Clothes treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothes treatment apparatus capable of effectively condensing moisture by setting at least one of arrangement, shape and area of an evaporator to be different from that of a condenser, the apparatus comprising: a drying body including a cabinet, which has an opening in through which clothes are put, and a drum, which is disposed inside the cabinet so as to accommodate the clothes; a drying module including a case, which is disposed behind the cabinet so as to communicate with the cabinet, a passage formation part, which forms a passage that guides the air discharged from the drum back to the drum inside the case, an evaporator, which is disposed inside the passage formation part so as to cool the air, and a condenser, which heats the air having passed through the evaporator; and a duct module including a duct body, which is disposed below the drum and in front of the passage formation part so that the air discharged from the drum flows thereinto, and a fan accommodation part in which a circulation fan disposed behind the duct body so as to move the air to the passage formation part is mounted, wherein the passage formation part is disposed to extend in the height direction inside the case, the evaporator is disposed below the condenser, and the lower surface of the evaporator is inclined.

Description

Garment processing equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothing treatment device. More specifically, it relates to a commercial dryer capable of performing drying processes, such as sterilizing, removing wrinkles, deodorizing, and drying, on clothing by supplying steam or hot air to the clothing.

[0002] In general, a garment treatment device performs any course of treating garments, and may include a dryer that performs a drying process.

[0003] In the case of commercial dryers, bulky and heavy clothing such as bedding can be loaded in a wet state compared to household dryers, and they can be equipped to perform more drying cycles to dry a large quantity of clothing.

[0004] Accordingly, commercial dryers need to be designed to be much larger in volume and to supply a greater amount of hot air than household dryers, so that they can quickly dry a large amount of clothes.

[0005] Conventional commercial dryers typically utilize a heat pump system to circulate air contained in the drum, allowing them to dry large volumes of clothing. This ensures that even when a large amount of moisture is dried in a large volume of clothing, the moisture is condensed within the heat pump system, preventing it from re-entering the drum or leaking out.

[0006] However, conventional commercial dryers are designed to dry large quantities of clothing, so a large amount of moisture inevitably condenses in the evaporator. If a large amount of moisture condenses in the evaporator, the water droplets condensed on the surface of the evaporator may impede the passage of air. Furthermore, even if a commercial dryer is equipped with a large-capacity evaporator for condensation performance, a greater amount of moisture may condense in the evaporator, further impeding airflow. Furthermore, the water condensed in large quantities on the surface of the evaporator may move with the air, increasing the humidity inside the drum.

[0007] Furthermore, in conventional commercial dryers, when a large amount of condensed water is collected in the evaporator, the water level rises, causing a portion of the lower part of the evaporator to fall into the water, thereby reducing the area of ​​the evaporator in contact with the air, which in turn reduces the condensing performance.

[0008] To improve this, commercial dryers have recently been developed that position the airflow path along the height of the garment treatment device and place the evaporator below the condenser, allowing the condensed water from the evaporator to fall to the bottom of the path by gravity. The evaporator and condenser have the advantage of being arranged with their upper and lower surfaces parallel to the ground, enabling even heat exchange with the incoming air.

[0009] Furthermore, the commercial dryer had the effect of preventing large amounts of water from remaining on the surface of the evaporator by causing water condensed on the surface of the evaporator to fall from the evaporator by gravity. Furthermore, the commercial dryer prevented the possibility of the fallen water coming into contact with the evaporator, thereby fundamentally preventing any portion of the evaporator from becoming submerged in water.

[0010] However, in the case of the commercial dryer, when a large amount of water is condensed on the surface of the evaporator, the water frequently adheres to the surface of the evaporator due to surface tension, and there is a problem in that some of the condensed water remains in a lump on the entire lower surface of the evaporator, or the water falling downward from the surface of the evaporator obstructs the movement of air until it falls.

[0011] In particular, there was a problem in which water falling toward the lower surface of the evaporator rose into the air and remained on the surface of the evaporator or moved to the condenser, which had the opposite effect.

[0012] Meanwhile, conventional commercial dryers typically feature evaporators and condensers of equal volume and area. In this case, the evaporator fails to effectively remove moisture from air containing a high moisture content during the initial and middle stages of the drying cycle, resulting in reduced drying performance and delayed drying times.

[0013] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device in which an evaporator is configured differently from a condenser in at least one of arrangement, shape, and area, thereby effectively condensing moisture.

[0014] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device in which water condensed in an evaporator can be easily separated from the evaporator.

[0015] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device that concentrates condensed water from an evaporator into a specific area in the evaporator to induce separation in the evaporator and does not obstruct the flow of air.

[0016] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device in which water sprayed toward an evaporator is easily removed from the evaporator.

[0017] To address the aforementioned challenges, the present invention provides a garment treatment device capable of directing water condensed or sprayed from an evaporator to be collected in a specific area within the evaporator. This allows water droplets adhering to and moving on the surface of the evaporator to quickly coalesce and be easily separated from the evaporator, or prevents the water droplets from interfering with the movement of air passing through the evaporator.

[0018] The present invention can design the area of ​​the evaporator to be larger than that of the condenser.

[0019] This allows for the rapid removal of moisture from a large quantity of clothing, preventing moisture from re-entering the drum.

[0020] The present invention, in order to solve the above-described problem, provides a clothes treatment device including a drying body including a cabinet having an opening through which clothes are introduced, and a drum disposed inside the cabinet to receive the clothes; a case disposed at the rear of the cabinet and provided to communicate with the cabinet; a flow path forming part forming a flow path for guiding air discharged from the drum back to the drum inside the case; a drying module including an evaporator disposed inside the flow path forming part to cool the air and a condenser for heating the air passing through the evaporator; a duct module including a duct body disposed below the drum and in front of the flow path forming part to introduce air discharged from the drum; and a fan receiving part disposed at the rear of the duct body to which a circulation fan for moving the air to the flow path forming part is mounted.

[0021] The above-mentioned euro-forming portion is arranged to extend in the height direction inside the case, the evaporator is arranged lower than the condenser, and the lower surface of the evaporator may be provided to be inclined.

[0022] The lower surface of the above evaporator may be provided with a different slope from the lower surface of the above condenser.

[0023] The lower surface of the above condenser can be arranged parallel to the bottom surface of the above case.

[0024] The lower surface of the above evaporator may have a slope whose height decreases from the front to the rear.

[0025] The above-mentioned euro-forming part may include an inlet disposed at the front of the case through which air discharged from the drum flows in, and an outlet through which air discharged upward from the inlet flows back toward the drum.

[0026] A portion of the lower surface of the above evaporator may be positioned lower than the upper portion of the inlet.

[0027] The above condenser may be entirely disposed between the inlet and the outlet.

[0028] The above evaporator may be arranged so that its lower surface is inclined in a direction facing the inlet.

[0029] The lower surface of the above evaporator may be extended away from the inlet as the height decreases.

