Clothing dryer including heater

Abstract

The disclosure is intended to reduce flow resistance of air passing through a heater in a clothing dryer. To that end, a clothing dryer may include a drum, a heat exchanger, an inlet duct which air passed through the heat exchanger flows to be is introduced into the drum, a blower fan forming a flow of the air, and a heater in the inlet duct. The heater may include a housing comprising a lower side comprising a first open surface so as to form an inlet through which the air flowing in the inlet duct is introduced into the housing and an upper side comprising a second open surface so as to form an outlet through which the air introduced into the housing is discharged from the housing, at least one plate parallel to a direction in which the air flows through the housing and fixed to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing, and a coil passing through a hole formed in each plate of the at least one plate in a direction perpendicular to a face of the plate. An area of the second open surface may be larger than an area of the first open surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0175972, filed on Dec. 6, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUNDField

[0002] Various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a clothing dryer and, more specifically, to a heater for supplying hot air into a drum and a clothing dryer including the same.Description of Related Art

[0003] A clothing dryer is a home appliance that serves to dry wet laundry (hereinafter referred to as a dried object) with hot and dry air.

[0004] When the clothing dryer operates to dry the laundry, the hot and dry air introduced into the drum may dry the dried object and turn into low temperature and humid air. The temperature of the air discharged from the drum may increase and the humidity may decrease due to the refrigerant flowing through the heat pump. The temperature of the air may be further increased by a heater provided on a path flowing into the drum.

[0005] The heater may include a main body having two opposite side surfaces open to move air and a coil positioned inside the main body. The heater may heat air passing through the heater by generating heat by a current flowing through the coil. The coil may be disposed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which air moves. The heater may include a support member disposed in a predetermined direction to support the coil. Since the moving direction of the air passing through the heater and the direction in which the support member is disposed are misaligned, the flow resistance of the air passing through the heater may increase, and thus the drying performance may be deteriorated.SUMMARY

[0006] Various embodiments of the disclosure may propose a structure for reducing flow resistance of air passing through a heater included in a clothing dryer.

[0007] A clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a drum, a heat exchanger, an inlet duct through which air passed through the heat exchanger flows to be is introduced into the drum, a blower fan forming a flow of the air, and a heater in the inlet duct. The heater may include a housing comprising a lower side comprising a first open surface so as to form an inlet through which the air flowing in the inlet duct is introduced into the housing and an upper side comprising a second open surface so as to form an outlet through which the air introduced into the housing is discharged from the housing, at least one plate parallel to a direction in which the air flows through the housing and fixed to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing, and a coil passing through a hole formed in each plate of the at least one plate in a direction perpendicular to a face of the plate. An area of the second open surface may be larger than an area of the first open surface.

[0008] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one plate includes a plurality of plates, and a separation distance between two plates of the at least one plate facing each other increases as the two plates extend from the first open surface to the second open surface.

[0009] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one plate includes a plurality of plates, and a plate at an outermost side among the at least one plate is parallel to an adjacent side surface of the housing.

[0010] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, each plate of the at least one plate includes a plurality of openings formed in the plate to reduce flow separation.

[0011] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of openings are alternately arranged with the hole in the plate.

[0012] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, an area of each opening of the plurality of openings is larger than the hole.

[0013] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, each plate of the at least one plate includes a plurality of sub plates disposed from the first open surface toward the second open surface, and the plurality of openings of each plate of the at least one plate are formed by a predetermined interval at which two adjacent sub plates of the plate are spaced apart from each other.

[0014] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is flat.

[0015] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a curved surface curved in the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

[0016] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, one of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a flat surface, and the other of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a curved surface curved in the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

[0017] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, each plate of the at least one plate has a curved part formed as one side thereof is bent.

[0018] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, wherein each plate of the at least one plate is bent relative to the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

[0019] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, wherein the at least one plate includes a plurality of plates arranged in consideration of the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

[0020] A clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure may include a drum, a heat exchanger, an inlet duct through which air passed through the heat exchanger flows to be introduced into the drum, a blower fan forming a flow of the air, and a heater in the inlet duct. The heater may include a housing comprising a lower side comprising a first open surface so as to form an inlet through which the air flowing in the inlet duct is introduced into the housing, and an upper side comprising a second open surface so as to form an outlet through which the air introduced into the housing is discharged from the housing, a plurality of plates fixed to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing, and each plate of the plurality of plates being parallel to a direction in which the air flows through a unit area inside the heater, and a coil passing through a hole formed in each plate of the plurality of plates in a direction perpendicular to faces of the plurality of plates. An area of the second open surface may be larger than an area of the first open surface.

[0021] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the unit area is positioned near an area where flow separation occurs due to collision between the air and the plurality of plates.

[0022] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, each plate of the plurality of plates includes a plurality of openings to reduce flow separation.

[0023] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of openings of each plate of the plurality of plates are alternately arranged with the hole of the plate.

[0024] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, an area of each opening of the plurality of openings is larger than the hole.

[0025] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, each plate of the plurality of plates includes a plurality of sub plates disposed from the first open surface toward the second open surface, and each plate of the plurality of plates includes plurality of openings formed by a predetermined interval at which two adjacent sub plates of the plate are spaced apart from each other.

[0026] In the clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is flat.

[0027] A clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure may provide a heater having low flow resistance.

[0028] A clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure may reduce the flow resistance of air passing through a heater, enhancing drying performance.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating a clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a heater according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heater according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0035] FIG. 6 illustrates a plate according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a plate according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 8 illustrates a plate according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 9 illustrates a plate according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 10 is a rear view illustrating a portion of a clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

[0040] FIG. 11 is a rear view illustrating a portion of a clothing dryer according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0041] In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to denote the same or similar elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains may easily practice the disclosure. However, the disclosure may be implemented in other various forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same or similar reference denotations may be used to refer to the same or similar elements throughout the specification and the drawings. Further, for clarity and brevity, no description is made of well-known functions and configurations in the drawings and relevant descriptions.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment.

[0044] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view illustrating a clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment. For convenience of description, FIG. 2 may be understood as a rear perspective view with some components (e.g., the inlet duct cover 43) separated.

[0045] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment. In other words, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken in parallel with the y-z plane at one point of FIG. 1.

[0046] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the direction along the x-axis may be defined as a front and rear direction of the clothing dryer 1, the direction along the y-axis may be defined as a left and right direction of the clothing dryer 1, and the direction along the z-axis may be defined as a vertical direction of the clothing dryer 1. The terms “front and rear direction”, “left and right direction”, and “upper and lower direction” to be used below are defined with respect to the illustrated drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited thereto.

