] The clothing treatment device may further include a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, the top surface of the duct module may be formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, the inlet of the top surface may be formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, a remaining area of the top surface may be formed as the bottom surface of the drying body, and the second filter may be provided to cover an entire area of the top surface.

[0028] The second filter may be inserted and withdrawn by sliding through a front of the duct body.

[0029] The second filter may be provided with a flange portion extending in a front-rear direction on both side surfaces thereof.

[0030] A support supporting the flange portion and assisting in insertion of the second filter may be formed in the duct body.

[0031] The second filter may have an insertion surface formed, on one surface thereof contacting the duct body, to be inclined in a height direction and tightly contacting the duct body, and an upper end of the insertion surface may be inclined to be disposed more rearward than a lower end thereof.

[0032] The insertion surface of the second filter may be formed not to interfere with the first filter.ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

[0033] The present application provides a clothing treatment device in which a plurality of filters are optimally disposed, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0034] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device that facilitates the withdrawal and insertion of a filter.

[0035] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device with increased maintainability.

[0036] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter having improved structural robustness.

[0037] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter with improved maintainability.

[0038] Further, the present application provides a clothing treatment device including a filter that allows the degree of lint accumulation to be visually checked, thereby improving maintainability.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary clothing treatment device. FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary internal structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary clothing treatment device. FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary door of the clothing treatment device FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate an exemplary front configuration of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary sealing structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary arrangement position of a driving unit of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary rear configuration of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary drum structure of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 12 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating the drum. FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary duct module of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary circulation fan of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary drying module of the clothing treatment device. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary internal configuration of the drying module. FIG. 17 illustrates a simplified structure in which an auxiliary heat exchanger of the clothing treatment device is installed. FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary opening of the duct module. FIG. 19 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating a filter unit of the duct module. FIG. 20 illustrates an exemplary process of manufacturing frames of the filter unit. FIG. 21 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing the frames of the filter unit. FIG. 22 illustrates an exemplary outer frame of the filter unit. FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary inner frame of the filter unit. FIG. 24 illustrates an example of concave-convex portions of the filter unit. FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary shape of concave-convex portion. FIG, 26 illustrates an exemplary frame of the filter unit. FIG. 27 illustrates an exemplary shape retainer of the filter unit. FIG. 28 illustrates an exemplary process of assembling the filter unit. FIG. 29 illustrates an exemplary filter unit. FIG. 30 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line A-A' of FIG. 29. FIG. 31 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line B-B' of FIG. 29. FIG. 32 illustrates an exemplary cross-section taken along line C-C' of FIG. 29. FIG. 33 illustrates an exemplary filter unit of the duct module. FIG. 34 is an exemplary exploded view illustrating the filter unit. FIG. 35 illustrates an exemplary filter support of the duct module. FIG. 36 illustrates an exemplary duct module including the filter unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present disclosure, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced by the first description. As used herein, a singular expression includes plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, lest it should obscure the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed herein, a detailed description of a related known technology will be avoided in describing the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a clothing treatment device according to the present disclosure.

[0042] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as a dryer capable of performing an arbitrary drying course for removing moisture from clothing.

[0043] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a drying body 10 capable of accommodating clothing, a drying module 20 capable of supplying at least one of heated air (hot air) or steam to the drying body 10, and a duct module 30 providing a flow path through which air inside the drying body 10 may be discharged to the drying module 20 or to the outside.

[0044] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as a commercial dryer. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be disposed in an environment where a plurality of users repeatedly perform drying cycles more than a household dryer, or in an environment where a large amount of clothing such as blankets or bedding should be dried. Therefore, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure needs to be provided to accommodate a larger capacity of clothing than a household dryer and to perform drying cycles quickly by supplying more hot air than a household dryer.

[0045] To this end, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying body 10 needs to be larger than a configuration for accommodating clothing in a household dryer, the drying module 20 also needs to be larger than a drying module of a household dryer to generate a large amount of hot air, and the duct module 30 also needs to be larger than a duct module of a household dryer so that a sufficient flow may move.

[0046] Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided such that at least one of the drying module 20 or the duct module 30 is disposed as a separate configuration from the drying body 10 to be detachably coupled to the drying body 10.

[0047] As a result, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying body 10 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying module 20 or the duct module 30. Thus, the drying body 10 may be provided to accommodate a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0048] In addition, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the drying module 20 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying body 10 or the duct module 30. Therefore, the drying module 20 may also increase the volume of a heat supply that heats air or generates steam, and thus generate sufficient hot air to dry a large amount of clothing or generate sufficient steam for sterilizing and disinfecting the clothing.

[0049] In addition, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the volume of the duct module 30 may be sufficiently increased without being restricted by the installation space of the drying body 10 or the drying module 20. Therefore, the duct module 30 may secure a flow path through which a sufficient flow of air moves to the extended drying body 10 and drying module 20, and a large-capacity filter, which will be described later, may also be stably installed.

[0050] When the drying body 10 is provided with an opening through which clothing is input, the drying module 20 and the duct module 30 may be provided to communicate with the drying body 10 at positions that do not interfere with the opening.

[0051] When the opening of the drying body 10 is disposed at the front, the drying module 20 may be disposed at any one of the top, bottom, both sides, and rear of the drying body 10, and the duct module 30 may be disposed at any one of the top, bottom, both sides, and rear of the drying body 10 at a position that does not interfere with the drying module 20.

[0052] For example, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the drying module 20 may be disposed at the rear of the drying body 10.

[0053] Accordingly, heating or heat exchange performance may be increased to the maximum by increasing the volume of the drying module 20 further than when the drying module 20 is disposed at the top or bottom of the drying body 10. In addition, the overall width of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is reduced by disposing the drying module 20 at the rear of the drying body 10 rather than at the side of the drying body 10. Therefore, a plurality of clothing treatment devices of the present disclosure may be easily arranged in a limited space. Further, as the drying module 20 is disposed at the rear of the drying body 10, a flow path direction in which hot air is discharged coincides with a flow path direction inside the drying body 10, thereby reducing overall flow resistance.

[0054] The duct module 30 may be disposed at either the top or the bottom of the drying body 10. Accordingly, the overall width of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be reduced, compared to when it is disposed at a side of the drying body 10.

[0055] The duct module 30 may be disposed at the bottom of the drying body 10. Accordingly, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, the opening of the drying body 10 may be spaced further upward from the ground, and a user may easily put in and take out a large amount of clothing through the opening.

[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment in which components of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure are detachably provided.

[0057] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided such that at least one of the drying body 10, the drying module 20, or the duct module 30 is manufactured separately from the others and detachably coupled to allow communication of air.

[0058] Generally, the drying module 20 may be installed with heavy components for heating air or supplying steam and heavier than the drying body 10 or the duct module 30. Further, the drying module 20 may have more electronic components arranged therein than the internal components of the drying body 10 and the duct module 30, leading to a higher frequency of repair and maintenance.

[0059] To this end, the drying module 20 may be designed to be detachable from the drying body 10 in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be easily installed by transporting the drying module 20 separately from the drying body 10. When there is a problem with an electronic component of the drying module 20, it may be replaced separately from the drying body 10, and as some components of the drying module 20 may be replaced by separating it from the bulky drying body 10, repair and maintenance may be facilitated.

[0060] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided with the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 integrally. Accordingly, the connection force between the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be strengthened, thereby eliminating the possibility of air discharged from the drying body 10 leaking to the outside.

[0061] In addition, even if strong vibration occurs due to movement of a large amount of clothing in the drying body 10, the drying body 10 may be prevented from being arbitrarily separated from the duct module 30. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be disposed inside one cabinet, and may be manufactured and transported simultaneously.

[0062] This is merely an embodiment, and the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be provided as separate modules to be detachably coupled to each other.

[0063] FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the internal structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0064] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be provided as an exhaust type, and thus while the drying module 20 and the drying body 10 may be arranged to communicate with each other and the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be arranged to communicate with each other, the drying module 20 and the duct module 30 may be arranged so as not to communicate with each other.

[0065] As illustrated, when the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is disposed as a circulation type, the drying body 10, the duct module 30, and the drying module 20 may be arranged such that air communicates with each other. Accordingly, as long as an installation space is secured, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be installed without difficulty, regardless of whether a corresponding indoor space communicates with the outdoors.

[0066] The drying body 10 may include a cabinet 110 forming the exterior and having an opening, a door 120 for opening and closing the opening, and a drum 150 rotatably provided inside the cabinet 110 to accommodate clothing input through the opening.

[0067] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a driving unit 160 for rotating the drum 150. Accordingly, clothing accommodated in the drum 150 may be dried by being exposed to hot air supplied to the drum 150 in a process of rising and falling inside the drum 150 by rotation of the drum 150.

[0068] The driving unit 160 may be disposed in the drying body 10.

[0069] Accordingly, the drum 150 and all components for rotating the drum 150 may be installed in the drying body 10, and repair and maintenance may be performed independently of the components of the duct module 30 or the drying module 20. In addition, since the entire configuration of the driving unit 160 is installed independently of the duct module 30, the duct module 30 may not be provided with a configuration for allowing the driving unit 160 to pass therethrough or be installed, thereby increasing the sealing performance of the duct module 30.

[0070] The duct module 30 and may include a circulation fan 330 disposed at the rear of a duct body 310, which is disposed below the drum 150 to receive air discharged from the drum 150, and moving the air, and a fan container 320 providing a space in which the circulation fan 330 is seated.

[0071] The duct body 310 may be provided such that all outer surfaces thereof are sealed to prevent the air from leaking to the outside, except for the inflow of air from the drum 150.

[0072] The duct body 310 may be provided in any shape as long as it may allow air discharged from the drum 150 above it to flow in and be delivered to the rear.

[0073] For example, the duct body 310 may be provided in a case shape with all surfaces shielded, which is disposed under the cabinet 110 to support the cabinet 110.

[0074] Alternatively, the duct body 310 may be disposed inside the cabinet 110 and provided in a configuration in which a frame, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, disposed inside the cabinet 110 and supporting components inside the cabinet 110 is coupled to a plate or the like for shielding the inside of the frame. For example, the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be installed in one cabinet 110. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be provided to share the single cabinet 110. The drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be seated inside the cabinet 110 forming the exterior, or the duct module 30 may be seated at the bottom of the drying body after the drying body 10 is manufactured. Accordingly, leakage of hot air or steam between the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 may be prevented, installation and transport may be facilitated, and aesthetics may be enhanced.

[0075] The fan container 320 may be coupled to the duct body 310 or supported inside the duct body 310 to accommodate the circulation fan 330 therein.

[0076] The fan container 320 may be disposed further toward the rear than the front of the duct body 310 to secure a space through which air discharged from the front of the drum 150 may flow in. In addition, the fan container 320 may be disposed close to or in close contact with the drying module 20 to form a flow path for delivering air to the drying module 20.

[0077] The duct module 30 may further include a filter unit 4 disposed in front of the fan container 320 to filter foreign substances flowing into the circulation fan 330.

[0078] The filter unit 4 may be provided in front of the fan container 320, with a length corresponding to the width of the duct body 310 so as to filter foreign substances discharged from a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0079] The filter unit 4 may be detachably provided in the duct body 310 to easily remove accumulated foreign substances. The duct body 310 may include an inlet / outlet through which the filter unit 4 is inserted or withdrawn, and the inlet / outlet may be disposed at the front of the duct body 310. Accordingly, a user may check the status of and clean the filter unit 4 without being restricted by components such as the drying module 20 or the door 120.

[0080] The drying module 20 may be disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110 to supply hot air and steam into the cabinet 110.

[0081] The drying module 20 may be disposed such that a lower front portion thereof faces the duct module 30 and an upper front portion thereof faces the drying body 10 or the rear surface of the drum 150.

[0082] The drying module 20 may include a case 210 disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110 and a heat exchange unit 240 disposed inside the case 210 to dehumidify and heat air.

[0083] The case 210 may be provided in a height that enables the case 210 may face the entire rear surface of the drum 150 from the bottom of the duct module 30. The width of the case 210 may correspond to or be smaller than the width of the cabinet 110. Accordingly, the case 210 may be installed without problems as long as there is a space for installing the cabinet 110.

[0084] The thickness of the case 210 in a front-rear direction may be smaller than the thicknesses of the cabinet 110 and the duct module 30 in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be designed to be compact in volume.

[0085] The drying module 20 may further include a flow path forming unit 220 disposed inside the case 210 to guide air discharged from the duct module 30 back to the drum 150. At least a portion of the heat exchange unit 240 may be disposed inside the flow path forming unit 220.

[0086] The flow path forming unit 220 may extend in a height direction of the cabinet 110 or the case 210 to receive air discharged from the duct module 30 and guide it toward the rear surface of the drum 150.

[0087] The duct body 310 may be provided with a pressure sensor that detects a change in air pressure.

[0088] The pressure sensor is sufficient as long as it detects pressure applied to the sensor and outputs it as another physical quantity such as an electrical quantity, and is not limited in its function and type, such as an absolute pressure sensor, a gauge pressure sensor, or a differential pressure sensor.

[0089] The pressure sensor may be configured to determine at least one of an upstream or downstream pressure value by a first pressure sensor PS1 disposed on an upstream side where air flows into the filter unit 4 and a second pressure sensor PS2 disposed on a downstream side where air is discharged through the filter unit 4.

[0090] It may be detected through the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 drops to or below a specific level. That is, when foreign substances are excessively accumulated on a mesh screen 41 of the filter unit 4 to a level where drying performance and condensation efficiency are not guaranteed, the filter unit 4 may be detected as being in a clogged state.