[0030] The lower surface of the above evaporator may have a greater number of areas positioned higher than the upper portion of the inlet than areas positioned lower than the upper portion of the inlet.

[0031] The height from the top of the lower surface to the top of the inlet may be greater than the height from the bottom of the lower surface of the evaporator to the top of the inlet.

[0032] The above drying module may further include a drainage unit disposed on the bottom surface of the euro-forming unit to collect water falling from the evaporator.

[0033] The above drainage unit may include a drainage body forming a lower surface of the above-mentioned flow-forming unit, a drainage surface formed on an upper portion of the drainage body to collect the water, and a drainage hole penetrating the drainage surface to discharge the water.

[0034] The above drain hole may be positioned closer to the inlet than the lower part of the lower surface of the evaporator.

[0035] The above drain hole may be positioned closer to the upper part of the lower surface of the evaporator than to the lower part of the lower surface of the evaporator.

[0036] The above drainage surface may include a slope that decreases toward the drainage hole.

[0037] The above drainage surface may include a front inclined surface extending in an inclined direction from a front edge of the drain body toward the drain hole, and a rear inclined surface extending in an inclined direction from a rear edge of the drain body toward the drain hole.

[0038] The slope of the above front slope can be formed more steeply than the slope of the above rear slope.

[0039] The length of the above forward slope can be formed to be shorter than the length of the above rear slope.

[0040] The above drainage unit may further include a drain pipe extending from the drain hole to the outside of the case to discharge the water.

[0041] The above drying module may include a washing unit that sprays water onto the evaporator to wash the evaporator, and the washing unit may include a washing nozzle that is positioned below the evaporator and sprays water onto the evaporator.

[0042] The above washing nozzle may be provided to spray water closer to the top than the bottom of the lower surface of the evaporator.

[0043] The above washing nozzle is positioned rearward by a first distance from the upper part of the lower surface of the evaporator and forward by a second distance from the lower part of the lower surface of the evaporator, wherein the second distance may be set longer than the first distance.

[0044] The present invention, in order to solve the above-described problem, provides a clothes treatment device including a drying body including a cabinet having an opening through which clothes are introduced, and a drum disposed inside the cabinet to receive the clothes; a case disposed at the rear of the cabinet and provided to communicate with the cabinet; a flow path forming part forming a flow path for guiding air discharged from the drum back to the drum inside the case; a drying module including an evaporator disposed inside the flow path forming part to cool the air and a condenser for heating the air passing through the evaporator; a duct module including a duct body disposed below the drum and in front of the flow path forming part to introduce air discharged from the drum; and a fan receiving part disposed at the rear of the duct body to which a circulation fan for moving the air to the flow path forming part is mounted.

[0045] The area of ​​the above evaporator may be provided to be larger than the area of ​​the above condenser.

[0046] The lower surface of the above evaporator may be wider than the lower surface of the above condenser.

[0047] The above evaporator may be arranged at a different incline from the condenser in the above-mentioned vortex forming section.

[0048] The present invention has the effect of effectively condensing moisture by having an evaporator and a condenser having at least one different arrangement, shape, or area.

[0049] The present invention has the effect of providing a clothing treatment device in which water condensed in an evaporator can be easily separated from the evaporator.

[0050] The present invention has the effect of concentrating water condensed in an evaporator into a specific area in the evaporator, thereby inducing separation in the evaporator and not obstructing the flow of air.

[0051] The present invention has the effect of inducing water sprayed toward the evaporator to be easily removed from the evaporator.

[0052] Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which the configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention is provided in a detachable manner.

[0054] Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the internal structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the front configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the door structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of the front structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of the internal configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention viewed from the front.

[0059] Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment of the sealing structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 9 illustrates an example of the arrangement position of the driving unit of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 10 illustrates an example of the rear structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0062] Figure 11 illustrates an embodiment of the drum structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0063] Figure 12 illustrates an embodiment of the rear drum structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0064] Figure 13 illustrates an embodiment of a duct module of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0065] Figure 14 illustrates an example of installing a circulation fan of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0066] Figure 15 illustrates an example of the appearance of a drying module (20).

[0067] Figure 16 illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the drying module.

[0068] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing the structure in which the auxiliary heat exchanger of the clothing treatment device of the present invention is installed.

[0069] Figure 18 illustrates an example of the internal structure of a drying module of a clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 19 illustrates an embodiment of a washing unit of a clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0071] Figure 20 illustrates an embodiment in which the above washing unit is arranged.

[0072] Figure 21 illustrates the positional relationship of the above drainage section.

[0073]

[0074] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification, identical or similar components are given identical or similar reference numerals even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced with the first description. The singular expression used in this specification includes plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification should not be construed as being limited by the attached drawings.

[0075] Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0076] The clothing treatment device of the present invention may be equipped with a dryer capable of performing any drying course to remove moisture from clothing.

[0077] The clothing treatment device of the present invention 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) and steam to the drying body (10), and a duct module (30) providing a path through which air inside the drying body (10) can be discharged to the drying module (20) or the outside.

[0078] The garment treatment device of the present invention can be installed as a commercial dryer. Accordingly, the garment treatment device of the present invention can be deployed in environments where multiple users repeatedly perform the drying cycle, or where a large quantity of clothing, such as blankets or bedding, must be dried, compared to a household dryer. Therefore, the garment treatment device of the present invention must be equipped to accommodate a larger volume of clothing than a household dryer, and must be equipped to supply more hot air than a household dryer to quickly perform the drying cycle.

[0079] To this end, the clothes treatment device of the present invention needs to have a larger volume of the drying body (10) than a configuration for accommodating clothes in a home dryer, the drying module (20) needs to have a larger volume than the drying module of a home dryer in order to generate a large amount of hot air, and the duct module (30) needs to be larger than the duct module of a home dryer in order to allow a sufficient amount of air to move.

[0080] Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present invention may be provided such that at least one of the drying module (20) and the duct module (30) is disposed as a separate configuration from the drying main body (10) and is detachably coupled to the drying main body (10).

[0081] As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can sufficiently expand the volume of the drying body (10) without being restricted by the installation space of the drying module (20) or the duct module (30). As a result, the drying body (10) can be equipped to accommodate a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0082] In addition, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can sufficiently expand the volume of the drying module (20) without being restricted by the installation space of the drying main body (10) or the duct module (30). Accordingly, the drying module (20) can also increase the volume of the heat supply unit that heats air or generates steam, so that it can be equipped to generate sufficient hot air to dry a large amount of clothing or sufficient steam to sterilize and disinfect a large amount of clothing.

[0083] In addition, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can sufficiently expand the volume of the duct module (30) without being restricted by the installation space of the drying main body (10) or the drying module (20). Accordingly, the duct module (30) can secure a path for a sufficient amount of air to move to the expanded drying main body (10) and the drying module (20), and a large-capacity filter described later can also be stably installed.