[0047] According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may heat air circulating therein to dry the dried object. The clothing dryer 1 may be divided into a heater type, a heat pump type, or a hybrid type based on the method of heating air. The hybrid type may heat air, e.g., using the heater type and the heat pump type together or alternately. It is assumed that the clothing dryer 1 to be described in the disclosure is a hybrid-type clothing dryer 1.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may include a main body 10. The main body 10 may form an exterior of the clothing dryer 1. The main body 10 may be formed of at least one of metal or plastic. The clothing dryer 1 may be provided in various shapes, but may be provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the main body 10 may include a front surface 11, an upper cover 12, a left / right side cover 13, a rear cover 14, or a lower surface 15. The components included in the main body 10 may be configured individually or integrally. For example, the left / right side cover 13 and the rear cover 14 included in the main body 10 may be integrally formed to form a side and rear cover. The front surface 11, upper cover 12, left / right side cover 13, rear cover 14, or lower surface 15 included in the main body 10 may form an internal housing. The inner housing may include an inner space in which various components constituting the clothing dryer 1 may be stored or mounted.

[0050] According to an embodiment, a water container 16 may be provided in the main body 10. The water container 16 may be provided at an upper portion of the main body 10. The water container 16 may be assembled in a recessed portion formed at a point of an upper portion of the front cover 11. The water container 16 may be detachably fixed from the recessed portion. The water container 16 may be provided to collect condensate generated by the refrigerant cycle of the clothing dryer 1.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the main body 10 may include an input / output unit 17. The input / output unit 17 may include an input unit for receiving the user's input and an output unit for visually or audibly transferring information to the user.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the input unit may include a dial button 17a. The dial button 17a may be implemented as a dial or a jog shuttle. The dial button 17a may have a wheel structure. The dial button 17a may receive a user input by rotating clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0053] According to an embodiment, the input unit may include a button 17c. The button 17c may receive a user input by touching or pressing. The button 17c may detect the user's touch in a capacitive or resistive manner, or may detect an input by physical pressing.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the output unit may include a display 17b. The display 17b may visually output information to be transferred to the user. The output unit includes a speaker (not shown) and may audibly output information to be transferred to the user.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the main body 10 may include a base 90. The base 90 may be provided under the main body 10 to form the lower surface 15. For example, the base 90 may form a bottom surface in the inner housing of the main body 10. A leg 19 for supporting the main body 10 may be provided on the lower surface 15. The leg 19 may separate the main body 10 from the bottom surface by a predetermined distance. For example, a plurality of legs 19 may be provided on the lower surface 15 to stably support the main body 10.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may include the drum 20 provided to accommodate the dried object in the inner housing. The drum 20 may include an entrance of the drum into which the dried object is put. The entrance of the drum may be defined as a first opening 25. The drum 20 may be rotatably disposed in the inner housing of the main body 10.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the clothing dryer 1 may include a driver configured to rotate the drum 20. The driver may include a motor 31, a pulley 32, or a belt 33 seated on the base 90. The pulley 32 may be rotated by the motor 31. The belt 33 may connect the pulley 32 and the drum 20 to transfer power of the motor 31 to the drum 20.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the drum 20 may include an suction hole 21 through which air flows into the drum 23 and an discharge hole 22 through which air flows out of the drum 23. The suction hole 21 may be formed on one side of the drum 20, and the discharge hole 22 may be formed on the other side of the drum 20. The suction hole 21 may be, e.g., a rear opening of the drum 20. The discharge hole 22 may be, e.g., at least a portion of a front opening (e.g., the first opening 25) of the drum 20. The discharge hole 22 is positioned below the first opening 25 and may form the inlet of the discharge duct 42.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the dried object may be dried by the air introduced into the drum 20. Humid air discharged from the inside of the drum 20 may pass through the discharge hole 22 and flow into a heat exchanger 71 and 72 along the discharge duct 42. The humid air introduced from the drum 20 may be dehumidified by the heat exchanger 71 and 72. The air dried while passing through the heat exchanger 71 and 72 may flow back into the drum 20 along the inlet duct 41. For example, the air discharged from the drum 20 may be circulated and returned to the drum 20.

[0060] The air flow may be formed by, e.g., a blower fan 34 installed below the inlet duct 41.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the discharge duct 42 may be disposed in front of the drum 20 to guide discharge of hot and humid air passing through the inside of the drum 20. A filter 80 may be installed in the discharge duct 42 to filter foreign substances such as lint.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the inlet duct 41 may be disposed behind the drum 20 and may communicate with the inside of the drum 20 through the inlet 21 formed in the drum 20.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the blower fan 34 may be disposed inside the inlet duct 41. The blower fan 34 may generate a circulatory air flow passing through the drum 20 by sucking hot and dry air that has passed through the heat exchanger 71 and 72 and discharging the air into the inlet duct 41. The blower fan 34 may be driven by the driving motor 31 that drives the drum 20, or may be driven by a separate driving motor 31.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the air flow generated by the blower fan 34 may move to the inlet duct 41 along the fan scroll 45 disposed at the rear. The fan scroll 45 may guide the air flow generated by the blower fan 34 to the inlet duct 41. For example, the fan scroll 45 and the inlet duct 41 may be implemented as one piece.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the air flow generated by the blower fan may pass through the inlet (e.g., the inlet 451 of FIG. 10) of the fan scroll and move along the flow path formed in the fan scroll 45 to move to the outlet (e.g., the outlet 453 of FIG. 10) of the fan scroll 45. The air flow discharged to the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may pass through the heater 100 and be introduced into the drum 20 through the inlet 21.

[0066] According to an embodiment, the inlet duct 41 may form a closed path for an air flow generated by the blower fan 34 to pass through the fan scroll 45, the heater 100, and the inlet 21 to reach the drum 20. The inlet duct 41 may include an inlet duct cover 43 for forming the closed path. The inlet duct cover 43 may form at least a portion of the rear surface 14.

[0067] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may be disposed inside the inlet duct 41. The heater 100 may heat the air moving in the inlet duct 41 by the blower fan 34. The heater 100 may be installed on the inlet duct 41.

[0068] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may include a housing 110 forming an outer appearance, a plurality of coils 120 disposed inside the housing 110, and a plate 200 which is a plate-shaped support member for supporting the coil 120.

[0069] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may have a substantially hexahedral shape by the housing 110. The housing 110 may include a lower open surface through which air rising along the inlet duct 41 is introduced by the blower fan 34 and an upper open surface discharged from the heater 100.