[0091] For example, when a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 is equal to or greater than a specific level, it may be determined that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 has deteriorated and air is accumulating upstream of the filter unit 4, and thus the filter unit 4 is clogged.

[0092] Alternatively, when a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than a specific level, it may be determined that the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 has deteriorated and air is not moving to the rear of the filter unit 4, and this the filter unit 4 is clogged.

[0093] Preferably, the pressure sensor may be provided to detect pressure at the front and rear of the filter unit 4.

[0094] For example, a plurality of pressure sensors may be provided and disposed at the front and rear of the filter unit 4. Accordingly, pressure is measured respectively by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2, and when the difference between the measured pressures exceeds a preset threshold, the filter unit 4 may be determined to be clogged.

[0095] Alternatively, the pressure sensor may be provided as a differential pressure sensor, and when the difference between the pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a preset threshold, the flow before and after the filter unit 4 is not smooth, and thus the filter unit 4 may be determined to be clogged.

[0096] A plurality of filter units 4 may be provided, and the pressure sensor may be provided to determine clogging of each filter unit 4, to collectively determine clogging of the plurality of filter units 4 or to determine clogging of some of the filter units 4.

[0097] For example, clogging of each of the plurality of filter units 4 may be determined by measuring the difference between pressures upstream and downstream of each filter unit 4.

[0098] For example, clogging of the entire plurality of filter units 4 may be determined by measuring the difference between pressure upstream of a filter unit 4 that receives air from the drum 150 first and pressure downstream of a filter unit 4 that receives air from the drum 150 last.

[0099] For example, clogging may be determined by specifying the difference between the upstream and downstream pressures of some of the plurality of filter units 4 configured for detecting clogging.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an inlet through which air is delivered from the drum 150 is formed on the top surface of the duct body 310, and the filter unit 4 may include an upstream filter that filters air delivered to the inlet and a downstream filter that is disposed downstream of the upstream filter and delivers filtered air to the blowing fan 330.

[0101] In the above-described case, the pressure sensor may measure clogging of the upstream filter and the downstream filter, respectively by measuring the difference between the upstream and downstream pressures of the upstream filter and the downstream filter.

[0102] The upstream filter is provided to shield the inlet and filter air delivered to the inlet, and the downstream filter may be provided to cross air flowing in the front-rear direction through the duct body. In this case, the pressure sensor may detect clogging of the filter unit 4 by sensing pressure at at least one of the front or rear of the downstream filter.

[0103] In the above-described case, when the amount of change in pressure measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter is equal to or less than a threshold range, it may be determined that the flow of air in the downstream of the upstream filter and the upstream of the downstream filter is stagnant, and thus the upstream filter and the downstream filter are clogged. For example, when the difference between a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter and a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 at the rear of the downstream filter exceeds a threshold, clogging of the downstream filter may be detected.

[0104] In the above-described case, the pressure sensor may be provided as a differential pressure sensor to detect the difference between a pressure value measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 at the front of the downstream filter and a pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2 at the rear of the downstream filter. In this case, when the difference between the pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than a threshold, clogging of the downstream filter may be detected. When the difference between the pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 is equal to or greater than the threshold and the rate of change of the difference value deviates from a specific level, it may be determined that both the upstream filter and the downstream filter are clogged.

[0105] The upstream filter may be exposed on the top surface of the duct body to allow for easy accessibility. Accordingly, the user may periodically check the status of the upstream filter to remove aggregated foreign substances, thereby preventing or resolving clogging.

[0106] Since the downstream filter is provided inside the duct body, it may be difficult to visually check for clogging. Therefore, the reliability of the filtration performance of the filter unit 4 may be improved simply by detecting clogging of the downstream filter through sensing pressures at the front and rear of the downstream filter.

[0107] The circulation fan 330 may be provided to be spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom surface of the duct body 310. This may minimize the occurrence of vortices or the like caused by collision of air discharged downward from the inlet of the duct body 310 with the bottom surface of the duct body 310. Therefore, the pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance or more, thereby increasing the reliability of sensing.

[0108] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed closer to either the left or right side of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced, compared to when the circulation fan 330 is disposed at the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. In this case, the pressure sensor may be provided to sense pressure at the left or right side to which the circulation fan 330 is closer in the duct body 310, thereby increasing the reliability of sensing.

[0109] The pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion where the inlet provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 extends in an up-down direction. Accordingly, error factors caused by interference from an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0110] The duct body 310 may include an outlet through which air is delivered to the circulation fan provided at the rear. The pressure sensor may be provided to sense the pressure of a portion where the outlet extends in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, error factors caused by interference from an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0111] When the difference between pressure values measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a first threshold, the pressure sensor may provide a notification requesting the user to clean the filter. The first threshold may be a range in which foreign substances are accumulated in the filter unit 4 to some extent and filtration performance is reduced, but drying performance and the like may still be guaranteed.

[0112] When it is detected through the pressure sensor that the difference between the pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 has exceeded the first threshold and reached a second threshold, the operation of the drying function may be stopped. The second threshold may be a range in which drying performance and condensation efficiency are excessively reduced such that energy efficiency falls to or below a specific level, or a range in which components are damaged due to idling.

[0113] The pressure sensor may detect the pressure of the drying module 20 or the drying body 10 in addition to the duct body 310.

[0114] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure sensor may be provided to detect the difference between pressures upstream of an evaporator 241 and downstream of a condenser 242 through a third pressure sensor PS3 measuring pressure on the upstream side of the evaporator 241 and a fourth pressure sensor PS4 measuring pressure on the downstream side of the condenser 242. Accordingly, clogging of the heat exchange unit 240 or the filter unit 4 may be detected. Since the pressure value measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 may be replaced by the pressure value downstream of the filter unit 4, it may be replaced by the pressure value measured by the second pressure sensor PS2.

[0115] When the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 exceeds a preset value, it may be determined that the amount of air discharged downstream of the condenser 242 is relatively small compared to the amount of air flowing upstream of the evaporator 241, and thus it may be detected that the heat exchange unit 240 including the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 is clogged.

[0116] When the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 is detected to be less than the preset value, it may be determined that the amount of air flowing upstream of the evaporator 241 itself has decreased, and thus clogging of the filter unit 4 may be detected.

[0117] However, in a case where the pressure sensor measures only the difference between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4, when both the filter unit 4 and the heat exchange unit 240 are clogged, the difference value between the pressures measured by the third pressure sensor PS3 and the fourth pressure sensor PS4 may be similar to that in a case where neither the filter unit 4 nor the heat exchange unit 240 is clogged. Therefore, it may be clearly detected whether the clogged component is the filter unit 4 or the heat exchange unit 240 by separately detecting the clogging of the filter unit 4 through the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2.

[0118] FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a front configuration of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0119] The cabinet 110 forming the exterior of the drying body 10 may include a front panel 111 disposed in front of the drum 150 and side panels 113 extending rearward from both sides of the front panel 111.

[0120] When the duct module 30 is installed inside the cabinet 110, the drying body 10 may further include a cover panel 112 provided to shield the front of the duct body 310.

[0121] The cover panel 112 may be disposed in parallel with the front panel 111 and provided in a width corresponding to the width of the front panel 111.

[0122] The cover panel 112 may be provided to have a height smaller than the height of the front panel 111 and smaller than the width of the cover panel 112.

[0123] The front panel 111 may be provided with a height greater than its width.

[0124] The drying body 10 may further include a control panel 190 on an upper part of the front panel 111 to receive commands for controlling the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure or to display the status of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0125] The drying body 10 may further include a payment device disposed at one side of the control panel 190 to receive payment. The payment device may be provided as an arbitrary payment means capable of receiving coins or processing payments by communicating with cards, smartphones, and the like.

[0126] The front panel 111 may be provided with an opening 1111 that allows the drum 150 to communicate with the outside. The drying body 10 may further include the door 120 for opening and closing the opening 1111. The door 120 may be rotatably coupled to the front panel 111, or a support structure inside the front panel 111 may be rotatably coupled to a hinge coupler 130 to open and close the opening 1111.

[0127] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a door structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 5(a), the door 120 may include an outer frame 121 provided to be larger than the area of the opening 1111 and exposed to the outside, an inner frame 122 coupled to the outer frame 121 to open and close the opening 1111, and a hinge portion 125 disposed between the inner frame and the outer frame to rotate the door 120 with respect to the cabinet 110.

[0129] The inner frame 122 may include a sealing portion 124 that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the opening 1111 to prevent hot air from leaking out of the opening 1111. The sealing portion 124 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the opening 1111.

[0130] The inner frame 122 and the outer frame 121 may be provided with through-holes through their centers to visually expose the inside of the opening 1111, and the door 120 may further include a glass 123 coupled between the inner frame 122 and the outer frame 121 to shield the through-holes and allow light to pass therethrough.

[0131] The inner frame 122 may be provided with a protrusion on its inner peripheral surface such that at least a portion of the protrusion is inserted into the inner peripheral surface of the opening 1111, and the sealing portion 124 may be made of an elastic material coupled to surround the periphery of the protrusion.

[0132] The inner frame 122 may be further provided with a fixing portion 126 configured to be detachably coupled to a fastening portion or the like provided on the front panel 111.

[0133] The door 120 may further include a handle 127 formed by recessing the outer surface of at least one of the inner frame 122 or the outer frame 121 inward so that it may be grabbed by the user's body.

[0134] For the fixing portion 126 and the fastening portion, configurations such as a conventional hook and hook fastener may be applied.

[0135] However, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, a configuration such as a locker that locks the door 120 to the front panel 111 to block the opening of the door 120 may be omitted. Accordingly, the drying capacity may be further increased by reducing the thicknesses of the front panel 111 and the door 120 and securing a more length for the drum 150.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 5(b), the outer frame 121 may include an outer body 1211 forming its exterior and having a through-hole at a center thereof to expose the glass 123, a coupling protrusion 1213 disposed on the inner surface of the outer body 1211 and coupled to the inner frame 122, and a grounding protrusion 1212 provided to penetrate through to the inner frame 122 so as to be contactable with the front panel 111.

[0137] An elastic material may be coupled to the grounding protrusion 1212 so that even if the door 120 collides with the front panel 111, the door 120 may be prevented from being damaged.

[0138] A plurality of grounding protrusions 1212 and a plurality of coupling protrusions 1213 may be provided.

[0139] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a front structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0140] The front panel 111 may be provided with the opening 1111 formed therethrough, and the opening 1111 may be provided in a shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface of the door 120.

[0141] The front panel 111 may further include the hinge coupler 130 to which the hinge portion 125 may be coupled at at least one of both sides of the opening 1111.

[0142] A plurality of hinge couplers 130 may be provided and arranged at one side of the opening 1111 to be spaced apart in the up-down direction.

[0143] Further, the hinge couplers 130 may be disposed on both sides of the opening 1111. The door 120 may be coupled to hinge couplers 130 disposed on the left side of the opening 1111 or to hinge couplers 130 disposed on the right side of the opening 1111 as needed. Accordingly, in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, a rotation direction in which the door 120 opens and closes the opening 1111 may be selectively determined according to a location where the cabinet 110 is installed.

[0144] The cover panel 112 may be provided below the front panel 111 to be detachable from the front of the duct body 310.

[0145] A lower part of the cover panel 112 may be rotatably coupled to a lower part of the duct body 310 or a bottom panel of the cabinet 110, and an upper part thereof may be detachably coupled to an upper part of the duct body 310 or a lower part of the front panel 111. As a result, even when the cover panel 112 opens the duct body 310, the cover panel 112 may be prevented from being lost.

[0146] The duct body 310 may have a width corresponding to the width of the cabinet 110 so that a large flow may sufficiently move. In addition, a front opening of the duct body 310 may have a width corresponding to the width of the duct body 310, and the filter unit 4 may be detachably provided in the duct body 310. That is, when the cover panel 112 is opened, the filter unit 4 may be exposed to the outside. Therefore, when the cover panel 112 is opened, the filter unit 4 may be provided to be easily withdrawn through the front opening.

[0147] The filter unit 4 may be provided to allow air to pass therethrough and provided in a plate shape.

[0148] The filter unit 4 may be disposed to be inclined with respect to a height direction in the duct body 310. For example, the filter unit 4 may be provided such that an upper end forming an upper part and a lower end forming a lower part of the filter unit 4 are in close contact with the inner surface of the duct body 310, and the upper end may be disposed forward or backward relative to the lower end. As a result, a cross-sectional area of the filter unit 4 through which air passes is much larger than a cross-sectional area of the duct body 310 in the front-rear direction, thereby maximizing filtration performance.

[0149] The filter unit 4 may be disposed inside the duct body 310 such that the upper end is positioned further forward than the lower end. Accordingly, when the cover panel 112 is opened, it is easy for the user to clean foreign substances accumulated on the filter unit 4 that have fallen onto the bottom surface of the duct body 310 due to gravity or vibration caused by the driving of the drum 150. In addition, when the pressure sensor detects clogging of the filter unit 4 and the filter unit 4 is withdrawn through the front opening by opening the cover panel 112 for cleaning or replacement, the amount of foreign substances accumulated on the rear surface of the filter unit 4 is relatively small, thereby increasing convenience of withdrawal and hygiene.

[0150] When the pressure sensor detects clogging of the filter unit 4, the user

[0151] The filter unit 4 may include a frame coupled to an inner peripheral surface of the duct body 310 and a mesh member that shields the internal space of the frame and allows air to pass therethrough while filtering foreign substances.

[0152] The filter unit 4 may be detachably provided inside the duct body 310, and may be inserted into or withdrawn from the front opening of the duct body 310.

[0153] FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of an internal configuration of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, as viewed from the front.