[0084] When the above drying body (10) is provided with an opening through which clothes are put in, the drying module (20) and the duct module (30) may be provided to communicate with the drying body (10) at a position that does not interfere with the opening.

[0085] When the opening of the above drying body (10) is arranged at the front, the drying module (20) may be arranged at any one of the upper, lower, both sides, and rear of the drying body (10), and the duct module (30) may be arranged at any one of the upper, lower, both sides, and rear of the drying body (10) at a position that does not interfere with the drying module (20).

[0086] For example, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can place the drying module (20) at the rear of the drying main body (10).

[0087] Accordingly, the volume of the drying module (20) can be expanded to a greater extent than when the drying module (20) is arranged at the upper and lower portions of the drying body (10), thereby maximizing the heating or heat exchange performance. In addition, since the drying module (20) is arranged at the rear of the drying body (10) rather than being provided at the side of the drying body (10), the overall width of the clothing treatment device of the present invention can be reduced, and a plurality of clothing treatment devices of the present invention can be easily arranged in a limited space. In addition, since the drying module (20) is arranged at the rear of the drying body (10), the flow path direction in which the hot air is discharged can be aligned with the flow path direction inside the drying body (10), thereby reducing the overall flow resistance.

[0088] Meanwhile, the duct module (30) may be placed on either the upper or lower side of the drying body (10). This allows the overall width of the garment treatment device of the present invention to be reduced compared to when it is placed on the side of the drying body (10).

[0089] The above duct module (30) can be placed at the bottom of the drying body (10). As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can position the opening of the drying body (10) higher from the ground, and the user can easily take in and take out a large amount of clothing through the opening.

[0090] Of course, the clothing treatment device of the present invention may be provided in the form of a household dryer, with the duct module (30) installed inside the cabinet (10) and the drying module (20) installed inside the duct module (30). The following description will be based on the garment treatment device of the present invention being provided in the illustrated form, but the features of the configuration specified in the description may also be applied when provided with a household dryer.

[0091] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which the configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention is provided in a detachable manner.

[0092] The clothing treatment device of the present invention may be manufactured such that at least one of the drying main body (10), drying module (20), and duct module (30) is separated from the other and detachably coupled to allow air to flow through.

[0093] In general, the drying module (20) is equipped with heavy components for heating air or supplying steam, and may be relatively heavier than the drying main body (10) or duct module (30). In addition, the drying module (20) may have more electrical components than the internal components of the drying main body (10) and duct module (30), and thus may require more frequent maintenance.

[0094] To this end, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can be designed so that the drying module (20) can be detachably attached to the drying main body (10). Accordingly, the drying module (20) can be transported separately from the drying main body (10) to easily install the clothing treatment device of the present invention, and if there is a problem with the electrical components of the drying module (20), it can be replaced separately from the drying main body (10), and some parts of the drying module (20) can be replaced by separating it from the bulky drying main body (10), thereby facilitating maintenance work.

[0095] Meanwhile, the clothing treatment device of the present invention may be provided with the drying main body (10) and the duct module (30) as an integral unit. As a result, the connection between the drying main body (10) and the duct module (30) is strengthened, thereby preventing the possibility of air discharged from the drying main body (10) leaking to the outside.

[0096] In addition, even if strong vibration occurs in the drying body (10) due to the movement of a large amount of clothing, the drying body (10) can be prevented from being arbitrarily separated from the duct module (30). The drying body (10) and the duct module (30) can be placed inside a single cabinet and manufactured and transported simultaneously.

[0097] This is only an example, and the above-mentioned drying body (10) and the above-mentioned duct module (30) may be provided as separate modules and may be provided so as to be detachable from each other.

[0098] Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the internal structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0099] The clothing treatment device of the present invention is equipped with an exhaust type, and the drying module (20) and the drying main body (10) are arranged to communicate with each other, and the drying main body (10) and the duct module (30) are arranged to communicate with each other. However, the drying module (20) and the duct module (30) may be arranged so as not to communicate with each other.

[0100] As illustrated, when the garment treatment device of the present invention is arranged in a circulating manner, the drying body (10), the duct module (30), and the drying module (20) can be arranged so that air flows through them. Accordingly, the garment treatment device of the present invention can be installed without difficulty, regardless of whether the indoor space is connected to the outdoors, as long as the installation space is secured.

[0101] The above drying body (10) may include a cabinet (110) that forms an exterior and has an opening, a door (120) that opens and closes the opening, and a drum (150) that is rotatably provided inside the cabinet (110) and receives clothes inserted through the opening.

[0102] The garment treatment device of the present invention may include a driving unit (160) that rotates the drum (150). Accordingly, garments accommodated in the drum (150) may be exposed to hot air supplied to the drum (150) and dried while rising and falling within the drum (150) due to the rotation of the drum (150).

[0103] The above driving unit (160) can be placed in the drying body (10).

[0104] Accordingly, the drum (150) and all components that rotate the drum (150) can be installed in the drying body (10) itself, and can be maintained 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) omits a component for the driving unit (160) to pass through or be installed, so that the sealing performance of the duct module (30) can be enhanced.

[0105] The above duct module (30) may include a duct body (310) positioned lower than the drum (150) to receive air discharged from the drum (150), a circulation fan (330) positioned at the rear of the duct body (310) to move the air, and a fan receiving portion (320) that provides a space in which the circulation fan (330) is installed.

[0106] The above duct body (310) may be provided so that the outer surface is completely sealed to prevent air from leaking to the outside, except for air flowing in from the drum (150).

[0107] The above duct body (310) may be provided in any shape as long as it is provided so that air discharged from the drum (150) can be introduced at the top and the air can be delivered to the rear.

[0108] For example, the duct body (310) may be provided in the shape of a case that is positioned at the bottom of the cabinet (110) to support the cabinet (110) and is shielded on all sides.

[0109] Alternatively, the duct body (310) may include at least one of a frame, such as a rectangular parallelepiped, which is placed inside the cabinet (110) and supports the components inside the cabinet (110), and a plate coupled to the frame.

[0110]

[0111] 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 one cabinet (110). The drying body (10) and the duct module (30) may be installed inside the cabinet (110) forming the exterior, or the duct module (30) may be installed at the bottom of the drying body (10) after the drying body (10) is manufactured. This can prevent hot air or steam from leaking between the drying body (10) and the duct module (30), facilitate installation and transportation, and enhance aesthetic appeal.

[0112] The fan receiving portion (320) may be coupled to the duct body (310) or may be supported inside the duct body (310) to receive the circulation fan (330).

[0113] The fan receiving portion (320) may be positioned rearward from the front of the duct body (310) to secure a space into which air discharged from the front of the drum (150) may be introduced. In addition, the fan receiving portion (320) may be positioned close to or in close contact with the drying module (20) to form a path for delivering the air to the drying module (20).