[0070] According to an embodiment, the housing 110 may be formed of at least one of metal or plastic. The housing 110 may include open surfaces to two opposite sides through which air passes. For example, the lower open surface and the upper open surface of the housing 110 may be open. Air may be introduced through the lower open surface of the housing 110, which may be referred to as an inlet portion 101 of the heater 100. Air may be discharged through the upper open surface of the housing 110, which may be referred to as a discharge portion 102 of the heater 100. The temperature of the air in the discharge portion 102 may be relatively higher than the temperature of the air in the inlet portion 101.

[0071] According to an embodiment, the housing 110 may surround a side surface of the heater 100. The side surface may include a front side (e.g., the first side 111 of FIG. 4) positioned in the front and a rear side (e.g., the second side 113 of FIG. 4) positioned in the rear. The side surface may include a left surface (e.g., the third surface 115 of FIG. 4) positioned on the left side and a right surface (e.g., the fourth surface 117 of FIG. 4) positioned on the right side. For example, a sheet member 130 for preventing the coil 120 from touching the housing 110 may be positioned inside the side surface. The sheet member 130 may be formed of an insulating material.

[0072] According to an embodiment, in order for the heater 100 to be fixed to the inlet duct 41, the housing 110 may include a fastening portion 113a. In one direction, the fastening portion 113a may be positioned at one end of the second housing 113.

[0073] According to an embodiment, a plurality of coils 120 for heating air may be disposed inside the housing 110. The coil 120 may be disposed, e.g., in a left-right direction (e.g., a y-axis direction). The coil 120 may be formed of a metal having a predetermined resistance. Two opposite ends of the coil 120 may be electrically connected to a power supply unit (not shown) provided in the clothing dryer 1. The coil 120 may generate heat by a current supplied by the power supply unit. The clothing dryer 1 may control the power supply unit to control the intensity of the current flowing to the coil and / or the time during which the current flows. Accordingly, the heater 100 may heat the air passing through the inlet duct 41 to a predetermined temperature.

[0074] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may include a plate 200 for supporting the coil 120. The plate 200 may minimize movement of the coil 120 due to vibration generated by the operation of the clothing dryer 1. The plate 200 may guide the movement path of the air introduced into the heater 100. A plurality of plates 200 may be disposed substantially in parallel with the side surfaces 115 and 117 of the housing 110. For example, the plates 200 may include first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250, but the number of plates 200 disposed in the heater 100 is not limited. The plate 200 may have a plurality of holes (e.g., the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 of FIG. 6) through which the coil 120 may pass.

[0075] According to an embodiment, as the traveling direction of the air passing through the heater 100 and the direction in which the plate 200 is disposed are aligned by a predetermined angle, the air moving in the area near the plate 200 may be disturbed by the flow of the air due to the plate 200. There may be a difference between the pressure of the air passing through the area adjacent to the plate 200 and the pressure of the air passing through the area away from the plate 200, thereby causing flow separation. The area near the plate 200 where the flow separation occurs may be referred to as a “unit area (or a target area)”.

[0076] The clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment may provide the heater 100 including the plate 200 having openings (e.g., the plurality of openings 631 and 633 of FIG. 6) to minimize the flow separation. Air flowing inside the heater 100 may flow inside the heater 100 through the openings 631 and 633, thereby reducing the flow separation.

[0077] According to an embodiment, hot and dry air may be introduced into the drum 20 through the suction hole 21 to dry the dried object accommodated in the drum 20. Air used for drying the dried object may escape out of the drum 20 through the discharge hole 22. The air exiting the drum 20 through the discharge hole 22 may contain a large amount of moisture.

[0078] According to an embodiment, a plurality of lifters 24 may be disposed inside the drum 20. The lifter 24 may raise or drop the dried object to contact hot air while the dried object is floating in the space inside the drum 20.

[0079] According to an embodiment, a door 30 for opening and closing the first opening 25 may be installed on the front surface of the main body 10. The door 30 may be hinged to one side of the first opening 25 to be rotatable.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the base 90 may be disposed under the drum 20. A heat pump forming a refrigerant cycle may be seated on the base 90. The heat pump may include an evaporator 71, a condenser 72, a compressor (not shown), or an expansion device (not shown). Further, the blower fan 34 or the driving motor 31 may be seated on the base 90. A base cover may be provided on the base 90 to cover, e.g., the heat pump. For example, the base cover may form a duct structure together with the base 90.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the blower fan 34 may be provided on the base 90. The blower fan 34 may generate a blowing force based on the power transferred by the driving motor 31 to form a flow path of air. For example, the blower fan 34 may discharge air radially. To that end, the blower fan 34 may include a rotation shaft formed in a central portion and a plurality of blades formed in a circumferential direction about the rotation shaft.

[0082] According to an embodiment, a refrigerant cycle for heating and condensing air may be formed inside the main body 10. The refrigerant cycle may correspond to a series of circulation processes including compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation. The main body 10 may include an evaporator 71, a condenser 72, a compressor, and an expansion device to form a refrigerant cycle. The evaporator 71 and the condenser 72 may exchange heat with air. The evaporator 71 and the condenser 72 may be referred to as the heat exchanger 71 and 72.

[0083] According to an embodiment, while the clothing dryer 1 performs a drying operation, a closed flow path may be formed inside the main body 10. Here, the closed flow path may be understood as a movement path (see arrow in FIG. 2) of air configured to circulate the air inside the drum 20 through the heat pump and the drum 20. The closed flow path may form a flow path so that air outside the main body 10 does not flow into the drum 20 or air inside the drum 20 does not flow out of the main body 10. In other words, the flow of air may form a closed loop.

[0084] According to an embodiment, the cover member 40 that may be opened and closed may be positioned on the front surface 11 of the clothing dryer 1. The cover member 40 may be opened to selectively couple or separate a removable filter (not shown) and / or a removable dehumidifier (not shown) seated on the base 90 of the clothing dryer 1.

[0085] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a heater 100 according to an embodiment.

[0086] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heater 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 may be understood as a view in a state in which the heater 100 of FIG. 4 is cut off at a predetermined height. Hereinafter, a direction in which elements constituting the heater 100 are positioned is described with respect to a state in which the heater 100 is mounted on the inlet duct 41 in FIG. 3. In other words, the front and rear of the heater 100 may correspond to the x-axis direction of FIG. 3, the upper and lower sides of the heater 100 may correspond to the z-axis direction of FIG. 3, and the left and right sides of the heater 100 may correspond to the y-axis direction of FIG. 3.