[0154] The cabinet 110 may include a reinforcing frame 115 for fixing the side panels 113, disposed at one or more of the front and rear of the side panels 113.

[0155] The front panel 111 may be fixedly coupled to the reinforcing frame 115.

[0156] The rotatable drum 150 may be disposed inside the cabinet 110. The drum 150 may be provided with an inlet 1531 communicating with the opening 1111 at the front.

[0157] The drying body 10 may further include a housing 140 accommodated inside the cabinet 110 to accommodate the drum 150.

[0158] Generally, in the case of a household dryer, the drum 150 may be provided in a cylindrical shape without through-holes on its circumferential surface, support plates for rotatably supporting the drum may be formed at the front and rear of the drum 150, and ducts for communicating air with the duct module 30 or the like may be installed on the support plates.

[0159] However, in the case of a commercial dryer, not only are the diameter and length of the drum 150 much larger than those of a household dryer, but there is also a high possibility that a larger amount of clothing will be input into the drum 150 compared to the household dryer.

[0160] Further, when a large amount of clothing is wet in the drum 150, the weight inside the drum 150 is much greater than that of the household dryer. Therefore, it is difficult to stably support the drum 150 with resin-based support plates generally applied to household dryers.

[0161] In addition, a sufficient flow rate should be secured to dry a large amount of clothing accommodated in the drum 150. However, with the resin-based support plates generally applied to household dryers, it is impossible to install a duct through which a corresponding flow may pass. Even if such a duct may be installed, a problem may arise where the front-to-rear length of the cabinet 110 becomes excessively long.

[0162] To improve this, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may accommodate the drum 150 through the housing 140 and stably support the drum 150 from the bottom surface.

[0163] The housing 140 may be made of a metal material to stably support a support 170 that supports the drum 150, and provided in a thickness greater than that of the cabinet 110.

[0164] In addition, the housing 140 may have a cross-sectional area larger than that of the drum 150 and be provided in a duct shape capable of moving air, thereby maximizing the flow rate of hot air supplied into the drum 150.

[0165] In addition, the housing 140 may be configured to receive air from the drying module 20 through the rear and guide the air to the duct module 30 from the front, thereby making it possible to omit the formation of a separate duct at the front of the drum 150 or on the front panel 111.

[0166] Specifically, the housing 140 may include an outlet on the bottom surface supporting at least a portion of the load of the drum 150, for discharging air introduced into the housing 140 to the duct module 30. The width of the outlet may be increased to the maximum up to the width of the bottom surface of the housing, and the width of the outlet in the front-rear direction may be sufficiently extended in the front-rear direction of the bottom surface of the housing. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may supply sufficient air to the housing 140 by securing the area of the outlet.

[0167] In addition, the drum 150 may be provided with discharge holes on a portion of its circumferential surface, so that even if the length of the drum 150 is extended to the front panel 111, air inside the drum 150 may be easily discharged to the outlet. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may secure a sufficient flow rate for drying a large amount of clothing as a commercial dryer.

[0168] Specifically, the housing 140 may be disposed between the cabinet 110 and the drum 130 to form a flow path through which air moves.

[0169] The housing 140 may be provided to accommodate the drum 150 and provided in a duct shape to prevent hot air supplied to the drum 150 from leaking out of the cabinet 110.

[0170] The housing 140 may be provided to open the front and rear of the drum 150, while shielding the drum 150 along a circumferential direction.

[0171] The rear of the housing 140 may communicate with the drying module 20, and the front thereof may be provided to contact the front panel 111. Accordingly, hot air supplied from the drying module 20 may be guided to the front of the drum 150.

[0172] In addition, the housing 140 may be provided to communicate with the duct module 30. To allow hot air supplied from the drying module 20 to sufficiently move to the front of the drum 150, the housing 140 and the duct module 30 may be provided to communicate at a position closer to the front panel than to the rear panel of the cabinet 110.

[0173] The drying body 10 may further include the support 170 rotatably supporting the drum 150 inside the cabinet 110. Accordingly, even when the drum 150 is heavy or contains a large amount of clothing, it may stably rotate inside the cabinet 110 without a vibration or position change equal to greater than a threshold.

[0174] At least a portion of the support 170 may be seated in and supported by the housing 140. To this end, the housing 140 may be fixedly seated on the duct module 30.

[0175] Supports 170 may be disposed on the bottom surface of the housing 140 and the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150, or at both lower sides of the drum 150, respectively.

[0176] The housing 140 may be provided in a shape different from that of the drum 150, as long as it accommodates the drum 150 and may guide hot air to the front of the drum 150.

[0177] For example, while the drum 150 is provided with a circular cross-section in a radial direction, the housing 140 may be provided with a polygonal cross-section in the height direction.

[0178] The hinge coupler 130 may be coupled and fixed to the housing 140.

[0179] Hinge couplers 130 may be coupled to both side surfaces of the housing 140, and by being coupled to the inner surface of the housing 140, they may not interfere with the coupling between the housing 140 and the side panels 113 of the cabinet.

[0180] The housing 140 may be made of a metallic material and provided to support the support 170 and the hinge coupler 130.

[0181] The housing 140 may support the driving unit 160 from the outside of the housing 140.

[0182] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a sealing structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0183] The housing 140 may be provided such that its front is open to facilitate the installation or replacement of the drum 150 inside the housing 140.

[0184] The clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a sealing unit 180 provided in the drying body 10 to prevent hot air or steam supplied from the drying module 20 from leaking out of the cabinet 110.

[0185] Specifically, the sealing unit 180 may include a front sealer 181 coupled to the housing 140.

[0186] The front sealer 181 may be provided to seal between the front surface of the housing 140 and the inner surface of the front panel 111.

[0187] The front sealer 181 may be coupled along the periphery of the front surface of the housing 140. The front sealer 181 may be provided as an elastic member that is coupled and fixed to a distal end of the front surface of the housing 140.

[0188] The front sealer 181 may be provided to be contactable with the inner surface of the front panel 111.

[0189] The front surface of the housing 140 may be provided to have an area larger than the diameter of the drum 150 and the diameter of the opening 1111. Accordingly, the front sealer 181 may be disposed outside the opening 1111 and the drum 150.

[0190] In addition, since the housing 140 is a component fixed inside the cabinet 110, the front sealer 181 may maintain the housing 140 in the fixed state, when coupled to the housing 140. Therefore, the front sealer 181 may exert higher sealing performance than if it were coupled to a moving object such as the drum.

[0191] Since the front sealer 181 is disposed along the front periphery of the housing 140, components such as the support 170 and the hinge coupler 130 may be disposed inside the front sealer 181.

[0192] The duct module 30 may be disposed outside the front sealer 181.

[0193] The front sealer 181 may prevent hot air from leaking between the outside of the housing 140 and the inner surface of the cabinet 110, while the inside of the housing 140 communicates with the drying module 20 so that hot air moves.

[0194] FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of an arrangement position of the driving unit of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0195] The driving unit 160 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may be seated on and supported by the top of the housing 140. The housing 140 may be made of a metallic material to stably support the driving unit 160.

[0196] The driving unit 160 may be provided as a belt / pulley type to rotate the drum 150. Therefore, when the driving unit 160 is disposed above the drum 150, a belt wound around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150 may also provide a force for supporting the drum 150.

[0197] Accordingly, even if a large amount of clothing or high-weight clothing is input in a wet state into the drum 150, the drum 150 may stably rotate inside the housing 140.

[0198] In addition, the tension of a belt connecting the driving unit 160 and the drum 150 may be stably maintained by the load of the drum 150 even as time elapses.

[0199] Specifically, the driving unit 160 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include a driving motor 161 providing power to rotate the drum 150, a belt 162 provided to be rotated by the driving motor 161 and contacting the outer circumferential surface of the drum 150, and fixing portions 163 and 164 for fixing the driving motor 161 to the top of the housing 140.

[0200] The fixing portions 163 and 164 may include a front fixing portion 163 disposed in front of the driving motor 161 and seated on the top surface of the housing 140, and a rear fixing portion 164 disposed behind the driving motor 161 to face the front fixing portion 163.

[0201] The front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 may also serve to fix both side panels 113 of the cabinet.

[0202] The driving unit 160 may further include a swing portion 165 coupled to the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 to support the driving motor 161. The swing portion 165 may be provided such that its one side is rotatably coupled to the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 in the height direction, and its other side supports the driving motor 161. Accordingly, when the drum 150 vibrates or its position slightly varies during rotation, the swing portion 165 may reciprocate accordingly, thereby preventing excessive shock from being transmitted to the driving motor 161 and sudden changes in the tension of the belt 161.

[0203] The top surface of the housing 140 is spaced downward from a top panel of the cabinet to secure a space where the driving unit 160 may be installed.

[0204] That is, while the bottom and both side surfaces of the housing 140 may be provided in a flat plate shape, the top surface of the housing 140 may be provided in a polygonal shape such as a trapezoid.

[0205] For example, the housing 140 may be provided such that both sides are lower than a central portion according to the shape of the drum 150, thereby securing a space for installing the driving unit 160 between the drum 150 and the cabinet 110.

[0206] The housing 140 may include a top surface 143 disposed above the drum 150 to support the driving unit 160.

[0207] The top surface 143 may include inclined surfaces 1431 extending from the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110 toward above the drum 150 such that their heights increase.

[0208] The inclined surfaces 1431 are provided such that their heights decrease as they extend from a central portion of the drum 150 toward the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110, thereby securing a space for installing the driving unit 160 at both upper ends of the drum 150.

[0209] In addition, the top surface 143 may include an extension surface 1432 extending from top ends of the inclined surfaces 1431 toward above the drum 150 such that its height is maintained.

[0210] The inclined surfaces 1431 and the extension surface 1432 may be provided as flat plates without curves. Accordingly, even if a portion with a varying height is provided on the top surface 143, the occurrence of an area where residual stress is concentrated may be prevented.

[0211] Due to the extension surface 1432, the inclined surfaces 1431 are prevented from being excessively extended or having excessively high top ends, and the front fixing portion 163 and the rear fixing portion 164 may be stably supported with left-right balance.

[0212] The inclined surfaces 1431 may be provided to extend from both ends of the extension surface 1432 toward the side panels 113 such that their heights decrease, and may be formed symmetrically with respect to the extension surface 1432.

[0213] The housing 140 may further include a bottom surface 141 supporting the support 170 and disposed on the duct module 30, and both side surfaces 142 extending upward from both sides of the bottom surface 141 to face the side panels 113 and be fixed to the side panels 113. The top surface 143 may be provided to connect both of the side surfaces 142 to each other.

[0214] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a rear structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0215] The drying module 10 may further include a rear support unit 172 on the rear surface thereof to rotatably support the drum 150.

[0216] The rear support unit 172 may form a center of rotation about which the drum 150 rotates, and may function as a rotation axis of the drum 150.

[0217] The rear support unit 172 may be coupled and fixed to a rear panel 114 forming the rear surface of the cabinet 110.

[0218] The rear panel 114 may be coupled and fixed to both of the side panels 113 of the cabinet 110 and the rear surface of the housing 140.

[0219] The rear support unit 172 may include a rotation shaft 1721 coupled to the rear center of rotation of the drum 150, and a bracket 1722 fixing the rotation shaft 1721 to the rear panel 114.

[0220] The sealing unit 180 may further include a rear sealer 182 that seals between the rear surface of the drum 150 and the rear panel 114.

[0221] The bracket 1722 may be fixed to the inner surface of the rear panel 114 and made of a metallic material having a greater rigidity or greater thickness than the rear panel 114. The rotation shaft 1721 may have one end rotatably coupled to the bracket 1722 and the other end coupled to the drum 150 so as to rotate integrally with the drum 150.

[0222] The rotation shaft 1721 may serve to rotatably support the drum 150, and the power for directly rotating the drum 150 may be provided by the driving unit 160. As a result, a separate component of the driving unit 160 is not provided between the rear of the drum 150 and the rear panel 114, thereby allowing for a larger volume of the drum 150 to be secured and further reducing the distance between the drying module 20 and the drum 150.

[0223] The driving unit 160 may be disposed closer to the rear of the drum 150 than to the front of the drum 150. Specifically, the driving unit 160 may be disposed closer to the rear panel 114 than to the front panel 111. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the driving unit 160 from interfering with discharge holes provided in the drum 150, which will be described later.

[0224] FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of a drum structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0225] The housing 140 may be provided in a case shape that is open at the front to accommodate the drum 150.

[0226] The housing 140 may also be provided such that the rear is open. For example, the housing 140 may include the bottom surface 141, the two side surfaces 142, and the top surface 143.

[0227] The rear surface of the housing 140 may serve as an inlet through which air from the drying module 20 is introduced. In addition, a through-hole provided through the bottom surface 141 of the housing 140 may be provided as an outlet 1411 for discharging air to the duct module 30.

[0228] The outlet 1411 may be provided in a slit shape passing through the bottom surface 141 longer in the width direction than in the front-rear direction.

[0229] The drum 150 may be inserted from the front of the housing 140 and coupled to the rear support unit 172 coupled to the rear panel 114.

[0230] The drum 150 may include a drum body 151 provided in a cylindrical shape to provide a space for accommodating laundry.

[0231] The drum 150 may further include a front body 153 coupled to the front of the drum body 151 to maintain the shape of the drum body 151 and prevent laundry from being arbitrarily discharged from the drum body 151.

[0232] The front body 153 may be provided in a ring shape to form an inlet 1531 at a center through which the laundry is put in.

[0233] The drum 150 may include a lifter 156 coupled to the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 151 to lift and lower the laundry, and may further include a drum rear surface coupled to the rear of the drum body 151 and fixed to the rear support unit 172.