[0114] The above duct module (30) may further include a filter unit (350) that is positioned in front of the fan receiving unit (320) and filters foreign substances flowing into the circulation fan (330).

[0115] The above filter unit (350) is provided in front of the fan receiving unit (320) with a length corresponding to the width of the duct body (310) so as to be able to filter foreign substances discharged from a large amount of clothing without difficulty.

[0116] The filter unit (350) may be detachably provided on the duct body (310) so that accumulated foreign substances can be easily removed. The duct body (310) may include an entrance through which the filter unit (350) is introduced and withdrawn, and the entrance may be arranged at the front of the duct body (310). Accordingly, a user can check the status of the filter (350) and clean it without being limited by the configuration of the drying module (20) or the door (120).

[0117] The above drying module (20) may be arranged at the rear of the cabinet (110) to supply hot air and steam to the interior of the cabinet (110).

[0118] The above drying module (20) may be arranged so that the front lower part faces the duct module (30) and the front upper part faces the back surface of the drying body (10) or the drum (150).

[0119] The above drying module (20) may include a case (210) placed at the rear of the cabinet (110) and a heat exchange unit (240) placed inside the case (210) to dehumidify and heat the air.

[0120] The case (210) may be provided at a height that allows it to face the entire back surface of the drum (150) from the bottom of the duct module (30). The width of the case (210) may be provided to correspond to the width of the cabinet (110) or may be provided to be smaller. Accordingly, the case (210) may be installed without any problem in any space where the cabinet (110) can be installed.

[0121] The front-to-back thickness of the case (210) may be set to be smaller than the front-to-back thickness of the cabinet (110) and the duct module (30). As a result, the volume of the clothing removal device of the present invention can be designed to be compact.

[0122] The drying module (20) may further include a flow path forming part (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 part (240) may be disposed inside the flow path forming part (220).

[0123] The heat exchange unit (240) may include an evaporator (241) installed in the flow path forming unit (220) and a condenser (242) positioned above the evaporator (241). The clothes treatment device of the present invention may further include a washing unit (270) that sprays water onto the heat exchange unit (240) to wash the clothes, and a water supply unit (260) that supplies water to the washing unit (270). The detailed structure and function of the corresponding components will be described later. The flow path forming unit (220) may be provided to extend in the height direction of the cabinet (110) or the case (210) to receive air discharged from the duct module (30) and guide it to the rear surface of the drum (150).

[0124] The above-mentioned euro-forming part (220) may be provided to extend in the height direction of the cabinet (110) or the case (210) to receive air discharged from the duct module (30) and guide it to the back surface of the drum (150).

[0125] Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the front configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0126] The cabinet (110) forming the exterior of the above-mentioned drying body (10) may include a front panel (111) positioned in front of the drum (150), and side panels (113) extending rearward from both sides of the front panel (111).

[0127] When the above 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).

[0128] The above cover panel (112) can be arranged parallel to the front panel (111) and can be provided with a width corresponding to the width of the front panel (111).

[0129] The height of the cover panel (112) may be provided to be smaller than the height of the front panel (111), and may be provided to be smaller than the width of the cover panel (112).

[0130] The front panel (111) above may be provided with a height longer than its width.

[0131] The drying body (10) may further include a control panel (190) on the upper part of the front panel (111) for receiving a command to control the garment treatment device of the present invention or for displaying the status of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0132] The above-mentioned drying body (10) may further include a payment device for receiving payment, which is placed on one side of the control panel (190). The payment device may be equipped with any payment method capable of processing payment by inserting coins, communicating with a card, smartphone, etc.

[0133] The front panel (111) may be provided with an opening (1111) that connects the drum (150) to the outside. The drying body (10) may further include a door (120) that opens and closes the opening (1111), and the door (120) may be rotatably coupled to the front panel (111) or rotatably coupled to the front panel (111) by a hinge joint (130) arranged inside the cabinet (100) to open and close the opening (1111).

[0134] Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the door structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0135] Referring to FIG. 5(a), the door (120) may include an outer frame (121) that is formed to be larger than the area of ​​the opening (1111) and is exposed to the outside, an inner frame (122) that is coupled to the outer frame (122) to open and close the opening (1111), and a hinge portion (125) that is arranged between the inner frame and the outer frame and rotates the door (120) relative to the cabinet (110).

[0136] The inner frame (122) may include a sealing portion (124) that adheres closely to the inner 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).

[0137] The inner frame (122) and the outer frame (121) may have a through hole formed through the center to visually expose the inside of the opening (1111), and the door (120) may further include glass (123) that is bonded between the inner frame (122) and the outer frame (121) to shield the through hole and allow light to pass through.

[0138] The inner frame (122) may be provided with a protrusion on the inner surface to be inserted at least partially into the inner surface of the opening (1111), and the sealing portion (124) may be provided with an elastic material that is combined to surround the circumference of the protrusion.

[0139] Meanwhile, the inner frame (122) may additionally be provided with a fixing member (126) that is provided to be detachably connected to a fastening member provided on the front panel (111).

[0140] The above door (120) may further include a handle (127) that can be grabbed by the user's body by having the outer surface of at least one of the inner frame (122) or the outer frame (121) sunken inward.

[0141] The above fixed part (126) and fastening part may be configured with a conventional hook and hook fastening part.

[0142] However, the garment treatment device of the present invention can omit a configuration such as a locking part that locks the door (120) to the front panel (111) and blocks the opening of the door (120). As a result, the thickness of the front panel (111) and the door (120) can be reduced, and the length of the drum (120) can be further secured, thereby further increasing the drying capacity.

[0143] Referring to FIG. 5(b), the outer frame (121) may include an outer body (1211) that forms an exterior and has a center that is penetrated to expose glass (123), a joining protrusion (1213) that is arranged on the inner surface of the outer body (1211) and is coupled to the inner frame (122), and a grounding protrusion (1212) that is provided to be able to contact the front panel (111) by penetrating the inner frame (122).

[0144] An elastic material is combined with the above grounding protrusion (1212), so that even if the door (120) collides with the front panel (111), the door (120) can be prevented from being damaged.

[0145] The above grounding protrusion (1212) and the above coupling protrusion (1213) may be provided in multiple numbers.

[0146] Figure 6 illustrates an embodiment of the front structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0147] The front panel (111) may be provided with the opening (1111) penetrating through the front panel (1111), and the opening (1111) may be provided with a shape corresponding to the inner shape of the door (120).

[0148] The front panel (111) above may further include a hinge joint (130) to which the hinge joint (125) can be coupled to at least one of both sides of the opening (1111).

[0149] The above hinge joints (130) can be arranged in multiple numbers spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction on one side of the opening (1111).