[0087] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the heater 100 may heat air rising along the inlet duct 41 by a blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 34 of FIG. 3). The air flow formed by the blower fan 34 may move to the inlet duct 41 along a fan scroll (e.g., the fan scroll 45 of FIG. 3), and the air flow may be heated while passing through the heater 100 mounted on the inlet duct 41.

[0088] According to an embodiment, the lower side and the upper side of the heater 100 may be opened to allow air to be introduced from the lower side of the heater 100 and discharged to the upper side. The lower side of the heater 100 through which the air is introduced may be referred to as an inlet portion 101, and the upper side of the heater 100 through which the heated air is discharged may be referred to as a discharge portion 102.

[0089] According to an embodiment, the area of the inlet portion 101 and the cross-sectional area of the discharge portion 102 may be different. Hereinafter, the cross-sectional area of the inlet portion 101 is referred to as a first area, and the cross-sectional area of the discharge portion 102 is referred to as a second area. The second area may be relatively large compared to the first area. The cross-sectional area of the flow path of the discharge portion 102 through which air is discharged may be larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow path of the inlet portion 101 through which air is introduced. Accordingly, the flow resistance inside the heater 100 may be reduced.

[0090] According to an embodiment, in order for the second area to be relatively larger than the first area, the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 may have a trapezoidal shape in which an upper side is longer than a lower side. As the second area is relatively larger than the first area, the flow resistance of the air passing through the heater 100 may be lowered.

[0091] For example, the inlet portion 101 and the discharge portion 102 of the heater 100 may have a curved shape. To that end, the upper sides and the lower sides of the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 may be implemented as curved lines bent upward. Further, the plate 200 disposed inside the heater 100 may be bent along the movement path of air. Accordingly, the flow resistance of the air passing through the heater 100 may be reduced. This is described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0092] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may include a housing 110 forming an outer appearance, a plate 200 positioned inside the housing 110, and a coil 120 disposed to penetrate the plate 200.

[0093] According to an embodiment, the housing 110 may include a first housing 111 positioned in the front, a second housing 113 positioned in the rear, a third housing 115 positioned on the left, and a fourth housing 117 positioned on the right. The first to fourth housings 111, 113, 115, and 117 may be integrally formed with each other to form the housing 110. The first housing 111 and the second housing 113 may face each other, and the third housing 115 and the fourth housing 117 may face each other. The coil 120 and the plate 200 may be disposed in a space formed by the first to fourth housings 111, 113, 115, and 117.

[0094] According to an embodiment, the support member 130 may be positioned on the inner surface of the housing 110. The support member 130 may prevent the coil 120 through which the current flows from contacting the housing 110. To that end, the support member 130 may be formed of an insulating material. The support member 130 may support the plate 200.

[0095] According to an embodiment, the coil 120 may be disposed in the horizontal direction (e.g., the y-axis direction). The coil 120 may be disposed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the flow direction of air passing through the heater 100. The coil 120 may pass through a plurality of plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250.

[0096] According to an embodiment, the coil 120 may have a predetermined length. The predetermined length may be relatively shorter than the width of the first housing 111 or the second housing 113 in the y-axis direction. The predetermined length may be substantially the same as, e.g., the distance between the leftmost plate (e.g., the first plate 210) and the rightmost plate (e.g., the fifth plate 250) among the plates 200 disposed inside the housing 110.

[0097] Although not shown, two opposite ends of the coil 120 may be connected to the power supply unit. A current flows to the coil 120 by the power supplied by the power supply unit, and thus the coil 120 having a predetermined resistance may be heated.

[0098] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may be provided to support the coil 120. The plate 200 is a plate-shaped support member and may have a substantially rectangular shape. The plate 200 may have one surface and the other surface facing the side surface (e.g., the third housing 115 and the fourth housing 117) of the housing 110 which are substantially the same, and may have a predetermined thickness.

[0099] According to an embodiment, a plurality of plates 200 may be provided. The plurality of plates 200 may be disposed substantially in the height direction (e.g., the z-axis direction of FIG. 3) of the heater 100 along the flow direction of the air. The plate 200 may be fixed to the first housing 111 and the second housing 113. At least two partitioned spaces may be formed inside the heater 100 by the plurality of plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may include first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the plurality of plates 200 provided in the heater 100 may be provided as a larger number of plates 200 or a smaller number of plates 200 as necessary. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the heater 100 includes five plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250. Hereinafter, when it is referred to as the plate 200, it may be applied to all of the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250.

[0101] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may include a plurality of holes (e.g., the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 of FIG. 6). The plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 may be understood as through holes through which the coil 210 passes. The plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 may be formed at substantially corresponding positions of the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250. Accordingly, the coil 120 may be supported by the plurality of plates 200 through the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 provided at the corresponding positions.

[0102] According to an embodiment, in order for the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 each to be fixed to the housing 110, two opposite ends of the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be fixed to the first housing 111 and the second housing 113. Two opposite ends may be coupled to recesses provided in the first housing 111 and the second housing 113. For example, the two opposite ends may at least partially protrude to be fixed to the recess. Two opposite ends of the protruding plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 to be fixed to the recess may be referred to as protrusions 215, 225, 235, 245, and 255. The protruding portions 215, 225, 235, 245, and 255 may be fixed to the recess in various ways. For example, the protrusions 215, 225, 235, 245, and 255 may be fixed to the recess by any one of fitting, press-fitting, or hooking, or by any other methods.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be disposed considering a path of air passing through the heater 100. For example, the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be disposed considering flow resistance caused by collision of the air with the plate 200 positioned in the heater 100, or may be disposed to minimize flow separation caused by the plate 200.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may not be parallel to each other. Any two of the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may have a predetermined angle. The predetermined angle may be larger than, e.g., 0 degrees and may be smaller than an angle formed by the third housing 115 and the fourth housing 115.

[0105] According to an embodiment, the first plate 210 may be substantially parallel to the third housing 115. The fifth plate 250 may be substantially parallel to the fourth housing 117. The angle θ1 formed by the first plate 210 and the second plate 220 may be larger than the angle θ2 formed by the second plate 220 and the third plate 230. The angle θ4 formed by the fifth plate 250 and the fourth plate 240 may be larger than the angle θ3 formed by the fourth plate 240 and the third plate 230.

[0106] According to an embodiment, two adjacent plates among the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The separation distance between the two adjacent plates may increase corresponding to the direction of the outlet 202 from the inlet 201. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the space partitioned by the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may be widened to correspond to the extension from the inlet 201 toward the outlet 202. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the flow path to which the air passing through the heater 100 comes into contact may be widened and the flow resistance may be reduced.