[0234] The drum 150 may further include discharge holes 154 through which hot air may move through the drum body 151.

[0235] A plurality of the discharge holes 154 may be provided along the circumference of the drum body 151. The discharge holes 154 may be disposed more toward the front than the rear of the drum body 151. Accordingly, hot air introduced into the drum body 151 may move as far as possible to the front of the drum body 151 to dry more laundry.

[0236] The outlet 1411 may be disposed more toward the front of the bottom surface 141 than the rear thereof. The discharge holes 154 may be disposed in an area facing the outlet 1411. The discharge holes 154 may be provided to be much longer than the width of the outlet 1411 in the front-rear direction. However, at least some of the discharge holes 154 may be disposed more toward the front of the drum body 151 than the rear thereof so as to overlap the outlet 1411 in the height direction. Accordingly, air introduced into the drum body 151 may be discharged while moving as close as possible to the outlet 1411.

[0237] The discharge holes 154 and the outlet 1411 may serve as a flow path through which air may move. The discharge holes 154 may be provided in a length corresponding to the diameter of the drum 150, and the outlet 1411 may be provided in a width corresponding to the width of the bottom surface 141. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may omit a separate duct structure disposed in front of the drum 150 to guide air discharged from the drum 150 to the duct module 30, and may sufficiently secure a drying capacity suitable for a commercial dryer by extending the length of the drum 150 as much as possible while preventing the length of the cabinet 110 in the front-rear direction from being excessively increased.

[0238] FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of a drum rear structure of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0239] The drum 150 may include a rear body 152 coupled to the rear of the drum body 151 to form the rear surface of the drum 150. The rear body 152 may be provided in a disk shape to be coupled to the rear circumferential surface of the drum body 151.

[0240] The rear body 152 may prevent the laundry from escaping from the rear of the drum 150 and allow the drum 150 to rotate about the rotation shaft 1721.

[0241] The rear body 152 may be provided to face an exit through which hot air is discharged from the drying module 20.

[0242] The drum 150 may include a plurality of inlet holes 155 passing through the rear body 152 to introduce hot air into the drum body 151.

[0243] A coupler 157, which faces the rotation shaft 1721 and forms the center of rotation of the drum, may be disposed at the center of the rear body 152. The inlet holes 155 may be disposed between the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 and the outer circumferential surface of the coupler 157.

[0244] The rear body 152 may further include a plurality of radial ribs extending from the coupler 157 toward the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152, and the inlet holes 155 may be formed between the radial ribs. The rigidity of the rear body 152 may be further reinforced by the radial ribs.

[0245] The inlet holes 155 may be formed in an area recessed from the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 toward the drum body 151. The lifter 156 may be fixed such that its rear end is coupled to the front of the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152 and its other end is coupled to the rear surface of the front body 153.

[0246] The drum 150 may further include at least one of a bushing portion 158 for reinforcing the rigidity of the coupler 157 or a shaft coupling portion 159 coupled to the bushing portion 158 to fix the rotation shaft 1721.

[0247] The bushing portion 158 may be made of a material that is thicker than the coupler 157 or has a higher strength than the coupler 157 to stably support the rotation shaft 1721.

[0248] The shaft coupling portion 159 may be coupled to a free end of the rotation shaft 1721 and provided in a disk shape having a diameter larger than the diameter of the rotation shaft 1721. The shaft coupling portion 159 may be coupled to the bushing portion 158 over an area wider than the rotation shaft 1721, thereby preventing the rotation shaft 1721 from being detached or separated from the drum 150 even if an excessive load is applied to the rotation shaft 1721.

[0249] The shaft coupling portion 159 may also be made of a material that is thicker than the coupler 157 or has a higher strength than the coupler 157. The diameter of the shaft coupling portion 159 may be smaller than the diameter of the bushing portion 158.

[0250] Due to the bushing portion 158 and the shaft coupling portion 159, the rear body 152 may be made of a relatively thin and lightweight material, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the drum 150 and lowering the load on the driving unit 160 by reducing the moment of inertia for rotating the drum 150.

[0251] The rear body 152 may be bent backward from its inner circumferential surface to secure an area or space where the rear sealer 182 may be seated.

[0252] The rear sealer 182 may be provided to surround the outermost periphery of the inlet holes 155 and disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the rear body 152. The entire area of the exit of the drying module 20 may be disposed inside the rear sealer 182, and the rear sealer 182 may guide all of the supplied hot air to the inlet holes 155.

[0253] FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of the duct module of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0254] The duct module 30 may include the duct body 310 in which the filter unit 4 may be seated, the fan container 320 disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 to suck air using negative pressure, and the blowing fan 330 seated in the fan container 320 to generate the negative pressure.

[0255] The duct body 310 may be provided to provide a space therein through which air discharged from the housing 140 moves. The duct body 310 may be provided in a case shape, or may be provided as a combination of frames forming a rectangular parallelepiped and shielded by a plate covering the frames.

[0256] The duct body 310 may be made of a high-strength metallic material to support the drying body 10.

[0257] The fan container 320 may be seated in the duct body 310, or the fan container 320 may be disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 and disposed further back than the filter unit 4.

[0258] The fan container 320 may form a flow path that receives air from the front and discharges it to the rear. A fan fixing portion 340 for fixing the circulation fan 330 to the fan container 320 may be further included at the front of the fan container 320. Accordingly, even if the front of the fan container 320 is opened wider than the diameter of the circulation fan 330, the fan fixing portion 340 may prevent the circulation fan 330 from being detached from the fan container 320 and protect the circulation fan 330 from external shocks or foreign substances.

[0259] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed closer to the left or right side of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. This may reduce the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow, compared to when the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320.

[0260] The duct module 30 may further include a partition panel 313 disposed in front of the fan container 320 in the duct body 310 to partition the duct body 310 in the front-rear direction.

[0261] The partition panel 313 may be provided to shield an area of an open portion of the fan container 320 excluding an inlet area, and fix the fan container 320 within the duct body 310.

[0262] The fan fixing portion 340 may be coupled and fixed to the partition panel 313. The fan fixing portion 340 may be disposed to face the circulation fan 330, and an area of the fan fixing portion 340 facing the center of the circulation fan 330 may be perforated to serve as an inlet through which air is introduced into the fan container 320.

[0263] FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of installing the circulation fan in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure.

[0264] Referring to FIG. 14(a), the fan container 320 may include a seating portion 321 having a space in which the circulation fan 330 is installed and into which air introduced into the duct body 310 is sucked, and a connection portion 322 extending to the rear of the seating portion 321 or disposed at the rear of the seating portion 321 to form a flow path for delivering air discharged by the circulation fan 330 to the drying module 20.

[0265] The seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 may be made of a material that may be manufactured by a foaming method. Accordingly, even if the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are provided in complex structures to form flow paths therein, they may be manufactured to be thicker than when manufactured from metal or resin-based materials. As a result, even if the circulation fan 330 is large enough to generate a large flow, the fan container 320 may absorb noise, durability of the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 against a high flow velocity may be secured, and the overall weight of the fan container 320 may be significantly reduced.

[0266] In addition, a material that may be manufactured by the foaming method generally has a very low thermal conductivity. Therefore, even if the fan container 320 is large in volume and high-temperature hot air moves inside it, a heat loss rate may be significantly reduced compared to when manufactured from metal or resin-based materials.

[0267] The seating portion 321 may have an open surface formed at the front through which air is introduced and moves. The seating portion 321 may have a space for accommodating the circulation fan 330 on one side thereof, and a flow path for guiding air supplied from the circulation fan 330 in the width direction of the duct body 310 on the other side thereof.

[0268] The partition panel 313 may be coupled to the front of the seating portion 321 and provided to shield a portion of the open surface of the seating portion 321 excluding a protective panel.

[0269] The connection portion 322 may be disposed at the rear of the other side of the seating portion 321 and extend to the front of the drying module 20. The connection portion 322 may have a flow path therein through which air moves, and an outlet through which air is discharged on the rear surface thereof.

[0270] The connection portion 322 may be provided separately from the seating portion 321 and coupled and fixed to the rear of the seating portion 321 through a press-fit method or a fastening member. Thus, even if the extension directions of flow paths formed inside the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are different from each other, they may be manufactured by a foaming method without difficulty.

[0271] The circulation fan 330 may include an impeller 331 that generates power to move air, and a fan motor 332 coupled to the impeller 331 to rotate the impeller 331.

[0272] Referring to FIG. 14(b), the circulation fan 330 may be coupled to and supported by at least one of the seating portion 321 or the connection portion 322. In this case, when the seating portion 321 and the connection portion 322 are made of a foam-moldable material rather than metal or resin-based materials, the rigidity for supporting the circulation fan 330 may be insufficient.

[0273] To this end, the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure may include the fan fixing portion 340 coupled to the fan container 320 to fix an installation position of the circulation fan 330.

[0274] The fan fixing portion 340 may be made of a material having a higher strength than a foam material.

[0275] For example, the fan fixing portion 340 may include a fixing plate 341 provided in the shape of a metal plate that may be seated on a second body 312 and extend upward to be fixed.

[0276] The impeller 331 may be disposed in front of the fixing plate 341 and positioned inside the fan container 320, and the fan motor 332 may be disposed behind the fixing plate 341 and positioned outside the fan container 320.

[0277] The fixing plate 341 may further include a through-hole through which the fan motor 332 may pass. Accordingly, the circulation fan 330 may be coupled to the fixing plate 341 by inserting the fan motor through the through-hole of the fixing plate 341.

[0278] The fan fixing portion 340 may further include a seating plate 342 disposed between the fan motor 332 and the impeller 331 and coupled to the fixing plate. The seating plate 342 may be provided to shield the through-hole and fix the circulation fan 330 to the fixing plate 341.

[0279] FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment of the exterior of the drying module 20.

[0280] Referring to FIG. 15(a), the drying module 20 may include a case 210 disposed at the rear of the drying body 10 and the duct module 30. The case 210 may be disposed at the rear of the cabinet 110.

[0281] The case 210 may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and have a height equal to or smaller than the overall height of the cabinet 110.

[0282] Referring to FIG. 15(b), the case 210 may include the flow path forming unit 220 forming a flow path for receiving air from the duct module 30 and supplying it to the drying body 10, and an auxiliary flow path unit 230 disposed at one side of the flow path forming unit 220 to form a flow path through which the case 210 communicates with external air. The flow path forming unit 220 and the auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be partitioned from each other so that air does not move between them.

[0283] A plurality of heat exchangers for dehumidifying and heating air may be installed inside the flow path forming unit 220, and electrical components such as a compressor for supplying refrigerant to the heat exchangers for heat exchange with air may be installed in the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0284] The flow path forming unit 220 may be provided inside the case 210 to communicate with the duct module 30 and the housing 140 or the drum 150 of the drying body 10, thereby forming a flow path through which air from the drum 150 is circulated.

[0285] The flow path forming unit 220 may be formed to extend in the height direction inside the case 210.

[0286] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be disposed at one side of the flow path forming unit 220.

[0287] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be provided in a height corresponding to the height of the flow path forming unit 220, but in a width smaller than the width of the flow path forming unit 220. Accordingly, a sufficient flow rate flowing through the flow path forming unit 220 may be secured.

[0288] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be separated from the drying body 10 and the duct module 30 and provided to communicate only with external air. Accordingly, the auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be blocked from being heated by hot air or exposed to foreign substances discharged from the drum 150. As a result, electrical components may be installed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 and operate stably.

[0289] The flow path forming unit 220 may be provided in a duct shape disposed inside the case 210 so that air may flow therethrough.

[0290] However, to simplify the configuration of the drying module 20 and reduce the weight of the drying module 20, the flow path forming unit 220 may be automatically formed by the configuration of the case 210. For example, the flow path forming unit 220 may be automatically formed through the arrangement of a front panel 219 forming the front surface of the case 210, a rear panel 212, a partition panel 218, and side panels 211.

[0291] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may be automatically formed through the arrangement of the front panel 219, an auxiliary panel 214, the partition panel 218, and the side panels 211.

[0292] The auxiliary panel 214 may include a plurality of through-holes formed in the height direction so as to communicate with external air.

[0293] Referring back to FIG. 15(a), the case 210 may include the side panels 211 forming both sides and the rear panel 212 coupled to the side panels 211 to form the rear of the case 210.

[0294] The rear panel 212 may be provided to form the rear surface of the flow path forming unit 220 and to block the flow path forming unit 220 from being exposed to the outside. In this case, the case 210 may further include the auxiliary panel 214 disposed at one side of the rear panel 212 to form the rear surface of the auxiliary flow path unit 230 and to block the auxiliary flow path unit 230 from being exposed to the outside.

[0295] The auxiliary panel 214 and the rear panel 212 may form the rear surface of the case.

[0296] The case 210 may further include a detachable panel 213 detachably provided on the rear panel 212 to expose the internal heat exchangers to the outside. Accordingly, even without separating the entire rear panel 212 from the case 210, only the detachable panel 213 may be separated from the rear panel 212 to clean, repair, or replace the heat exchangers.

[0297] The rear panel 212 may be provided with a perforated area on the rear surface where the heat exchangers are installed, and the detachable panel 213 may be detachably coupled to the perforated area of the rear panel 212.

[0298] FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of an internal configuration of the drying module.

[0299] FIG. 16(a) illustrates the internal configuration of the case 210 in the drying module, as viewed from the rear, and FIG. 16(b) illustrates the internal configuration of the case 210 in the drying module, as viewed from the front.

[0300] Referring to FIG. 16(a), the drying module 20 may include the heat exchange unit 240 seated inside the case 210 to generate hot air by dehumidifying and heating air supplied from the duct module 30.