[0150] In addition, the hinge joint (130) may be arranged on both sides of the opening (1111). The door (120) may be coupled to the hinge joint (130) arranged on the left side of the opening (1111), or may be coupled to the hinge joint (130) arranged on the right side of the opening (1111), as needed. Accordingly, the garment treatment device of the present invention can selectively determine the rotational direction in which the door (120) opens and closes the opening (1111) depending on the location where the cabinet (110) is installed.

[0151] The above cover panel (112) can be detachably provided on the front of the duct body (310) at the lower part of the front panel (111).

[0152] The cover panel (112) may be rotatably coupled at the lower portion to the lower portion of the duct body (310) or the floor panel of the cabinet (110), and may be detachably coupled at the upper portion to the upper portion of the duct body (310) or the lower portion of the front panel (111). As a result, even if the duct body (310) is opened, the cover panel (112) may be prevented from being lost.

[0153] The width of the duct body (310) may be provided to correspond to the width of the cabinet (110) so that a sufficient amount of flow can move. In addition, the front opening of the duct body (310) may be provided to correspond to the width of the duct body (310) so that the filter unit (350) can be easily withdrawn.

[0154] The above filter unit (350) is provided to allow air to pass through and may be provided in a plate shape.

[0155] The filter unit (350) may be arranged to be inclined with respect to the height direction of the duct body (310). For example, the filter unit (350) may be arranged so that the upper and lower surfaces are in close contact with the inner surface of the duct body (310), and the upper surface may be arranged forward or backward relative to the lower surface. As a result, the cross-sectional area through which air passes in the filter unit (350) may be provided to be much larger than the cross-sectional area in the front-rear direction of the duct body (310), so that the filtration performance may be maximized.

[0156] The above filter unit (350) may include a frame coupled to the inner surface of the duct body (310) and a mesh member that shields the internal space of the frame and allows air to pass through while filtering out foreign substances.

[0157] The above filter unit (350) is detachably provided inside the duct body (310) and can be inserted into the front opening of the duct body (310).

[0158] Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of the internal configuration of the garment treatment device of the present invention viewed from the front.

[0159] The above cabinet (110) can have a reinforcing frame (115) for fixing the side panel (113) placed at least on one of the front and rear of the side panel (113).

[0160] The front panel (111) above can be fixed by being joined to the reinforcing frame (115).

[0161] A rotatable drum (150) may be placed inside the cabinet (110). The drum (150) may have an inlet (1531) positioned at the front that communicates with the opening (1111).

[0162] The above drying body (10) may further include a housing (140) that is accommodated inside the cabinet (110) and accommodates the drum (150).

[0163] In general, in the case of a household dryer, the drum (150) is provided in a cylindrical shape without a through hole formed on the circumference, and a support plate that rotatably supports the drum (150) is formed on the front and rear of the drum, and a duct through which the air is communicated with a duct module (30), etc., may be installed on the support plate.

[0164] However, in the case of a commercial dryer, the diameter and length of the drum (150) are much larger than those of a household dryer, and it is highly likely that a larger volume of clothes will be loaded into the drum (150) than in a household dryer.

[0165] Moreover, when a large amount of clothing is wet in the drum (150), the weight inside the drum (150) is much greater than that of a household dryer, so it is difficult to stably support the drum (150) with a resin-based support plate generally applied to a household dryer.

[0166] In addition, in order to dry a large amount of clothing accommodated in the drum (150), sufficient flow rate must be secured, but a duct through which the flow rate can pass cannot be installed with a resin-based support plate generally applied to household dryers, and even if the duct can be installed, the problem of the front and rear length of the cabinet (110) becoming excessively long may occur.

[0167] To improve this, the garment treatment device of the present invention can accommodate the drum (150) through the housing (140) and stably support the drum (150) through the lower surface.

[0168] The above housing (140) may be made of a metal material to stably support the support member (170) that supports the drum (150), and may be thicker than the cabinet (110).

[0169] In addition, the housing (140) is provided with a larger cross-sectional area than the drum (150) and is provided in a duct shape capable of moving air, so as to secure the maximum amount of hot air supplied to the inside of the drum (150).

[0170] In addition, the housing (140) is provided to receive air from the drying module (20) through the rear and guide the air to the duct module (30) from the front, so that a separate duct can be omitted from being formed in the front of the drum (150) or the front panel (111).

[0171] Specifically, the housing (140) may be provided with an outlet on the bottom surface that supports at least a portion of the load of the drum (150) to discharge air introduced into the housing (140) to the duct module (30). The width of the outlet may be expanded to the maximum extent to the width of the bottom surface of the housing, and the width of the outlet in the front-back direction may be sufficiently expanded in the front-back direction of the bottom surface of the housing. As a result, by securing the area of ​​the outlet, the garment treatment device of the present invention may supply sufficient air to the housing (140).

[0172] In addition, the drum (150) is provided with a discharge hole on a portion of its circumference, so that even if the drum (150) is extended in length to the front panel (111), the air inside the drum (150) can be easily discharged through the discharge hole. As a result, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can secure a sufficient flow rate to dry a large amount of clothing as a commercial dryer.

[0173] Specifically, the housing (140) can be placed between the cabinet (110) and the drum (150) to form a path through which air moves.

[0174] The housing (140) may be provided in a duct shape to accommodate the drum (150) and prevent hot air supplied to the drum (150) from leaking out of the cabinet (110).

[0175] The housing (140) may be provided so that the front and rear of the drum (150) are open, but the circumferential direction of the drum (150) is shielded.

[0176] The housing (140) may be provided so that the rear can communicate with the drying module (20) and the front can be in contact with the front panel (111). As a result, hot air supplied from the drying module (20) can be guided to the front of the drum (150).

[0177] In addition, the housing (140) may be provided to communicate with the duct module (30). In order for the hot air supplied from the drying module (20) to sufficiently travel 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 the rear panel of the cabinet (110).

[0178] The above drying body (10) may further include a support member (170) that rotatably supports the drum (150) within the cabinet (110). As a result, the drum (150) can rotate stably within the cabinet (110) without vibration or positional change exceeding a reference value while holding heavy or large quantities of clothing.

[0179] The housing (140) can be secured and supported by at least a portion of the support member (170). To this end, the housing (140) can be secured and fixed to the upper portion of the duct module (30).

[0180] The above support member (170) may be arranged on the bottom surface of the housing (140) and the outer circumferential surface of the drum (150), and may also be arranged on the lower sides of both sides of the drum (150).

[0181] The above housing (140) may be provided with a different shape from the drum (150) as long as it can accommodate the drum (150) and guide hot air to the front of the drum (150).

[0182] For example, the drum (150) may have a circular cross-section in the diametric direction, but the housing (140) may have a polygonal cross-section in the height direction.

[0183] The above hinge joint (130) can be fixed by being joined to the housing (140).

[0184] The above hinge joint (130) can be coupled to both sides of the housing (140), and can be coupled to the inner surface of the housing (140) so that the coupling between the housing (140) and the side inner wall (113) of the cabinet is not obstructed.