[0107] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may include an opening (e.g., the openings 631 and 633 of FIG. 6). The openings 631 and 633 may be formed by removing a portion of the plate 200. A plurality of openings 631 and 633 may be provided. For example, each of the first to fifth plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may include at least two or more openings 631 and 633. Air passing through the heater 100 may freely flow between the spaces partitioned by the plate 200 by the opening formed in the plate 200. For this reason, flow resistance and flow separation may be reduced.

[0108] According to an embodiment, the openings 631 and 633 may have a substantially rectangular shape, but are not limited thereto, and may be provided in various shapes.

[0109] According to an embodiment, the openings 631 and 633 may have a relatively larger area than the holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23.

[0110] According to an embodiment, the openings 631 and 633 may be alternately formed with the holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 on the plate 200.

[0111] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may include a plurality of separated sub plates (e.g., the sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, and 930 of FIG. 8 or FIG. 9). The opening 320 may be formed by a space spaced apart between the sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, and 930. This is described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9.

[0112] FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate a plate 600, 700, 800, or 900 (e.g., the plate 200 of FIG. 4) according to an embodiment. FIGS. 6 to 9 may be understood as an extended embodiment for various shapes in which the plate 200 described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 may be implemented. In other words, it may be understood that at least one or a combination of two or more of the plates 600, 700, 800, and 900 illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 9 may be selectively applied as the plate 200 included in the heater 100.

[0113] According to an embodiment, the plate 200 may be understood as a support member that has a predetermined thickness and has a substantially plate shape. Accordingly, the plate 200 illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 9 shows only one surface, but it may be understood that the other surface positioned on the opposite side of the one surface has the same shape as the one surface.

[0114] Referring to FIG. 6, the plate 600 may include protrusions 615 and 617 (e.g., the protrusions 215, 225, 235, 245, and 255 of FIG. 4) to be fixed to the housing 110 on the upper side and the lower side. The protrusions 615 and 617 may include, e.g., a first protrusion 615 positioned on the upper side of the plate 600 and a second protrusion 617 positioned on the lower side of the plate 600. The first protrusion 615 may be fixed to a recess provided in the first housing 111, and the second protrusion 617 may be fixed to a recess provided in the second housing 113.

[0115] According to an embodiment, the plate 600 may include a plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 through which a coil (e.g., the coil 120 of FIG. 4) passes. One or more of the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 may be provided in the height direction of the plate 600. For example, the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 may be arranged at a predetermined interval at substantially the same height. The plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 may be arranged in 2×3 (2 rows and 3 columns). The holes positioned in the first row may be referred to as a 1-1th hole P11, a 1-2th hole P12, and a 1-3th hole P13, and the holes positioned in the second row may be referred to as a 2-1th hole P21, a 2-2th hole P22, and a 2-3th hole P23.

[0116] According to an embodiment, the 1-1th hole P11 and the 1-2th hole P12 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 1-2th hole P12 and the 1-3th hole P13 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 2-1th hole P21 and the 2-2th hole P22 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 2-2th hole P22 and the 2-3th hole P23 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.

[0117] According to an embodiment, the plate 600 may include a plurality of openings 631 and 633. The plurality of openings 631 and 633 may be formed to reduce flow resistance of air flowing inside the heater 100. The plurality of openings 631 and 633 may include a first opening 631 and a second opening 633.

[0118] For example, the plurality of openings 631 and 633 may have a width that is relatively shorter than or equal to a distance between two adjacent holes. The plurality of openings 631 and 633 may have a height that is relatively smaller than or equal to the height of the plate. The plurality of openings may have a rectangular shape, but are not limited thereto.

[0119] For example, the plurality of openings 631 and 633 may have a width of w1 and a height of h1.

[0120] For example, the first opening may be positioned between the 1-1th hole P11, the 2-1th hole P21, the 1-2th hole P12, and the 2-2th hole P22. The second opening may be positioned between the 1-2th hole P12, the 2-2th hole P22, the 1-3th hole P13, and the 2-3th hole P23.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 7, the overall shape of the plate 700 may correspond to the plate 600 of FIG. 6, but there may be differences in positions and shapes of the plurality of holes P31, P32, P33, P41, P42, and P43 (e.g., the plurality of holes P11, P12, P13, P21, P22, and P23 of FIG. 6) and the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 (e.g., the plurality of openings 631 and 633 of FIG. 6) formed in the plate 700. Therefore, the differences from FIG. 6 are mainly described.

[0122] According to an embodiment, the plate 700 may include a plurality of holes P31, P32, P33, P41, P42, and P43. One or more of the plurality of holes P31, P32, P33, P41, P42, and P43 may be provided in the height direction of the plate 700. For example, the plurality of holes P31, P32, P33, P41, P42, and P43 may be arranged at a predetermined interval at substantially the same height. The plurality of holes may be arranged in 2×3 (2 rows and 3 columns). The holes positioned in the first row may be referred to as a 3-1th hole P31, a 3-2th hole P32, and a 3-3th hole P33, and the holes positioned in the second row may be referred to as a 4-1th hole P41, a 4-2th hole P42, and a 4-3th hole P43.

[0123] According to an embodiment, the 3-1th hole P31 and the 3-2th hole P32 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 3-2th hole P32 and the 3-3th hole P33 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 4-1th hole P41 and the 4-2th hole P42 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval. The 4-2th hole P42 and the 4-3th hole P43 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval.

[0124] According to an embodiment, the plate 700 may include a plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741. The plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may be formed to reduce flow resistance of air flowing inside the heater 100.

[0125] According to an embodiment, the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may have a relatively smaller area than the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 provided in the plate 700 of FIG. 6. For example, the area of the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 illustrated in FIG. 7 may be about ¼ of the area of the plurality of openings 631 and 633 illustrated in FIG. 6.

[0126] According to an embodiment, one or more of the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may be provided in the height direction of the plate 700. For example, the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may be arranged at a predetermined interval at substantially the same height. The plurality of openings may be arranged in 2×3 (two rows and three columns). The openings positioned in the first row may be referred to as a 1-1th opening 731, a 1-2th opening 733, and a 1-3th opening 735, and the holes positioned in the second row may be referred to as a 2-1th opening 737, a 2-2th opening 739, and a 2-3th opening 741.