[0301] The heat exchange unit 240 may include the evaporator 241 disposed in the flow path forming unit 220 to cool the air supplied from the duct module 20, and the condenser 242 to heat the air that has passed through the evaporator 241.

[0302] The evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 may be disposed inside the flow path forming unit 220 and arranged in a vertical direction within the flow path forming unit 220. The condenser 242 may be spaced apart from and disposed above the evaporator 241.

[0303] The heat exchange unit 240 may further include a compressor 243 that receives refrigerant from the evaporator 241, heats it, and delivers it to the condenser 242, and an expansion valve 244 that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 to reduce the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant. The compressor 243 and the expansion valve 244 may be disposed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be separated from the flow path forming unit 220.

[0304] The heat exchange unit 240 may further include an auxiliary heat exchanger 245 connected to the condenser 241 and the evaporator 242 to exchange heat between the refrigerant and external air, and a switching valve 246 for selecting whether the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 241 is to be supplied to either the expansion valve 244 or the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0305] The auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may also be disposed inside the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be separated from the flow path forming unit 220.

[0306] The auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may be disposed above the compressor 243, and the compressor 243 may be seated on the bottom surface of the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0307] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may further include an auxiliary fan 231 that induces external air to come into contact with the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0308] The auxiliary fan 231 may be disposed above the auxiliary heat exchanger 245. Accordingly, when the auxiliary fan 231 is driven, the external air may cool the compressor 243 while moving to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245.

[0309] The drying module 20 may further include a control panel 232 that provides commands to perform a drying cycle by controlling at least one of the auxiliary fan 231, the compressor 243, the expansion valve 244, or the switching valve 246. The control panel 232 may be installed in the auxiliary flow path unit 230 to be prevented from being exposed to hot air passing through the flow path forming unit 220. The control panel 232 may be disposed in a plate shape facing either the front or the rear of the auxiliary flow path unit 230. Accordingly, when the auxiliary fan 231 is driven, the control panel 232 may also be cooled by external air and prevented from obstructing the movement of the external air supplied to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 in the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0310] The auxiliary flow path unit 230 may further include an auxiliary partition plate 233 that blocks air passing through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 from approaching the control panel 232. The auxiliary partition plate 233 may be disposed between the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the control panel 232 and extend to an area where the auxiliary fan 231 is disposed.

[0311] Referring to FIG. 16(b), the front panel 219 forming the front of the flow path forming unit 230 may be disposed at the front of the flow path forming unit 230 and disposed spaced apart from the front of the auxiliary flow path unit 230.

[0312] Alternatively, the case 210 may further include an additional panel 219 forming the front surface of the flow path forming unit 230 by connecting the partition panel 218 and a side panels 211 at the rear of the front panel 219.

[0313] While the following description is given based on an embodiment including the additional panel 219, the same may be applied to an embodiment including only the front panel 219.

[0314] The additional panel 219 may include an inlet 215 disposed at a lower portion of the flow path forming unit 220 through which air that has passed through the duct module 30 is introduced, and an outlet 216 disposed above the inlet 215 through which air that has passed through the condenser 242 is discharged.

[0315] The inlet 215 may be disposed at a position facing the fan container 320 below the evaporator 241, and the outlet 216 may be disposed at a position facing the interior of the housing 140 or the rear body 152 of the drum 150 on the rear panel 114 of the cabinet 110.

[0316] Accordingly, air discharged from the outlet of the connection portion 322 may be introduced through the inlet 215, rise by the power of the circulation fan 330, sequentially passes through the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 to be dehumidified and heated, and then be discharged through the outlet 216 into the housing 140 and the drum 150.

[0317] As air is cooled, moisture may be condensed in the evaporator 241, and the condensed water may drop from the evaporator 241 and be collected on the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220.

[0318] The drying module 20 may include a drainage unit 250 communicating with the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220 to discharge the condensed water.

[0319] The drainage unit 250 may include a drainage body 251 disposed on the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit 220 to collect water, and a drainage pipe 254 extending from a lower portion of the drainage body 251 to the outside of the case 210 to discharge water. The drainage unit 250 may prevent the water condensed in the flow path forming unit 220 from re-evaporating and re-entering the drum 150, and prevent the interior of the flow path forming unit 220 from decaying.

[0320] The drying module 20 may further include a cleaner capable of spraying water onto the evaporator 241 to wash away foreign substances or residual bacteria accumulated on the evaporator 241, and a water supply 260 for supplying water to the cleaner.

[0321] The cleaner may be provided to spray water toward the evaporator 241 from below the evaporator 241. Additionally, the evaporator 241 may be disposed to be inclined, which may not only increase a heat exchange area to improve drying performance but also guide the water sprayed from the cleaner to move along a surface of the evaporator 241 to wash away foreign substances.

[0322] The drainage unit 250 may discharge all of the water sprayed from the cleaner and the foreign substances separated from the evaporator 241 to the outside of the drying module 20.

[0323] The water supply 260 may also use water condensed in the evaporator 241.

[0324] Alternatively, the water supply 260 may be provided to receive direct water from an external water source and supply it to the cleaner.

[0325] The water supply 260 may include a water supply valve 261 communicating with an external water source, and a water supply pipe 262 connected from the water supply valve 261 to the cleaner to supply the water to the cleaner.

[0326] The control panel 280 may also be provided to control the water supply valve 261.

[0327] FIG. 17 is a simplified diagram illustrating a structure in which the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 of the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is installed.

[0328] FIG. 17 illustrates a state in which the switching valve 246 uses the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as an evaporator. However, the switching valve 246 may change a flow path state to a state in which the auxiliary heat exchanger is used as a condenser.

[0329] Using the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as an evaporator may correspond to a state in which the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 passes through the switching valve 246 and the expansion valve 244 and is then guided to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245. Using the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as a condenser may correspond to a state in which the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 242 is guided directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 via the switching valve 246.

[0330] Since the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure is provided as a commercial dryer, there is a need to quickly dry a large amount of laundry. To this end, it may be considered for the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure to further increase the cross-sectional area of the evaporator 241 to quickly supply hot air from the beginning of a drying cycle, and to further increase the cross-sectional area of the condenser 242 to supply high-temperature hot air during the middle and end of the drying cycle.

[0331] However, when the areas of the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242 are excessively increased, the volume of the drying module 20 may be excessively increased.

[0332] Moreover, while an increase in the area of the evaporator 241 may initially help in heating the compressor 243, if the compressor 243 operates normally, an excessive amount of heat may be supplied to the compressor 243, potentially overheating the compressor 243.

[0333] In addition, while an increase in the area of the condenser 242 may help to quickly supply sufficient hot air at the beginning of a drying cycle, if the compressor 243 operates normally, an excessive amount of heat may be supplied into the drum 150, which may damage laundry and collectively increase temperature across an entire circulation flow path, leading to a decrease in a coefficient of performance.

[0334] To address this, the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and the switching valve 246 may be further disposed in the clothing treatment device of the present disclosure, so that the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 may be converted and used as either the evaporator 241 or the condenser 242 as needed.

[0335] For example, at the beginning of the drying cycle, the control panel 280 may control the switching valve 246 to use the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as the evaporator 241. Specifically, the switching valve 246 may guide the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 242 to the expansion valve 244, and the refrigerant that has passed through the expansion valve 244 may pass through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and then flow into the evaporator 241.

[0336] In this process, the refrigerant may absorb heat from external air in the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 and then flow back into the evaporator 241 to absorb heat from air flowing through the flow path forming unit 220. As a result, the energy of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 243 may increase further, allowing the compressor 243 to operate normally and shortening a time required to increase the pressure of the refrigerant.

[0337] When the compressor 243 operates normally, such as during the middle or end of the drying cycle, the control panel 280 may control the switching valve 246 to use the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 as the condenser 242. Specifically, the switching valve 246 may guide the refrigerant delivered from the condenser 242 directly to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245, and the refrigerant that has passed through the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 may flow into the evaporator 241 after passing through the expansion valve 244.

[0338] In this process, the refrigerant may heat air flowing through the flow path forming unit 220 by discharging heat in the condenser 242, and then move to the auxiliary heat exchanger 245 to discharge some of the remaining heat back to external air. Accordingly, the refrigerant, in a state where its enthalpy has significantly dropped, may be lowered to a sufficient temperature and pressure while passing through the expansion valve 244 and then introduced into the evaporator 241. As a result, it is possible to prevent the heat exchange unit 240 from overheating and to prevent the coefficient of performance from decreasing by ensuring a larger temperature difference between the evaporator 241 and the condenser 242.

[0339] FIG. 18 illustrates an example of the duct module 30.

[0340] The duct module 30 may include the duct body 310 provided with an inlet 315 for receiving air from the drum 150 and an outlet 316 for discharging the air received from the inlet 315, the circulation fan 330 disposed to communicate with the outlet 316 to move the air in the duct module 310, and the fan container 320 providing a space in which the circulation fan 330 is seated.

[0341] The inlet 315 and the outlet 316 may be provided regardless of their locations, such as on the top surface, bottom surface, or side surfaces of the duct body 310, and the flow of air moved through the duct body 310 may extend in one direction, have its direction changed at least once, or recirculate.

[0342] The inlet 315 may be positioned to receive air from the drum 150 in a first direction, and the outlet 316 may be positioned to discharge the air received from the inlet 315 in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0343] The duct body 310 may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, with the inlet 315 provided on a first surface and the outlet 316 provided on a second surface that shares one corner with the first surface.

[0344] The duct body 310 may include an opening 350 therein. The opening 350 may serve as a communication port through which air received from the drum 150 flows into the inlet 315 and is discharged through the outlet 316.

[0345] It is sufficient for the opening 350 to be provided so as to cross the flow cross-section of air moving through the duct body 310, and a plurality of openings may be provided.

[0346] Air discharged from the drum 150 and delivered to the duct module 30 may contain foreign substances such as lint discharged from clothing. To prevent air containing foreign substances from being delivered to the drying module 20 and lowering the coefficient of performance of the heat exchange unit 240 or deteriorating hygiene, the filter unit 4 for filtering air, which will be described later, may be provided in the opening 350.

[0347] A plurality of the filter units 4 may be formed in the duct body 310 and have the same or different structures.

[0348] FIG. 19 is an exploded view illustrating a first filter 4a as an embodiment of the filter unit 4.

[0349] The first filter 4a may be used for the purpose of filtering air not only in the clothing treatment device 1 having the above-described structure but also in any product including a duct forming a flow path through which air moves.

[0350] The first filter 4a may be provided to include a frame unit F formed along the periphery of the opening 350, a mesh screen 41 with edges fixed by the frame unit F to filter air, and a shape retainer 44 inserted into the frame unit F to maintain the shape of the frame F.

[0351] The frame unit F may include an inner frame 6 formed along the periphery of the opening 350 and fixed to the duct module 30, and an outer frame 5 coupled to the inner frame 6 and exposed toward the outside of the duct module 30.

[0352] The shape retainer 44 may be provided to extend along the periphery of the opening 350 and be interposed between the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5.

[0353] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having a higher rigidity than at least one of the inner frame 6 or the outer frame 5 to prevent deformation of the frame unit F.

[0354] The mesh screen 41 may provide tension toward the inside of the frame unit F in response to a tensile force pulling its edges by the frame unit F. Accordingly, a torsional moment may be generated in the frame unit F due to the tension of the mesh screen 41. The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having a torsional rigidity or higher that may resist the torsional moment generated in the frame unit F, thereby preventing twisting of the frame unit F.

[0355] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of the frame unit F, and FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating the manufacturing process of the frame unit F. The manufacturing process of the frame unit F will be described below with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21.

[0356] The frame unit F may be manufactured by a manufacturing method including an extrusion step S1 of continuously extruding a product with a constant cross-section by heating a material forming the frame unit F at a high temperature, a cutting step S2 of cutting the material that has undergone the extrusion step S1 to fit the length of each side of the opening 350, and a fusion step S3 of connecting the ends of the material that has undergone the cutting step S2 by heating and thermal fusion to correspond to the shape of the opening 350.

[0357] Therefore, since the frame unit F in the form of a closed curve formed along the periphery of the opening 350 is not integrally produced by injection molding or the like, initial mold manufacturing costs are reduced and the range of material selection for the frame unit F is expanded.

[0358] In addition, since it is processed using only compressive and shear stresses, the degree of freedom in shape is improved when a cross-section for fixing the shape retainer 44 and / or the mesh screen 41 is formed inside the frame unit F.

[0359] A fusion line L1 may be generated on the frame unit F by fusion of the ends of each material. The fusion line L1 may not be clearly visually distinguished.

[0360] The fusion line L1 may be identified by the use of a polymerizing agent different from the material forming the frame unit F during the fusion process.

[0361] It is sufficient for the fusion line L1 to be distinguished from other portions in physical or chemical shape, structure, or physical properties by deformation of the ends of the material that has undergone the extrusion step S1 and the cutting step S2 due to physical forces such as heat. The fusion line L1 is sufficient as long as it may be recognized by a person skilled in the art as a feature caused by fusion.

[0362] The inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 may be manufactured separately with different cross-sections or materials.

[0363] FIG. 20(a) illustrates a method for manufacturing the outer frame 5, and FIG. 20(b) illustrates a method for manufacturing the inner frame 6.

[0364] The outer frame 5 may be manufactured in a manufacturing method including an outer frame extrusion step S1a, an outer frame cutting step S2a of cutting a material that has undergone the outer frame extrusion step S1a, and an outer frame fusion step S3a of heating and thermally fusing ends of the material.

[0365] An outer frame fusion line L11 may be formed on the outer frame 5 by the outer frame fusion step S3a.