[0185] The above housing (140) may be made of a metal material and may be provided to support the support member (170) and the hinge joint member (130).

[0186] Meanwhile, the housing (140) can support the driving unit (160) from the outside of the housing (140).

[0187] The above hinge joint (130) is fixed by being joined to the inner surface of the housing (140).

[0188] Accordingly, the hinge joint (130) is placed between the drum (150) and the housing (140).

[0189] In addition, the hinge joint (130) can be fixed by being coupled to the hinge joint (125) of the door at the front, and the front panel (111) can also be fixed thereto. The hinge joint (125) of the door can be arranged forward of the front panel (111) and coupled to the hinge joint (130). Accordingly, when the hinge joint (125) is coupled to the hinge joint (130), the front panel (111) can also be coupled to the hinge joint (130) and fixed thereto.

[0190] The above hinge-connecting portions (130) can be arranged two vertically on the inner surface of one side of the housing (140) and two vertically on the inner surface of the other side, and the hinge portions (125) can be selectively coupled to the hinge-connecting portions (130) arranged on the one side and the hinge-connecting portions (130) arranged on the other side. The hinge-connecting portions (130) can be arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other at a distance so as to be coupled to the hinge portions (125) on one side of the housing (140), and the hinge-connecting portions (130) can be arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other at a distance so as to be coupled to the hinge portions (125) on the other side of the housing (140). As a result, the direction in which the door (120) opens can be selectively changed.

[0191] The hinge joint (130) may be formed of a material different from that of the cabinet (110) and the housing (140). For example, it may be formed of a material having stronger rigidity than that of the cabinet (110) and the housing (140). Accordingly, even if the door (120) is subjected to a considerable load, it may be stably fixed to the housing (140).

[0192] The hinge joint (130) may be positioned spaced apart from both the top and bottom of the housing (140). The hinge joint (130) may be positioned so that the length spaced apart from the bottom surface of the housing (140) is greater than the length spaced apart from the top of the side plate of the housing (140).

[0193] Figure 8 illustrates an embodiment of the sealing structure of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0194] The housing (140) may be provided with an open front so that the drum (150) can be easily installed or replaced inside the housing (140).

[0195] The clothing treatment device of the present invention may include a sealing part (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).

[0196] Specifically, the sealing portion (180) may include the front sealer (181) coupled to the housing (140).

[0197] The above 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).

[0198] The front sealer (181) may be coupled along the perimeter 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 the end of the front surface of the housing (140).

[0199] The above front sealer (181) may be provided so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the front panel (111).

[0200] The area of ​​the front surface of the housing (140) may be larger than the diameter of the drum (150) and the diameter of the opening (1111). Accordingly, the front sealer (181) may be positioned outside the opening (1111) and the drum (150).

[0201] In addition, since the housing (140) is a fixed configuration inside the cabinet (110), the front sealer (181) can be maintained in a fixed state when coupled to the housing (140). Accordingly, the front sealer (181) can exhibit higher sealing performance than when coupled to a moving object such as a drum.

[0202] Meanwhile, since the front sealer (181) is arranged along the front perimeter of the housing (140), the support member (170) and the hinge connection member (130) and other components can be arranged on the inside of the front sealer (181).

[0203] The above duct module (30) can be placed outside the front sealer (181).

[0204] Due to the above front sealer (181), the interior of the housing (140) is connected to the drying module (20) so that hot air can move, but the hot air can be prevented from leaking between the exterior of the housing (140) and the interior of the cabinet (110).

[0205] Figure 9 illustrates an example of the arrangement position of the driving unit of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0206] The driving unit (160) of the garment treatment device of the present invention can be supported by being installed on the upper portion of the housing (140). The housing (140) is made of a metal material and can stably support the driving unit (160).

[0207] The above driving unit (160) may be provided as a belt / pulley type and may be provided to rotate the drum (150). Accordingly, when the driving unit (160) is positioned above the drum (150), the belt wound around the outer circumference of the drum (150) may also provide a force to support the drum (150).

[0208] Accordingly, even if a large amount of clothing or heavy clothing is placed in a wet state inside the drum (150), the drum (150) can rotate stably inside the housing (140).

[0209] In addition, the belt connecting the driving unit (160) and the drum (150) can have its tension stably maintained by the load of the drum (150) even as time passes.

[0210] Specifically, the driving unit (160) of the garment treatment device of the present invention may include a driving motor (161) that provides power to rotate the drum (150), a belt (162) that is provided to rotate by the driving motor (161) and comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum (150), and a fixing unit (163, 164) that fixes the driving motor (161) to the upper portion of the housing (140).

[0211] The above-mentioned fixing part (163, 164) may include a front fixing part (163) that is arranged in front of the driving motor (161) and is mounted on the upper surface of the housing (140), and a rear fixing part (164) that is arranged in the rear of the driving motor (161) and is arranged to face the front fixing part (163).

[0212] The above front fixing part (163) and the above rear fixing part (164) can also perform the role of fixing the side panels (113) on both sides of the cabinet.

[0213] The driving unit (160) may further include a swing unit (165) coupled to the front fixing unit (163) and the rear fixing unit (164) to support the driving motor (161). The swing unit (165) may be provided such that one side thereof is rotatably coupled to the front fixing unit (163) and the rear fixing unit (164) in the height direction and the other side thereof supports the driving motor (161). Accordingly, when the drum (150) vibrates or its position slightly changes during rotation, the swing unit (165) reciprocates accordingly to prevent excessive shock from being transmitted to the driving motor (161), and the tension of the belt (161) from changing suddenly.

[0214] The upper surface of the housing (140) can be spaced downward from the upper panel of the cabinet to secure a space in which the driving unit (160) can be installed.

[0215] That is, the housing (140) may have a bottom surface and both sides in the shape of a flat plate, but the upper surface of the housing (140) may have a polygonal shape such as a trapezoid.

[0216] For example, the housing (140) is provided so that both sides are formed lower than the central portion according to the shape of the drum (150), so that a space can be secured for the driving unit (160) to be installed between the drum (150) and the cabinet (110).

[0217] The housing (140) may include an upper surface (143) that is positioned above the drum (150) and supports the driving unit (160).

[0218] The upper surface (143) may include an inclined surface (1431) that extends high from the side panel (113) of the cabinet (110) toward the upper portion of the drum (150).

[0219] The above-mentioned inclined surface (1431) is provided so that the height thereof decreases as it extends from the central portion of the drum (150) toward the side panel (113) of the cabinet (110), thereby securing a space in which the driving unit (160) can be installed at the upper ends on both sides of the drum (150).

[0220] Additionally, the upper surface (143) may include an extension surface (1432) that extends from the upper end of the inclined surface (1431) toward the upper portion of the drum (150) so as to maintain a height.

[0221] The above-mentioned inclined surface (1431) and the above-mentioned extended surface (1432) may be formed as flat plates without any curves. As a result, even if a portion having a different height is formed on the upper surface (143), the occurrence of an area where residual stress is concentrated can be prevented in advance.