[0127] According to an embodiment, the plurality of holes P31, P32, P33, P41, P42, and P43 and the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may be alternately arranged. For example, from the left side of the first row, the 3-1th hole P31, the 1-1th opening 731, the 3-2th hole P32, the 1-2th opening 733, the 3-3th hole P33, and the 1-3th opening 735 may be sequentially arranged. For example, from the left side of the second row, the 2-1th opening 737, the 4-1th hole P41, the 2-2th opening 739, the 4-2th hole P42, the 2-3th opening 741, and the 4-3th hole P43 may be sequentially arranged.

[0128] For example, the plurality of openings 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741 may have a width of w2 and a height of h2.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 8, the plate 800 may include a plurality of sub plates 810, 820, and 830. The plurality of sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may include a first sub plate 810, a second sub plate 820, and a third sub plate 830.

[0130] According to an embodiment, the first to third sub plates 810, 820, and 830 each may be coupled to the housing (e.g., the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 of FIG. 4). Upper and lower ends of the first to third sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may be coupled to the recess provided in the housing by having protrusions. The width of the protrusion may be substantially the same as, e.g., the width of the first to third sub plates 810, 820, and 830.

[0131] According to an embodiment, the first to third sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may have a plurality of holes P51, P52, P53, P54, P55, and P56 through which a coil (e.g., the coil 120 of FIG. 4) passes. The first sub plate 810 may have a first hole P51 and a second hole P52 in the height direction. The first hole P51 and the second hole P52 may be disposed in a straight line. The second sub plate 820 may have a third hole P53 and a fourth hole P54 in the height direction. The third hole P53 and the fourth hole P54 may be disposed in a straight line. The third sub plate 830 may have a fifth hole P55 and a sixth hole P56 in the height direction. The fifth hole P55 and the sixth hole P56 may be disposed in a straight line.

[0132] According to an embodiment, the plurality of sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The plurality of sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the plate 800. The spaced-apart sub plates 810, 820, and 830 may form empty spaces 831 and 833. The empty spaces 831 and 833 may correspond to the plurality of openings (e.g., the plurality of openings 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, and 741) of FIG. 6 or 7. For example, a first space 831 between the first sub plate 810 and the second sub plate 820 may correspond to the first opening 631 of FIG. 6. A second space 833 between the second sub plate 820 and the third sub plate 830 may correspond to the second opening 633 of FIG. 6.

[0133] According to an embodiment, the first space 831 may have a 3-1th width w31 and a third height h3. The 3-1th width w31 may be substantially the same as the separation distance between the first sub plate 810 and the second sub plate 820. The third height h3 may be substantially the same as the distance between the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 (or the height of the heater 100).

[0134] According to an embodiment, the second space may have a 3-2th width w32 and a third height h3. The 3-2th width w32 may be substantially the same as the separation distance between the second sub plate 820 and the third sub plate 830.

[0135] According to an embodiment, the flow resistance of the air flowing inside the heater 100 may be reduced due to the first space 831 and the second space 833 formed in the first to third sub plates 810, 820, and 830.

[0136] Referring to FIG. 9, the plate 900 may include a plurality of sub plates 910, 920, and 930. The plurality of sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may include a first sub plate 910, a second sub plate 920, and a third sub plate 930.

[0137] According to an embodiment, the first to third sub plates 910, 920, and 930 each may be coupled to the housing (e.g., the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 of FIG. 4). The protrusions 915, 917, 925, 927, 935, and 937 formed at the upper and lower ends of the first to third sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may be coupled to the recess provided in the housing 111 and 113. The widths of the protrusions 915, 917, 925, 927, 935, and 937 may be relatively narrower than the widths of the first to third sub plates 910, 920, and 930.

[0138] According to an embodiment, the first to third sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may have a plurality of holes P61, P62, P63, P64, P65, and P66 through which a coil (e.g., the coil 120 of FIG. 4) passes. The first sub plate 910 may have a first hole P61 and a second hole P62 disposed in a diagonal direction. The second sub plate 920 may have a third hole P63 and a fourth hole P64 disposed in a diagonal direction. The third sub plate 930 may have a fifth hole P65 and a sixth hole P66 disposed in a diagonal direction.

[0139] According to an embodiment, the plurality of sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The plurality of sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the plate 900. The spaced-apart sub plates 910, 920, and 930 may form empty spaces 931, 933, and 935. The empty space may correspond to the first space and the second space (e.g., the first space and the second spaces 831 and 833) of FIG. 8. For example, the first space 931 between the first sub plate 910 and the second sub plate 920 may correspond to the first space 831 of FIG. 8. The second space 933 between the second sub plate 920 and the third sub plate 930 may correspond to the second space 833 of FIG. 8.

[0140] According to an embodiment, the first space 931 may have a 4-1th width w41 and a fourth height h4. The 4-1th width w41 may be substantially the same as the separation distance between the first sub plate 910 and the second sub plate 920. The fourth height h4 may be substantially the same as the distance between the first housing 111 and the second housing 113 (or the height of the heater 100).

[0141] According to an embodiment, the second space may have a second width w42 and a fourth height h4. The 4-2th width w42 may be substantially the same as the separation distance between the second sub plate 920 and the third sub plate 930.

[0142] According to an embodiment, the flow resistance of the air flowing inside the heater 100 may be reduced due to the first space 931 and the second space 933 formed in the first to third sub plates 910, 920, and 930.

[0143] FIG. 10 is a rear view illustrating a portion of a clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment.

[0144] FIG. 11 is a rear view illustrating a portion of a clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment.

[0145] FIGS. 10 and 11 may be understood as views illustrating a fan scroll 45 and a heater 100 included in an inlet duct 41 (e.g., the inlet duct 41 of FIG. 3) provided at a rear side of the clothing dryer 1. It may be understood that the illustrated arrow (dashed line) roughly shows a movement path of air passing through the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45.

[0146] Referring to FIG. 10, the air flow formed by the blower fan (e.g., the blower fan 34 of FIG. 3) may be introduced into the inlet 451 of the fan scroll 45. Air may move upward along a path formed in the fan scroll 45 and be discharged to the outlet 453. The air may move from the inlet portion 101 of the heater 100 to the discharge portion 102 and be introduced into a drum (e.g., the drum 20 of FIG. 3).

[0147] According to an embodiment, the heater 100 may be connected to the fan scroll 45. For example, the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may be physically connected to the inlet portion 101 of the heater 100. At least a portion of the side surfaces of the inlet duct 41 connected to the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may correspond to the side housing (e.g., the third surface 115 and the fourth surface 117 of FIG. 4) of the heater 100. For example, the third surface 115 and the fourth surface 117 may extend in substantially the same direction as at least a portion of the side surface of the adjacent inlet duct 41. Accordingly, the air introduced through the heater 100 may move in substantially the same direction as the inlet duct 41 extending from the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45.