[0366] A coupling magnet 42 generating a magnetic force may be accommodated inside the inner frame 6, and at least a portion of the duct module 30 may be provided as a magnetic body capable of being coupled to the coupling magnet 42, so that the inner frame 6 may be detachably fixed to the duct module 30.

[0367] Since the coupling magnet 42 may be accommodated in the inner frame 6, it may be manufactured as follows.

[0368] The inner frame 6 may be manufactured in a manufacturing method including an inner frame extrusion step S1b, an inner frame cutting step S2b of cutting a material that has undergone the inner frame extrusion step S1b, an insertion step S25 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated in the cut material, and an inner frame fusion step S3b of heating and thermally fusing ends of the material in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated.

[0369] That is, in the case of an attachment object such as the inner frame 6, since the coupling magnet 42 should be accommodated inside it, the insertion step S25 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated may be further included after the cutting step S2.

[0370] In order to prevent the separation of the coupling magnet 42 and ensure its attachment reliability, it is preferable that the coupling magnet 42 is inserted into a coupling magnet accommodation groove 62, which will be described later, separately formed inside the inner frame 6. Therefore, the insertion step S25 may be performed after the cutting step S2 and before the fusion step S3.

[0371] An inner frame fusion line L12 may be formed on the inner frame 6 by the inner frame fusion step S3b.

[0372] FIG. 22 illustrates an example of a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to an extrusion direction of the outer frame 5 (hereinafter, a cross-section), and FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a cross-section in a direction perpendicular to an extrusion direction of the inner frame 6 (hereinafter, a cross-section). The characteristics of the cross-sections of the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6 will be described below.

[0373] Concave-convex portions 51 and 61 may be formed to protrude or be recessed from contact surfaces where the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 face each other for coupling, and the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 may be coupled to each other by fitting the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 with each other.

[0374] At least one of the inner frame 6 or the outer frame 5 may be provided with shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 in which the shape retainer 44 is accommodated.

[0375] The edges of the mesh screen 41 may be fixed to the frame unit F by a pressing force generated by the fitting of the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 and the coupling of the shape retainer 44 and the frame unit F.

[0376] The concave-convex portions may include a first concave-convex portion 61 protruding from a surface of the inner frame 6 facing the outer frame 5, and a second concave-convex portion 51 recessed in a surface of the outer frame 5 facing the inner frame 6 to fit with the first concave-convex portion 61.

[0377] As the first concave-convex portion 61 is provided in a protruding shape, the degree of freedom for the position and shape of the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 may be increased.

[0378] The inner frame 6 may be disposed relatively downstream of air flowing through the duct module 30, compared to the outer frame 5.

[0379] The mesh screen 41 may apply an external force to the frame unit F in a downstream direction due to the air flow. In this case, when the first concave-convex portion 61 is provided in a protruding shape and the second concave-convex portion 51 is provided in a recessed shape, a force with which the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 support the mesh screen 41 in an upstream direction may be increased. Accordingly, the mesh screen 41 may be stably fixed to the frame unit F without excessive elongation.

[0380] The concave-convex portions 51 and 61 may include a plurality of protrusions protruding from a contact surface and a plurality of recesses fitting with the plurality of protrusions. The plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses may be arranged in a row along a direction crossing the extrusion (extension) direction of the frame unit F. The ease of manufacturing the frame unit F may be improved.

[0381] Preferably, on each side of the frame unit F, the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of recesses may be arranged in a row from an inner side toward an outer side of the frame. Accordingly, a coupling force through the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 is most effectively transmitted to the mesh screen 41, allowing the mesh screen 41 to be stably fixed to the frame unit F.

[0382] The shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 may be formed between the plurality of recesses and between the plurality of protrusions. Accordingly, when the shape retainer 44 is accommodated in the frame unit F, the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 are coupled in inner and outer directions of the frame unit F, thereby preventing the shape retainer 44 from being separated and stably fixing it.

[0383] A sealing rib 52 may be formed to protrude around the outer peripheral surface of the outer frame 5 and exposed to the outside of the duct module 30. When the first filter 4a is fixed to the opening, the sealing rib 52 may block air from flowing into a joint between the outer peripheral surface of the frame unit F and the opening 350.

[0384] An angle at which the sealing rib 52 protrudes from an edge of the frame unit F may be larger than an angle formed by the opening 350, in which the first filter 4a is mounted, with the inner surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the sealing rib 52 and the inner surface of the duct body 310 naturally come into contact and are pressurized, so that the flow of air may be efficiently blocked.

[0385] A handle 53 may be formed to protrude from at least a portion of the outer frame 5 to the outside of the duct module 30 so that the user may grip the handle 53.

[0386] The user may separate the frame unit F from the opening 350 by pulling the handle 53, which is exposed to the outside of the duct module 30, in an outward direction of the duct module 30. Usability may be improved because the user does not need to insert a finger into a narrow gap formed between the opening 350 and the outer peripheral surface of the frame unit F to remove the first filter 4a.

[0387] Not only the outer frame 5 but also the inner frame 6 may be pulled out at once by pulling the handle 53 by setting a coupling force generated by the fitting of the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 to be greater than an attachment force by which the coupling magnet 42 is attached to the duct module 30.

[0388] The protrusion angle and position of the handle 53 may be changed according to a position where the first filter 4a is disposed. The handle 53 may be provided such that a user of average height may grip the handle 53 within the range of motion of the arm without lifting the heels or bending the waist.

[0389] An anti-slip portion 531 may be provided on the handle 53 to improve usability for the user. The anti-slip portion 531 may be provided in a shape of a groove or protrusion matching a finger shape or a shape for preventing friction, and may be formed separately from the frame unit F and attached to the handle 53 afterward.

[0390] FIG. 22(a) illustrates an example of the outer frame 5 in which the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 are formed, and

[0391] FIG. 22(b) illustrates an example of the outer frame 5 in which the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 are not formed.

[0392] As illustrated in FIG. 23, the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 in which the coupling magnet may be accommodated may be formed in the inner frame 6. The coupling magnet 42 may be made of an elastic material to facilitate its accommodation in the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62.

[0393] FIG. 24 illustrates the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 provided in the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5.

[0394] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first concave-convex portion 61 is shown as a protrusion protruding from the contact surface in the inner frame 6, and a second concave-convex portion 51 is shown as a recess recessed from the contact surface in the outer frame 5. This is merely one embodiment of the present disclosure, and the protrusion and the recess may be interchangeably provided in the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6.

[0395] For convenience of description, the protrusion will be referred to as the first concave-convex portion 61 and the recess will be referred to as the second concave-convex portion 51 hereinafter.

[0396] The first concave-convex portion 61 may include a first extension 611 extending from the contact surface, and a second extension 612 extending from an end of the first extension 611.

[0397] The first extension 611 and the second extension 612 may have different shapes in a cross-section perpendicular to the extension direction of the frame unit F.

[0398] In a cross-section perpendicular to a protruding direction of the first concave-convex portion 61, it is preferable that at least a portion of the second extension 612 does not overlap with the first extension 611 in the protruding direction of the first concave-convex portion 61. Accordingly, even if an external force acts in a direction to separate them while the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51 are coupled, they may be prevented from being easily separated.

[0399] FIG. 24(a) illustrates an example 612a of the second extension 612 formed in a rounded shape.

[0400] The second extension 612 may be provided in a circular shape having a diameter larger than an extension width of the first extension 611.

[0401] Accordingly, at least a portion of an extending cross-section of the second extension 612 may be provided to be larger than an extending cross-section of the first extension 611, thereby preventing separation between the outer frame 5 and the inner frame 6.

[0402] FIG. 24(b) illustrates an example in which one side of the second extension 612 is provided in a hook shape 612b from the end of the first extension 611.

[0403] With reference to FIG. 25, when the second extension 612 is provided in the hook shape 612b, a direction in which the second extension 612 is bent from the first extension 611 will be described below.

[0404] FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-section taken along line D-D' crossing the inside and outside of the frame unit F having a closed curve shape. For convenience of description, a direction toward the outside of the frame unit F is referred to as an outward direction R1, and a direction toward the inside of the frame unit F is referred to as an inward direction R2.

[0405] In FIG. 25(a), in a pair of second extensions 612, one second extension 612 is shown as bent from the first extension 611 in the outward direction R1, and the other second extension 612 is shown as bent from the first extension 611 in the inward direction R2.

[0406] When the second extensions 612 are bent from the ends of first extensions 611 in directions facing each other as illustrated in FIG. 25(a), the edges of the mesh screen 41 may be prevented from being separated from the frame unit F.

[0407] For example, when the mesh screen 41 is pulled in the outward direction R1 or the inward direction R2, which is a direction in which it is separated from the frame unit F, the bent second extensions 612 may be deformed toward the center inside of the frame unit F by an elastic force of their material itself. Accordingly, a force with which the ends of the second extensions 612 bind the mesh screen 41 to the center of the frame unit F may be increased, thereby improving the fixing reliability of the mesh screen 41.

[0408] In FIG. 25(b), a pair of second extensions 612 are shown as bent from the first extensions 611 in the outward direction R1. When the second extensions 612 are arranged as illustrated in FIG. 25(b), it may be advantageous in resisting the tension of the mesh screen 41.

[0409] For example, when the mesh screen 41 filters air inside the drum 150, receives a force at its center portion, and thus transmits tension in the inward direction of the frame unit F, the second extensions 612 are arranged in the outward direction R2, and thus maximize a force resisting buckling deformation, thereby allowing the frame unit F to stably support the mesh screen 41.

[0410] In this case, when the first concave-convex portions 61 are formed as protrusions on the inner frame 6, the second extensions 612 may support the mesh screen 41 receiving a force in the downstream direction toward the upstream side, which may improve the binding reliability between the mesh screen 41 and the frame unit F.

[0411] FIG. 26 illustrates an example of the frame unit F. FIG. 26(a) illustrates the inner frame 6 viewed from the front of the opening 350, and FIG. 26(b) illustrates the outer frame 5 coupled to the inner frame 6.

[0412] The frame unit F illustrated in FIG. 26 is an example provided in a rectangular shape in which all internal angles are right angles and a pair of opposite sides are longer than the other pair of opposite sides.

[0413] For convenience of description, a pair of relatively long opposite sides will be referred to as a long side D1, and the remaining pair of relatively short opposite sides will be referred to as a short side D2 hereinafter.

[0414] The inner frame 6 has the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 formed in the extrusion step S1, and the coupling magnet 42 may be accommodated in each side that has undergone the cutting step S2 to match the length of each side of the opening 350.

[0415] When the ends of the sides accommodating the coupling magnet are fused, a specific fusion separation gap G may be formed between the coupling magnet 42 and each fused end to prevent the fusion from being hindered by the coupling magnet 42 or a coupling force from being reduced due to the fusion. Accordingly, the fusion separation gap G may be formed such that at least a portion thereof overlaps with the fusion line L1.

[0416] The fusion separation gap G may be formed at each corner of the inner frame 6 so that the coupling magnet 42 is interposed in the inner frame 6 so as to be discontinuous at the corners.

[0417] As illustrated in FIG. 26(b), when the mesh screen 41 and the outer frame 5 are coupled to the inner frame 6, the mesh screen 41 may be pressurized in an air flow direction (a direction penetrating the front of the opening 350), while its edges are pulled by the frame unit F. Accordingly, the frame unit F may receive tension in the inward direction R2.

[0418] When the frame unit F receives tension in the inward direction R2, the center portion of each side with a rigidity reinforced by the coupling magnet 42 may resist the tension. However, portions with fusion separation gaps G, in which rigidity is attenuated by the coupling magnet accommodation groove 62 and the coupling magnet 42 is not accommodated, may fail to resist the tension of the mesh screen 41 and become deformed. Therefore, the frame unit F may be deformed such that it is bent or folded based on the corners where the fusion separation gaps G are formed.

[0419] Moreover, when twisting occurs in each side due to the tension of the mesh screen 41, a twist angle F1 occurring on the long side D1 may be larger than a twist angle F2 occurring on the short side D2 because the twist angle is proportional to the length of the side.

[0420] Accordingly, as the long side D1 twists, the frame unit F may be deformed as if folded based on a pair of opposite corners.

[0421] FIG. 27 illustrates an example of the shape retainer 44. FIG. 27(a) illustrates the shape retainer 44 viewed from the front of the opening 350, and FIG. 27(b) illustrates a cross-section of the shape retainer 44 that forms a closed curve, taken along line F-F' crossing from the inside to the outside of the shape retainer 44.

[0422] The shape retainer 44 may be provided in the form of a round bar extending along the circumference of the opening 350.

[0423] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a metallic material and include at least one welding line L2 generated by welding ends thereof to form a closed curve.

[0424] The welding line L2 may not be clearly distinguishable by appearance. However, it may be identified by a form that physically protrudes unevenly on a surface due to welding, a mark from grinding an uneven surface, a discoloration mark from heat treatment, or a surface treatment mark.

[0425] Even if the welding line L2 is not noticeable in appearance, it may be distinguished by having a density or thickness that is somewhat non-uniform or different compared to other portions. The welding line L2 is sufficient as long as those skilled in the art may recognize it as a feature generated by welding

[0426] A welded joint of the welding line L2 on the shape retainer 44 may have a lower strength than other portions. Accordingly, the welding line L2 may be provided at a point that does not overlap with the fusion separation gap G or the fusion line L1, thereby avoiding deformation concentrated at the fusion separation gap G or the fusion line L1.

[0427] When the frame unit F is provided in a rectangular shape in which all internal angles are right angles and a pair of opposite sides are longer than the other pair of opposite sides, the welding line L2 may be formed at a portion inserted into the short side D2 among the sides of the frame unit F.