[0222] Due to the above extension surface (1432), the inclined surface (1431) can be prevented from being extended excessively or the upper height from becoming excessively high, and the front fixing part (163) and the rear fixing part (164) can be stably supported so that the left and right are balanced.

[0223] The above-mentioned inclined surface (1431) may be provided to extend so as to have a lower height toward the side panel (113) from both ends of the above-mentioned extended surface (1432), and may be formed symmetrically with respect to the above-mentioned extended surface (1432).

[0224] The housing (140) may further include a bottom surface (141) that supports the support member (170) and is positioned on top of the duct module (30), and two side surfaces (142) that extend upward from both sides of the bottom surface (141) and are positioned to face the side panel (113) and can be fixed to the side panel (113), and the upper surface (143) may be provided to connect the two side surfaces (142) to each other.

[0225] Figure 10 illustrates an example of the rear structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0226] The above drying module (10) may further include a rear support member (172) on the rear surface that rotatably supports the drum (150).

[0227] The above rear support member (172) can form a center of rotation around which the drum (150) rotates and can serve as a rotation axis of the drum (150).

[0228] The above rear support member (172) can be fixed by being joined to the rear panel (114) forming the rear of the cabinet (110).

[0229] The above rear panel (114) can be fixed by being combined with the side panels (113) of the cabinet (110) and the rear surface of the housing (140).

[0230] The above rear support member (172) may include a rotation shaft (1721) coupled to the rear rotation center of the drum (150) and a bracket (1722) that fixes the rotation shaft (1721) to the rear panel (114).

[0231] The above sealing portion (180) may further include a rear sealer (182) that seals between the back surface of the drum (150) and the rear panel (114).

[0232] The above bracket (1722) is fixed to the inner surface of the rear panel (114) and may be made of a metal material that is stronger or thicker than the rear panel (114). The above rotational shaft (1721) may be provided such that one end is rotatably coupled to the bracket (1722) and the other end is coupled to the drum (150) so as to rotate integrally with the drum (150).

[0233] The above-mentioned rotation shaft (1721) serves to rotatably support the drum (150), and the power to directly rotate the drum (150) can be provided by the driving unit (160). As a result, the configuration of a separate driving unit (160) between the rear of the drum (150) and the rear panel (114) is omitted, thereby further securing the volume of the drum (150) and further reducing the gap between the drying module (20) and the drum (150).

[0234] The driving unit (160) may be positioned closer to the rear of the drum (150) than to the front. Specifically, the driving unit (160) may be positioned closer to the rear panel (114) than to the front panel (111). This prevents the driving unit (160) from interfering with the discharge hole provided in the drum (150) described below.

[0235] Figure 11 illustrates an embodiment of the drum structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0236] The above housing (140) may be provided in a case shape with the front open to accommodate the drum (150).

[0237] The housing (140) may be configured to have an open rear end. For example, the housing (140) may be composed of a bottom surface (141), two sides (142), and an upper surface (143).

[0238] The rear surface of the housing (140) may serve as an inlet for air to flow into the drying module (20). In addition, a through hole formed through the bottom surface (141) of the housing (140) may serve as an outlet (1411) for discharging the air to the duct module (30).

[0239] The above discharge port (1411) may be provided in the shape of a slit that penetrates the bottom surface (141) longer in the width direction than in the front-back direction.

[0240] The above drum (150) can be inserted from the front of the housing (140) and coupled to the rear support member (172) coupled to the rear panel (114).

[0241] The above drum (150) may include a drum body (151) having a cylindrical shape and providing a space for accommodating clothing.

[0242] The drum (150) may further include a front body (153) that is coupled to the front of the drum body (151) to maintain the shape of the drum body (151) and prevent the clothing from being randomly discharged from the drum body (151).

[0243] The above front body (153) is provided in a ring shape so that an inlet for inserting the clothing can be formed in the center.

[0244] The drum (150) may include a lifter (157) that is coupled to the inner surface of the drum body (151) to elevate the clothing, and may further include a drum back surface that is coupled to the rear of the drum body (151) and fixed to the rear support member (172).

[0245] The above drum (150) may further include an exhaust hole (154) through which hot air can move by penetrating the drum body (151).

[0246] The above discharge holes (154) may be provided in multiple numbers along the circumference of the drum body (151). Meanwhile, the discharge holes (154) may be positioned further forward than backward of the drum body (151). As a result, the hot air introduced into the drum body (151) can move as far as possible to the front of the drum body (151), thereby drying more clothes.

[0247] The above discharge port (1411) may be arranged closer to the front than the rear of the bottom surface (144). The discharge hole (154) may be arranged in an area facing the discharge port (1411). The discharge hole (154) may be formed to be much longer than the width of the discharge port (1411) in the front-back direction. However, the discharge hole (154) may be arranged closer to the front than the rear of the drum body (151) so that at least a portion of the discharge hole (154) may overlap with the discharge port (1411) in the height direction. As a result, the air introduced into the drum body (151) may be discharged while moving as close to the discharge port (1411) as possible.

[0248] Meanwhile, the discharge hole (154) and the outlet (1411) can serve as a path for moving air, and the discharge hole (154) can be provided with a length corresponding to the diameter of the drum (150), and the outlet (1411) can be provided with a width corresponding to the width of the bottom surface (144). As a result, the garment treatment device of the present invention can omit a separate duct structure that is arranged in front of the drum (150) and guides the air discharged from the drum (150) to the duct module (30), and can prevent the length of the cabinet (110) from being excessively expanded in the front-to-rear direction while also extending the length of the drum (150) as much as possible, thereby sufficiently securing a drying capacity suitable for a commercial dryer.

[0249] Figure 12 illustrates an embodiment of the rear drum structure of the garment treatment device of the present invention.

[0250] The drum (150) may include a rear body (152) that is coupled to the rear of the drum body (150) and forms the back surface of the drum (150). The rear body (152) may be formed in a circular shape and may be coupled to the rear peripheral surface of the drum body (150).

[0251] The rear body (152) prevents the clothing from being detached from the rear of the drum (150) and allows the drum (150) to rotate around the rotation axis (1721).

[0252] The above rear body (152) may be provided to face the outlet through which hot air is discharged from the drying module (20).

[0253] The drum (150) may include a plurality of inlet holes (155) that penetrate the rear body (152) and introduce the hot air into the drum body (151).

[0254] The rear body (152) may have a connecting portion (157) positioned at the center facing the rotation axis (1721) and forming the center of rotation of the drum. The inlet hole (155) may be positioned between the inner surface of the rear body (152) and the outer surface of the connecting portion (157).

[0255] The rear body (152) may further include a plurality of radial ribs extending from the connecting portion (157) toward the inner circumferential surface of the rear body (152), and the inlet hole (155) may be formed between the radial ribs. The rigidity of the rear body (152) may be further reinforced through the radial ribs.