[0148] According to an embodiment, the air may be substantially moved along an arrow (dashed line) by the plurality of plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 provided in the heater 100. The flow resistance of the air passing through the heater 100 may be reduced by the direction in which the plurality of plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 are disposed (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0149] According to an embodiment, the air passing through the heater 100 may freely move the area partitioned into the plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 by openings (e.g., the plurality of openings 631 and 633 of FIG. 6) formed in the plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250. The plurality of openings 631 and 633 provided in the plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 may reduce the flow resistance of the air passing through the heater 100.

[0150] FIG. 11 illustrates a case in which the inlet portion 101-1 and the discharge portion 102-1 of the heater 100-1 (e.g., the heater 100 of FIG. 3) are provided in a curved shape, and the plurality of plates 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, 250-1 (e.g., the plates 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250 of FIG. 10) disposed in the heater 100-1 have a curved shape, and may be understood as illustrating an extended embodiment of FIG. 10. Hereinafter, the differences from FIG. 10 are mainly described.

[0151] According to an embodiment, the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may be bent. The fan scroll 45 may reduce the flow resistance of the air discharged to the curved outlet 453.

[0152] According to an embodiment, the heater 100-1 may be connected to the fan scroll 45. For example, the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may be physically connected to the inlet portion 101-1 of the heater 100-1. At least a portion of the side surface of the inlet duct 41 connected to the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45 may correspond to the side housing (e.g., the third surface 115 and the fourth surface 117 of FIG. 4) of the heater 100-1. For example, the third surface 115 and the fourth surface 117 may extend in substantially the same direction as at least a portion of the side surface of the adjacent inlet duct 41. Accordingly, the air introduced through the heater 100 may move in substantially the same direction as the inlet duct 41 extending from the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45.

[0153] According to an embodiment, the inlet portion 101-1 and / or the discharge portion 102-1 of the heater 100-1 may be formed as a curved surface. For example, the inlet portion 101-1 and / or the discharge portion 102-1 may be bent along the moving direction of the air. The inlet portion 101-1 and / or the discharge portion 102-1 may be bent, e.g., in substantially the same direction as the outlet 453 of the bent fan scroll 45.

[0154] For example, any one of the inlet portion 101-1 and the discharge portion 102-1 may be formed as a curved surface, and the other may be formed as a flat surface. For example, the inlet portion 101-1 may be bent in substantially the same direction as the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45, and the discharge portion 102-1 may be flat.

[0155] For example, the inlet portion 101-1 and the discharge portion 102-1 may be bent in substantially the same direction as the outlet 453 of the fan scroll 45.

[0156] According to an embodiment, the plates 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, and 250-1 may be formed as curved surfaces. For example, in the plates 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, and 250-1, one end of the plate 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, or 250-1 positioned near the discharge portion 102-1 may be bent to the left so that air is generally guided to the left. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the bending direction for reducing the flow resistance of the plates 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, and 250-1 may be determined based on the movement path of the air. For example, the shape of the inlet portion 101-1 and the discharge portion 102-1 and the shape of the plates 210-1, 220-1, 230-1, 240-1, and 250-1 may be determined based on the shape of the closed path formed by the inlet duct 41, the movement path of air passing through the inlet portion 101-1 or the discharge portion 102-1 of the heater 100-1, and the distance on the inlet (e.g., the inlet 210 of FIG. 3) communicating with the discharge portion 102-1 and the drum 20.

[0157] A clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure may comprise an inlet duct 41 forming a path through which air passing through a heat exchanger 71, 72 is introduced into a drum 20, a blower fan 34 forming a flow of the air, and a heater 100 installed in the inlet duct 41. The heater 100 may include a housing 110 in which a lower side forming an inlet through which the air is introduced and an upper side forming an outlet through which the air is discharged each are open, a plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 disposed parallel to a direction of the flow of the air and fixed to a front surface 111 and a rear surface 113 of the housing 110, and a coil 120 disposed to pass through a hole P formed in the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 extends. For example, the coil 120 passes through the hole P in a direction perpendicular to faces of the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900. An area of a second open surface 102 formed on the upper side may be larger than an area of a first open surface 101 formed on the lower side.

[0158] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, a separation distance between two plates disposed to face each other among the plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may increase as the two plates extend from the first open surface 101 to the second open surface 102.

[0159] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, a plate 210, 250 disposed at an outermost side among the plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may be disposed parallel to an adjacent side surface 115, 117 of the housing.

[0160] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, a plurality of openings 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be formed in the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 as a portion of the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 is removed.

[0161] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of openings 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be alternately arranged with the hole P.

[0162] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, an area of the opening 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be relatively larger than the hole P.

[0163] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plate 800, 900 may include a plurality of sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, 930 disposed from the first open surface 101 toward the second open surface 102 at a predetermined interval. The opening 831, 833, 931, 933 may be formed by a predetermined interval w31, w32, w41, w42 at which two adjacent sub plates among the plurality of sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, 930 are spaced apart from each other.

[0164] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101, 102 of the housing 110 may be a flat surface.

[0165] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101-1, 102-1 of the housing 110 may be formed as a curved surface curved in a direction in which the air passes.

[0166] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101, 102, 101-1, 102-1 of the housing 110 may be formed as a flat surface, and another one may be formed as a curved surface curved in a direction in which air passes.

[0167] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may have a curved part formed as one side thereof is bent.

[0168] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may be bent considering the direction of the flow of air passing through the heater 100.

[0169] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may be arranged considering the direction of the flow of the air passing through the heater 100.

[0170] A clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure may comprise an inlet duct 41 forming a path through which air passing through a heat exchanger 71, 72 is introduced into a drum, a blower fan 34 forming a flow of the air, and a heater 100 installed in the inlet duct 41. The heater 100 may include a housing 110 in which a lower side forming an inlet through which the air is introduced and an upper side forming an outlet through which the air is discharged each are open, a plurality of plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 fixed to a front surface 111 and a rear surface 113 of the housing 110, and a coil 120 disposed to pass through a hole P formed in the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 extends. An area of a second open surface 102 formed on the upper side may be larger than an area of a first open surface 101 formed on the lower side, and the plurality of plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may be arranged parallel to a traveling direction of the air passing through a unit area formed inside the heater 100.

[0171] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the unit area may be positioned near an area where flow separation occurs due to collision between the air and the plates 200, 600, 700, 800, 900.