[0428] As described above, when twisting occurs in each side due to the tension of the mesh screen 41, the twist angle is proportional to the length of the side. Since the twist angle F1 occurring on the long side D1 is larger than the twist angle F2 occurring on the short side D2, forming the welding line L2 on the short side D2 may prevent a strong load from acting on the welding line L2 with a relatively low strength, thereby improving the reliability of the strength of the shape retainer 44.

[0429] When the opening 350 is provided in a polygonal shape, a corner portion 441 of the shape retainer 44 may be formed to be curved with a radius R. Accordingly, when an external force is applied to the shape retainer 44, it is possible to prevent breakage due to load concentration on the corner portion 441.

[0430] The shape retainer 44 may be made of a material having at least a rigidity to withstand the tension of the mesh screen 41 and a torsional rigidity or higher to resist the torsional moment of the frame unit F generated by the tension applied by the mesh screen 41 to the frame unit F. Thus, as described above, it is possible to prevent the long side D1 from twisting and the frame unit F from deforming as if folded based on a pair of opposite corners.

[0431] FIG. 28 illustrates assembly of the frame unit F, the mesh screen 41, and the shape retainer 44.

[0432] The shape retainer 44 may be inserted into the center of the frame unit F. That is, a length t1 from a contact surface P of the outer frame 5 to an end of the outer frame 5 and a length t2 from a contact surface P of the inner frame 6 to an end of the inner frame 6 may be equal, and recessed lengths of the shape retainer accommodation grooves 54 and 64 from the contact surfaces P may be equal.

[0433] That is, the distance from the shape retainer 44 to the outside of the outer frame 5 and the distance from the shape retainer 44 to the outside of the inner frame 6 may be set to be the same.

[0434] When the frame unit F is made of the same material and the shape retainer 44 extends to cross the center of each side of the frame unit F, deformation of the frame unit F may be most effectively prevented, and production and design may be simplified.

[0435] The first filter 4a may be formed by an assembly step S4 in which the mesh screen 41 is stacked on the outer frame 5, the shape retainer 44 is inserted onto the mesh screen 41, and the protrusion (first concave-convex portion 61) of the inner frame 6 is fitted into the recess (second concave-convex portion 51) of the outer frame 5 so that the inner frame 6 and the outer frame 5 are coupled.

[0436] When the first concave-convex portion 61 is formed in the shape of a protrusion on the inner frame 6 and the second concave-convex portion 51 is formed in the shape of a recess on the outer frame 5, the mesh screen may be interposed and fixed between the outer frame 5 and the shape retainer 44. When an external force is applied to the mesh screen 41 in the downstream direction by a flow force of air, the concave-convex portions 51 and 61 of the frame unit F and the shape retainer 44 may support the mesh screen 41 in the upstream direction, and thus the mesh screen 41 may be stably fixed to the frame unit F without excessive elongation.

[0437] FIG. 29 illustrates the first filter 4a viewed from the front of the opening 350.

[0438] The duct module 30 may be provided with a magnetic sensor 314 to be described later, which detects the intensity of a magnetic field or the like. Accordingly, the frame unit F may accommodate a magnetic field source 43 from which a magnetic signal is detected by the magnetic sensor 314 to sense whether the filter unit 4 is attached to the duct module 30.

[0439] The handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 may be formed on or accommodated in at least a portion of the frame unit F. FIG. 29 illustrates an example in which the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated in an upper center of the frame unit F and the handle 53 is formed on the left side of the frame unit F.

[0440] Based on FIG. 29, FIGS. 30 to 32 illustrate cross-sections crossing from the inside to the outside of the frame unit F. FIG. 30 illustrates a cross-section taken along line A-A', in which the handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 are not formed, FIG. 31 illustrates a cross-section taken along line B-B', in which the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated, and FIG. 32 illustrates a cross-section taken along line C-C', in which the handle 53 is accommodated. This is merely an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the handle 53 and the magnetic field source 43 may not be formed, or may be formed to overlap.

[0441] FIG. 30 illustrates the inner frame 6 in which the coupling magnet 42 is accommodated and the first concave-convex portion 61 is formed to protrude from the contact surface P, the shape retainer 44 stacked on the inner frame 6, the mesh screen 41 stacked on the shape retainer 44, and the outer frame 5 in which the second concave-convex portion 51 is formed to be recessed from the contact surface P and stacked on the mesh screen 41.

[0442] The frame unit F may be coupled by fitting of the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51, and the mesh screen 41 may be fixed by pressure from the shape retainer 44 and the frame unit F.

[0443] The above is an embodiment, and the protruding and recessed directions of the first concave-convex portion 61 and the second concave-convex portion 51 may be switched at the respective contact surfaces P, and the mesh screen 41 may be fixed by pressure between the shape retainer 44 and the inner frame 6.

[0444] As the mesh screen 41 is tautly pressurized by the frame unit F and the shape retainer 44, it may aesthetically convey to the user that the first filter 4a possesses a rigid strength suitable for commercial use in terms of appearance.

[0445] FIG. 31 illustrates the magnetic field source 43 fixed to the inner frame 6. The inner frame 6 may be provided with a magnetic field source accommodation groove 63 in which the magnetic field source 43 may be accommodated.

[0446] The magnetic field source accommodation groove 63 may replace a portion of the first concave-convex portion 61 and protrude from the contact surface P to be fitted into the second concave-convex portion 51 of the outer frame 5.

[0447] Accordingly, even if the inner frame 6 is extruded as a whole, the magnetic field source 43 may be accommodated through a process such as cutting only a portion of the first concave-convex portion 61 during post-processing, thereby reducing production costs.

[0448] FIG. 32 illustrates the handle 53 and the sealing rib 52 formed on the outer frame 5.

[0449] As described above, the protrusion angle and the forming position of the handle 53 may be changed according to the position where the first filter 4a is disposed.

[0450] The handle 53 may be provided such that a user of average height may grip the handle 53 within the range of motion of the arm without lifting the heels or bending the waist.

[0451] For example, when a lower portion of the first filter 4a is close to the ground, the handle may be provided on an upper portion or a side of the first filter 4a in consideration of user accessibility, and the protrusion angle may be formed to be biased toward the inside of the opening 350 to prevent interference with the duct module 30 in which the first filter 4a is accommodated.

[0452] For ease of production, the handle 53 may be formed separately from the outer frame 5 and then attached to it.

[0453] As described above, the angle at which the sealing rib 52 protrudes from an outer edge of the outer frame 5 may be greater than the angle formed by the opening 350, in which the filter module 4a is mounted, with the inner surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the sealing rib 52 and the inner surface of the duct body 310 naturally come into contact and are pressurized, so that the flow of air may be efficiently blocked.

[0454] The sealing rib 52 may be formed on only a portion of the outer frame 5, and for ease of production, the sealing rib 52 may be formed separately from the outer frame 5 and then attached to it.

[0455] FIG. 33 illustrates a second filter 4b as another embodiment of the filter unit 4, and FIG. 34 is an exploded view illustrating the second filter 4b. The second filter 4b will be described below with reference to FIGS. 33 and 34.

[0456] The second filter 4b may be dedicated to filtering air in any product including a duct forming a flow path through which air moves, as well as the clothing treatment apparatus 1 having the above-described structure.

[0457] The second filter 4b may include a filter body 8 having an opening formed on an inner peripheral surface thereof, the mesh screen 41 for shielding the opening, and a panel unit 9 exposed to the outside of the duct body 310 to receive an external force from the user.

[0458] The second filter 4b may be provided to be slid into and out of the duct body 310.

[0459] When the second filter 4b is inserted through the front of the duct body 310, the filter body 8 may be provided with a flange portion 85 extending in the front-rear direction, and the duct body 310 may include a support 72 supporting the flange portion 85, which will be described later, to assist in the insertion and extraction of the filter body 8, so that the filter body 8 may be easily inserted into the duct body 310.

[0460] The support 72 may be formed to be recessed to a predetermined depth so that the flange portion 85 may be inserted a specific distance and maintained in a fixed state, thereby preventing the filter body 8 from being detached from the duct body 310 arbitrarily or by vibration.

[0461] The flange portion 85 may include a flat portion 852 extending parallel to a direction in which the filter body 8 is inserted, and an inclined portion 851 extending obliquely forward from a front end of the flat portion. The inclined portion 851 may be provided to interfere with the support 72 more than the flat portion 852. Accordingly, the filter body 8 may be prevented from being pulled out contrary to the user's intention. In addition, when the user inserts the filter body 8 into the duct body 310, the inclined portion 851 may interfere with the support 72 and transmit an increased reaction force, making it easy for the user to identify a point of full insertion.

[0462] Obviously, the filter body 8 may be provided with a rotating member (not shown) including a rotatable wheel and a shaft coupled to the center of the wheel at a position where the flange portion 85 is formed. Similar to the case where the flange portion 85 is provided, the support 72 may be formed to be recessed to a predetermined depth so that one side of the rotating member is inserted and moved. Accordingly, as the wheel rotates within the support 72, the filter body 8 may be pulled out from and pushed into the duct body 310.

[0463] The filter body 8 may include a restriction rib 86 on an upper portion of the flange portion 85, the upward movement of which is restricted by the support 72, thereby preventing the filter body 8 from being separated upward by the operation of the dryer 1.

[0464] The filter body 8 may be provided with fixing ribs 84 extending in a grid from the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 8 to cross the opening. The fixing ribs 84 may include a first fixing rib 84a extending in a first direction and a second fixing rib 84b provided perpendicular to the first fixing rib 84a.

[0465] The mesh screen 41 may be fixed such that its edges contact the inner peripheral surface of the filter body 8 and the fixing ribs 84. Accordingly, the mesh screen 41 may be prevented from being deformed by an air flow direction, thereby improving the reliability of filtration performance and increasing user satisfaction by conveying structural robustness in terms of form.

[0466] A plurality of filter bodies 8 may be provided. The plurality of filter bodies 8 may be arranged in the width direction to form the filter body 8.

[0467] FIGS. 33 and 34 illustrate an example in which the filter body 8 includes a first filter body 8a and a second filter body 8b.

[0468] Each of the first filter body 8a and the second filter body 8b may include a bonding surface 87 which is a surface in contact with the other one, a side surface 83 on which the flange portion 85 is provided, a front surface 81 in contact with the panel unit 9, and a rear surface 82 connecting a rear end of the bonding surface 87 and a rear end of the side surface 83 to form the rear of the filter body 8.

[0469] The second filter 4b may be inserted through the front of the duct body 310, and the rear surface 82 may come into contact with the duct body 310.

[0470] An insertion surface 821 may be provided to be inclined with respect to a height direction on the rear surface 82.

[0471] As will be described later, the duct body 310 may be provided with a seating surface 73 provided to contact the insertion surface 821 when the second filter 4b is completely inserted into the duct body 310, and the seating surface 73 may be provided to fit with the insertion surface 821.

[0472] Since the seating surface 73 is inclined, a contact area between the filter body 8 and the duct body 310 may be increased, enhancing the sealing effect of a joint between the filter body 8 and the duct body 310. Accordingly, the discharge of unfiltered air through the outlet 316 by the filter body 8 may be minimized.

[0473] The second filter 4b may receive air from the top and discharges it downward, and the insertion surface 821 may be inclined such that an upper end thereof is disposed further rearward than a lower end thereof. Accordingly, the filtration efficiency of air may be improved by increasing the area of the opening of the filter body 8. In addition, a tactile sensation during insertion and extraction may be improved by reducing the area of the filter body 8 in contact with the duct body 310.

[0474] The panel unit 9 may include a gripping portion 911 provided to be gripped by a user or to receive an external force.

[0475] The panel unit 9 may include a first panel 91 exposed to the outside of the duct body 310 and a second panel 92 disposed behind the first panel 91. Accordingly, the self-weight of the panel unit 9 may be reduced, and thus the filter body 8 may be prevented from sagging or the panel unit 9 from being separated from the filter body 8. In addition, a separate component or the like may be inserted through a gap between the first panel 91 and the second panel 92.

[0476] The gripping portion 911 may be provided in a groove shape recessed rearward from the front surface of the first panel 91, and a gripping recessed portion 912 through which the gripping portion 911 may pass may be formed in the second panel 92.

[0477] As a gripping portion accommodation groove 812 recessed along the gripping portion 911 is provided on the front surface 81 of the filter body 8, a sufficient space for the user to grip the gripping portion 911 may be secured.

[0478] The front surface 81 may be provided with a front opening groove 811 with a lower end bent upward, at a portion that does not interfere with the gripping portion accommodation groove 812. Therefore, after pulling out the second filter 4b a specific distance by gripping the gripping portion 911 of the panel unit 9, the user may easily pull it out by putting a hand into the lower end of the panel unit 9 and pulling the rear surface of the panel unit 9 forward.

[0479] FIG. 35 illustrates a filter support unit 7 mounted in the opening 350 to support the filter unit 4.

[0480] The duct body 310 may include the filter support unit 7 to easily fix the filter unit 4 to the opening 350. The filter support unit 7 may be fixed to the duct module 310 and formed in a structure on which the filter unit 4 is seated.

[0481] FIG. 35(a) illustrates an example of the filter support unit 7 supporting a filter that is detachably attached to the duct body 310, such as the first filter 4a, and FIG. 35(b) illustrates an example of the filter support unit 7 supporting the second filter 4b.

[0482] A bent portion 71 with the end of each side bent may be formed on filter support unit 7 illustrated in FIG. 35(a). Accordingly, the frame unit F may be stably supported by the filter support unit 7 via the bent portion 71.