[0172] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, a plurality of openings 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be formed in the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 as a portion of the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 is removed.

[0173] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plurality of openings 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be alternately arranged with the hole P.

[0174] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, an area of the opening 631, 633, 731, 733, 735, 737, 739, 741, 831, 833, 931, 933 may be relatively larger than the hole P.

[0175] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plate 800, 900 may include a plurality of sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, 930 disposed from the first open surface 101 toward the second open surface 102 at a predetermined interval. The opening 831, 833, 931, 933 may be formed by a predetermined interval w31, w32, w41, w42 at which two adjacent sub plates among the plurality of sub plates 810, 820, 830, 910, 920, 930 are spaced apart from each other.

[0176] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101, 102 of the housing 110 may be a flat surface.

[0177] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101-1, 102-1 of the housing 110 may be formed as a curved surface curved in a direction in which the air passes.

[0178] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, at least one of the open surfaces 101, 102, 101-1, 102-1 of the housing 110 may be formed as a flat surface, and another one may be formed as a curved surface curved in a direction in which air passes.

[0179] In the clothing dryer 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, the plate 200, 600, 700, 800, 900 may have a curved part formed as one side thereof is bent.

[0180] The terms as used herein are provided merely to describe some embodiments thereof, but are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of such phrases as “A or B,”“at least one of A and B,”“at least one of A or B,”“A, B, or C,”“at least one of A, B, and C,” and “at least one of A, B, or C,” may include all possible combinations of the items enumerated together in a corresponding one of the phrases. As used herein, the term ‘and / or’ should be understood as encompassing any and all possible combinations by one or more of the enumerated items. As used herein, the terms “include,”“have,” and “comprise” are used merely to designate the presence of the feature, component, part, or a combination thereof described herein, but use of the term does not exclude the likelihood of presence or adding one or more other features, components, parts, or combinations thereof. As used herein, the terms “first” and “second” may modify various components regardless of importance and / or order and are used to distinguish a component from another without limiting the components.

[0181] As used herein, the terms “configured to” may be interchangeably used with the terms “suitable for,”“having the capacity to,”“designed to,”“adapted to,”“made to,” or “capable of” depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” does not essentially mean “specifically designed in hardware to.” Rather, the term “configured to” may mean that a device can perform an operation together with another device or parts. For example, a ‘device configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C’ may be a dedicated device to perform the corresponding operation or may mean a general-purpose device capable of various operations including the corresponding operation.

[0182] Meanwhile, the terms “upper side”, “lower side”, and “front and rear directions” used in the disclosure are defined with respect to the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

[0183] In the disclosure, the above-described description has been made mainly of specific embodiments, but the disclosure is not limited to such specific embodiments, but should rather be appreciated as covering all various modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutes of various embodiments.

Claims

1. A clothing dryer comprising:a drum;a heat exchanger;an inlet duct through which air passed through the heat exchanger flows to be introduced into the drum;a blower fan configured to generate a flow of the air; anda heater in the inlet duct, wherein the heater includes:a housing comprising a lower side comprising a first open surface so as to form an inlet through which the air flowing in the inlet duct is introduced into the housing, and an upper side comprising a second open surface so as to form an outlet through which the air introduced into the housing is discharged from the housing,at least one plate parallel to a direction in which the air flows through the housing and fixed to a front side and a rear side of the housing, anda coil passing through a hole in each plate of the at least one plate in a direction perpendicular to a face of the plate,wherein an area of the second open surface is larger than an area of the first open surface.

2. The clothing dryer of claim 1, whereinthe at least one plate includes a plurality of plates, and a separation distance between two plates of the at least one plate facing each other increases as the two plates extend from the first open surface to the second open surface.

3. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the at least one plate includes a plurality of plates, and a plate at an outermost side among the at least one plate is parallel to an adjacent side surface of the housing.

4. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein each plate of the at least one plate includes a plurality of openings formed in the plate to reduce flow separation.

5. The clothing dryer of claim 4, wherein the plurality of openings are alternately arranged with the hole in the plate.

6. The clothing dryer of claim 4, wherein an area of each opening of the plurality of openings is larger than the hole.

7. The clothing dryer of claim 4, whereineach plate of the at least one plate includes a plurality of sub plates disposed from the first open surface toward the second open surface, andthe plurality of openings of each plate of the at least one plate are formed by a predetermined interval at which two adjacent sub plates of the plate are spaced apart from each other.

8. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is flat.

9. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a curved surface curved in the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

10. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein one of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a flat surface, and the other of the first open surface and the second open surface is formed as a curved surface curved in the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

11. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein each plate of the at least one plate has a curved part formed as one side thereof is bent.

12. The clothing dryer of claim 11, wherein each plate of the at least one plate is bent relative to the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

13. The clothing dryer of claim 1, wherein the at least one plate includes a plurality of plates arranged in consideration of the direction in which the air flows through the housing.

14. A clothing dryer comprising:a drum;a heat exchanger;an inlet duct through which air passed through the heat exchanger flows to be introduced into the drum;a blower fan forming a flow of the air; anda heater in the inlet duct, wherein the heater includes:a housing comprising a lower side comprising a first open surface so as to form an inlet through which the air flowing in the inlet duct is introduced into the housing, and an upper side comprising a second open surface so as to form an outlet through which the air introduced into the housing is discharged from the housing,a plurality of plates fixed to a front side and a rear side of the housing, and each plate of the plurality of plates being parallel to a direction in which the air flows through a unit area inside the heater, anda coil passing through a hole formed in each plate of the plurality of plates in a direction perpendicular to faces of the plurality of plates,wherein an area of the second open surface is larger than an area of the first open surface.

15. The clothing dryer of claim 14, wherein the unit area is positioned near an area where flow separation occurs due to collision between the air and the plurality of plates.

16. The clothing dryer of claim 14, wherein each plate of the plurality of plates includes a plurality of openings to reduce flow separation.

17. The clothing dryer of claim 16, wherein the plurality of openings of each plate of the plurality of plates are alternately arranged with the hole of the plate.

18. The clothing dryer of claim 16, wherein an area of each opening of the plurality of openings is larger than the hole.

19. The clothing dryer of claim 14, whereineach plate of the plurality of plates includes a plurality of sub plates disposed from the first open surface toward the second open surface, andeach plate of the plurality of plates includes plurality of openings formed by a predetermined interval at which two adjacent sub plates of the plate are spaced apart from each other.

20. The clothing dryer of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first open surface and the second open surface is flat.

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