[0483] The bent portion 71 may be formed on only a portion of the filter support unit 7. For example, when an angle formed between one side of the filter support unit 7 where the bent portion 71 is formed and the inner surface of the duct body 310 is less than 90°, the bent portion 71 may be omitted as it may interfere with the separation of the filter unit 1.

[0484] Preferably, the bent portion 71 may be bent at an angle that does not restrict a path through which the filter body 4 is separated.

[0485] The filter support unit 7 may be provided as a magnetic body, and thus the frame unit F accommodating the coupling magnet 42 may be easily attached and detached.

[0486] In FIG. 35(b), the support 72 may be formed to support the flange portion 85 or the rotating member provided at a position where the flange portion 85 is formed.

[0487] The support 72 may include a lower support portion 721 supporting the flange portion 85 or the rotating member from below, an upper support portion 723 supporting the flange portion 85 or the rotating member from above, and a connection surface 722 connecting the lower support portion 721 and the upper support portion 723.

[0488] The connection surface 722 may form the outer peripheral surface of the filter support unit 7, and the upper support portion 723 and the lower support portion 721 may be provided in a shape protruding from one end and the other end of the connection surface toward the inside of the filter support unit 7.

[0489] As described above, since the support 72 is formed in a shape recessed by a predetermined depth, and since at least portions of the flange portion 85 and the rotating member are accommodated and maintained in a fixed state within the support 72, the filter body 8 may be prevented from being detached from the filter support unit 7.

[0490] The filter support unit 7 may include the seating surface 73, on which the insertion surface 821 is seated, on the rear surface connecting the rear ends of both side surfaces where supports 72 are formed.

[0491] Since the seating surface 73 is formed to be inclined so as to fit with the insertion surface 821, a contact area between the insertion surface 821 and the seating surface 73 may be increased and a joint between the filter support unit 7 and the filter body 8 may be effectively shielded, thereby improving the filtration reliability of the filter unit 4.

[0492] FIG. 36 illustrates the duct module 30 provided with the first filter 4a and the second filter 4b.

[0493] The filter unit 4 may be disposed to obliquely cross the flow cross-section of air that is introduced in the first direction through the inlet 315 and discharged toward the outlet 316 located in the second direction, or to perpendicularly cross a direction in which air flows.

[0494] The inlet 315 may disposed on the top surface of the duct body 310 to receive air from the drum 150 downward, and the outlet 316 may be disposed at the rear of the duct body 310 to deliver the air rearward.

[0495] In the above-described case, the filter unit 4 may be disposed parallel to the ground to be perpendicular to the flow direction of the air delivered downward from the inlet 315, or may be disposed in a direction perpendicular to the ground to be perpendicular to the flow direction of the air discharged rearward through the outlet 316, or may be disposed to be inclined in the height direction inside the duct body 310.

[0496] Regarding the upper and lower ends of the filter unit 4 in contact with the duct body 310, the upper end may be disposed further rearward than the lower end. In this case, the area of the filter unit 4 in contact with air may be increased, improving filtration efficiency.

[0497] The lower end of the filter unit 4 may be provided to be spaced apart from the front surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the filter unit 4 may be prevented from being separated or detached due to interference with the cover panel 112 attached to the front of the duct body 310.

[0498] In addition, when the magnetic field source 43 is accommodated in the periphery of the filter unit 4, the magnetic sensor 314 may be easily installed in the duct body 310.

[0499] The duct body 310 may be provided as a hexahedron in which the inlet 315 is provided on the top surface, and the outlet 316 is provided on a side surface sharing one edge with the top surface.

[0500] The upper end of the filter unit 4 may contact the rear surface of the duct body 310, and the lower end of the filter unit 4 may contact the lower end of the duct body 310.

[0501] The upper end of the filter unit 1 may be provided to be spaced apart from the top surface of the duct body 310. In this case, an additional component may be installed or a component such as another filter may be disposed, on the top surface of the duct body 310, thereby increasing space utilization.

[0502] The filter unit 4 may be formed on a surface having, as a pair of sides, edges that do not contact each other between the top surface provided with the inlet 315 and the side surface provided with the outlet 316. In this case, the filtration efficiency of the filter unit 4 may be maximized.

[0503] The inlet 315 may be disposed to be closer to the front of the top surface of the duct body 310.

[0504] As the outlet 1411 of the bottom surface 141 of the drum 150 serves as the inlet 315, and the top surface of the duct body 310 contacts the bottom surface 141 at the rear thereof includes the inlet 315 formed at the front thereof, processes such as separately manufacturing and coupling the top surface of the duct body 310 may be omitted.

[0505] Regarding the upper end and the lower end of the filter unit 4 in contact with the duct body 310, the upper end may be disposed further forward than the lower end. Therefore, when the cover panel 112 is separated, the bottom surface of the duct body 310 may be exposed. Accordingly, it may be easy to clean foreign substances that have been separated from the filter unit 4 and accumulated in the duct body 310 due to the operation of the dryer 1 or gravity. FIG. 36 illustrates a state in which the second filter 4b is disposed to perpendicularly cross the flow cross-section of air delivered in the first direction through the inlet 315, and the first filter 4a is disposed to obliquely cross the flow cross-section of air that has been filtered through the second filter 4b and moves toward the outlet 316 in the second direction different from the first direction.

[0506] More specifically, the second filter 4b may be provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 to filter air moving downward from the drum 150, and the first filter 4a may be disposed below the second filter 4b to re-filter the air that has been filtered by the second filter 4b and is moving toward the rear of the duct body 310.

[0507] When the second filter 4b is provided on the top surface of the duct body 310, the lower end of the first filter 4a may be provided to be spaced apart from the front surface of the duct body 310 to secure an installation space for the second filter 4b. In this case, the insertion surface 821 and the seating surface 73 may also be formed at positions that do not interfere with the first filter 4a.

[0508] As described above, when the top surface of the duct body 310 contacts the bottom surface 141 at the rear thereof and includes the inlet 315 formed at the front thereof, the second filter 4b may be provided to shield the entire top surface of the duct body 310, and thus the filtration reliability of air introduced from the inlet 315 may be guaranteed.

[0509] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed to be closer to either the left side or the right side within the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced compared to a case where the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320.

[0510] Accordingly, the outlet 316 communicating with the circulation fan 330 may also be disposed to be closer to one side of the rear surface of the duct body 310.

[0511] The first filter 4a may include an upper end and a lower end in contact with the duct body 310, and the upper end may be disposed further rearward than the lower end so as to be inclined in the height direction. The magnetic sensor 314 may be provided to detect the magnetic field source 43, when the first filter 4a is inserted through the inlet and the lower end of the first filter 4a comes into contact with the duct body 310.

[0512] Preferably, the magnetic field source 43 may be disposed at a relatively lower end of the first filter 4a, and the magnetic sensor 314 may also be disposed on a lower portion of a side surface of the duct module 30 or on the side of the bottom surface of the duct module 30. Accordingly, the mounting of the first filter 4a may be sensed only when the first filter 4a is properly positioned to be in close contact with a lower end of the duct body 310. Thus, unfiltered air may be prevented from flowing through a gap at the opening of the lower end of the first filter 4a.

[0513] In the duct module 30 provided with the filter unit 4 as illustrated in FIG. 36(a), when inspection, replacement, or cleaning of the filter unit 4 is required, the user may pull out the second filter 4b by sliding it from the duct body 310 and separate the first filter 4a toward the top surface where the second filter 4b was located, as illustrated in FIG. 36(b). Accordingly, the filter unit 4 may be easily accessed without disassembling the duct module 30.

[0514] When clogging of the first filter 4a is detected because the difference between pressures measured by the first pressure sensor PS1 and the second pressure sensor PS2 exceeds a threshold, the first filter 4a may be separated from the duct body 310 for cleaning or replacement. Since a relatively large amount of foreign substances are attached to one surface of the first filter 4a facing upward, the scattering of accumulated foreign substances due to movement occurring when pulling out the first filter 4a may be minimized when the first filter 4a is pulled out upward.

[0515] As described above, the circulation fan 330 may be provided to be spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance. Accordingly, the generation of vortices or the like due to air discharged downward from the inlet 315 of the duct body 310 colliding with the bottom surface of the duct body 310 may be minimized. At least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may be provided to measure pressure at a portion spaced apart from the bottom surface of the duct body 310 by a predetermined distance or more.

[0516] The circulation fan 330 may be disposed to be closer to either the left or right side within the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. Accordingly, the area of vortices or a dead zone where air does not flow may be reduced, compared to a case where the circulation fan 330 is disposed in the center of the duct body 310 or the fan container 320. In this case, at least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may be provided to sense pressure at the left or right side of the duct body 310 to which the circulation fan 330 is disposed to be closer, thereby improving the reliability of sensing.

[0517] At least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may measure pressure at a portion where the inlet 315 provided on the top surface of the duct body 310 extends in the vertical direction. In addition, at least one of the first pressure sensor PS1 or the second pressure sensor PS2 may measure pressure at a portion where the outlet 316 extends in the front-rear direction. Accordingly, error factors due to interference with an inner wall of the duct body 310 or other components may be minimized.

[0518] Like the first filter 4a, the second filter 4b may also be provided with the magnetic field source 43 detected by the magnetic sensor 314 to sense whether the second filter 4b is attached or detached.

[0519] A plurality of magnetic sensors 314 may be provided to respectively detect a plurality of filter units 4, such as the first filter 4a and the second filter 4b, and the magnetic sensor 314 is sufficient as long as it detects a magnetic force regardless of its type, such as a Hall element, a magnetoresistive element, or an optical fiber.

[0520] When the rear surface 82 or the insertion surface 821 of the second filter 4b comes into contact with the duct body 310, the magnetic sensor 314 may detect the magnetic field source 43 of the second filter 4b.

[0521] Preferably, the magnetic field source 43 may be disposed at a relatively rear portion of the second filter 4b, and the magnetic sensor 314 may also be disposed on the side of the rear surface of the duct body 310. Accordingly, the mounting of the second filter 4b may be sensed only when the second filter 4b is properly positioned to be in close contact with the rear surface of the duct body 310. Thus, unfiltered air may be prevented from flowing through a gap between the rear surface of the second filter 4b and the opening.

[0522] The present disclosure may be modified and implemented in various forms, and the scope of rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, when a modified embodiment includes the components of the claims of the present disclosure, it should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0040]Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present disclosure, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced by the first description. As used herein, a singular expression includes plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, lest it should obscure the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed herein, a detailed description of a related known technology will be avoided in describing the embodiments of the present disclosure. Further, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea of the present disclosure.

[0041]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a clothing treatment device according to the present disclos...

Claims

1. A clothing treatment device comprising: a cabinet having an opening formed at a front thereof; a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet; a duct module including a duct body receiving air from inside the drum downward through an inlet communicating with the drum and discharging the air rearward through an outlet, a filter unit provided in the duct body and filtering the air, and a circulation fan disposed downstream of the outlet and moving the air; and a drying module dehumidifying and heating air moved from the duct module and supplying the air into the drum, wherein the filter unit includes a first filter obliquely crossing a cross-section of air introduced through the inlet and flowing toward the outlet.

2. The clothing treatment device of claim 1, wherein the first filter includes an upper end and a lower end contacting the duct body, and the upper end is disposed more forward or rearward than the lower end.

3. The clothing treatment device of claim 2, wherein the duct body is provided as a hexahedron having the inlet on a top surface thereof and the outlet on a rear surface thereof, and wherein the upper end contacts the rear surface and the lower end contacts a bottom surface of the duct body.

4. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the upper end is spaced apart from the top surface.

5. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the upper end contacts a corner shared by the rear surface and the top surface.

6. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the lower end is spaced apart from a front surface of the duct body.

7. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the inlet is disposed to be closer to a front of the top surface.

8. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, further comprising a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, wherein the top surface of the duct module is formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, and wherein the inlet of the top surface is formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, and a remaining area of the top surface is formed as the bottom surface of the drying body.

9. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the outlet is disposed closer to one side of the rear surface in a left-right direction.

10. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein a width of the inlet in a transverse direction is set to be larger than a width of the outlet in the transverse direction.

11. The clothing treatment device of claim 10, wherein the first filter is detachably provided in the duct body and withdrawn from the front surface.

12. The clothing treatment device of claim 11, wherein the duct body includes a cover panel opening and closing the front surface thereof, and wherein when the cover panel is opened, the first filter is withdrawn through the front surface.

13. The clothing treatment device of claim 3, wherein the filter unit further includes a second filter fixed to the top surface and covering the inlet.

14. The clothing treatment device of claim 13, further comprising a drying body mounted on the duct module and accommodating the drum, wherein the top surface of the duct module is formed as a bottom surface of the drying body, wherein the inlet of the top surface is formed as an outlet formed on the bottom surface of the drying body, through which air from the drum is discharged, and a remaining area of the top surface is formed as the bottom surface of the drying body, and wherein the second filter is provided to cover an entire area of the top surface.

15. The clothing treatment device of claim 13, wherein the second filter is inserted and withdrawn by sliding through a front of the duct body.

16. The clothing treatment device of claim 13, wherein the second filter is provided with a flange portion extending in a front-rear direction on both side surfaces thereof, and wherein a support supporting the flange portion and assisting in insertion of the second filter is formed in the duct body.

17. The clothing treatment device of claim 13, wherein the second filter has an insertion surface formed, on one surface thereof contacting the duct body, to be inclined in a height direction and tightly contacting the duct body, and wherein an upper end of the insertion surface is inclined to be disposed more rearward than a lower end thereof.

18. The clothing treatment device of claim 17, wherein the insertion surface of the second filter is formed not to interfere with the first filter.

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