[0256] The above inlet hole (155) can be formed in an area sunken into the drum body (151) on the inner surface of the rear body (152). The lifter (156) can be fixed by having its rear end joined to the front surface of the inner surface of the rear body (152) and one end joined to the back surface of the front body (153).

[0257] The above drum (150) may further include at least one of a bushing portion (158) that reinforces the rigidity of the above coupling portion (157) and a shaft coupling portion (159) that is coupled to the bushing portion (158) and fixes the rotation shaft (1721).

[0258] The above bushing part (158) is made of a material that is thicker than the above connecting part (157) or has higher strength than the above connecting part (157) so as to stably support the above rotating shaft (1721).

[0259] The above-mentioned shaft coupling portion (159) may be provided in a disk shape that is coupled to the free end of the rotation shaft (1721) and has a diameter much larger than the diameter of the rotation shaft (1721). The shaft coupling portion (159) is coupled to the bushing portion (158) with a larger area than the rotation shaft (1721), so that even if an excessive load is applied to the rotation shaft (1721), the rotation shaft (1721) can be prevented from being detached or separated from the drum (150).

[0260] The above-mentioned shaft coupling portion (159) may also be provided with a material that is thicker than the above-mentioned coupling portion (157) or has higher strength than the above-mentioned coupling portion (157). The diameter of the above-mentioned shaft coupling portion (159) may be provided to be smaller than the diameter of the above-mentioned bushing portion (158).

[0261] Because the rear body (152) can be made of a relatively thin and light material due to the above bushing portion (158) and the above shaft coupling portion (159), the manufacturing cost of the drum (150) can be reduced, and the rotational moment for rotating the drum (150) can be lowered, thereby reducing the load on the driving portion (160).

[0262] The above rear body (152) can be folded rearward from the inner surface to secure an area or space where the rear sealer (182) can be installed.

[0263] The rear sealer (182) may be provided to surround the outermost portion of the inlet hole (155) and may be arranged along the inner circumference of the rear body (152). The entire area of ​​the outlet of the drying module (20) may be arranged within the rear sealer (182), and the rear sealer (182) may guide all supplied hot air to the inlet hole (155).

[0264] Figure 13 illustrates an embodiment of a duct module of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0265] The above duct module (30) may include a duct body (310) on which a filter unit (350) can be installed, a fan receiving unit (320) positioned at the rear of the duct body (310) to suck in air with negative pressure, and a blower fan (330) installed in the fan receiving unit (320) to form the negative pressure.

[0266] The above duct body (310) may be provided to provide a space within which air discharged from the housing (140) moves. The above duct body (310) may be provided in the shape of a case, or may be provided in the form of a combination of frames forming a rectangular parallelepiped and the frames shielded with a plate.

[0267] The above duct body (310) may be provided with a high-strength metal material to support the drying body (10).

[0268] The fan receiving portion (320) may be mounted on the duct body (310). The fan receiving portion (320) may be positioned at the rear of the duct body (310) and may be positioned at the rear of the filter portion (350).

[0269] The fan receiving portion (320) may form a flow path that receives air from the front and discharges it from the rear. The fan receiving portion (320) may further include a fan fixing portion (340) at the front for fixing the circulation fan (330) to the fan receiving portion (320). Accordingly, even if the front of the fan receiving portion (320) is opened to a greater diameter than the circulation fan (330), the fan fixing portion (340) can prevent the circulation fan (330) from being separated from the fan receiving portion (320) and protect the circulation fan (330) from external impacts or foreign substances.

[0270] The above circulation fan (330) may be arranged to be offset to either the left or right side of the duct body (310) or the fan receiving portion (320). As a result, the area of ​​the vortex or dead zone where air does not flow can be reduced compared to when the circulation fan (330) is arranged in the center of the duct body (310) or the fan receiving portion (320).

[0271] The above duct module (30) may further include a partition panel (313) that is arranged in front of the fan receiving portion (320) in the duct body (310) and partitions the duct body (310) in the front-rear direction.

[0272] The above partition panel (313) may be provided to shield an area excluding the inlet area among the open areas of the fan receiving portion (320), and may fix the fan receiving portion (320) to the duct body (310).

[0273] The fan fixing part (340) can be fixed by being combined with the partition panel (313). The fan fixing part (340) is positioned to face the circulation fan (330), and an area facing the center of the circulation fan (330) can be penetrated to serve as an inlet for air to flow into the fan receiving part (320).

[0274] Figure 14 illustrates an example of installing a circulation fan of the clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0275] The duct body (310) of the clothing treatment device of the present invention may include a first body (311) forming a bottom surface, and a second body (312) positioned at the rear of the first body (311) to support the fan receiving portion (320).

[0276] The above first body (311) can be supported by the filter unit (350) being installed thereon.

[0277] The above second body (312) may be provided to support the load of the fan receiving portion (320) and the circulation fan (330).

[0278] Referring to Fig. 14(a), the fan receiving portion (320) has a space in which the circulation fan (330) is installed, and may include a mounting portion (321) into which air introduced into the duct body (310) is sucked, and a connecting portion (322) that extends to the rear of the mounting portion (321) or is positioned at the rear of the mounting portion (321) to form a path for transmitting air discharged by the circulation fan (330) to the drying module (20).

[0279] The above-mentioned mounting portion (321) and the above-mentioned connecting portion (322) may be provided with a material that can be manufactured using a foaming method. Accordingly, even if the mounting portion (321) and the above-mentioned connecting portion (322) are provided with a complex structure to form a flow path therein, they can be manufactured to have a thicker thickness than when manufactured with a metal material or resin series. As a result, even if the circulation fan (330) is provided to be large enough to generate a large flow rate, the fan receiving portion (320) itself can absorb noise, the mounting portion (321) and the above-mentioned connecting portion (322) can also ensure durability against high flow rates, and the overall weight of the fan receiving portion (320) can be greatly reduced.

[0280] Additionally, materials that can be manufactured using the foaming method generally have very low thermal conductivity. Therefore, even if the fan housing (320) has a large volume and high-temperature hot air moves inside, the heat loss rate can be significantly reduced compared to when manufactured using metal or resin materials.

[0281] The above-mentioned mounting portion (321) may have an open surface formed in the front through which air flows. The mounting portion (321) may have a space formed on one side to accommodate the circulation fan (330), and a flow path formed on the other side to guide air supplied from the circulation fan (330) in the width direction of the duct body (310).

[0282] The above partition panel (313) may be provided to be coupled to the front of the mounting portion (321) to shield a portion of the open surface of the mounting portion (321) except for the protective panel (333).

[0283] The above connecting portion (322) may be positioned on the other rear side of the mounting portion (321) and may extend to the front of the drying module (20). The connecting portion (322) may have a path formed therein through which air moves, and an exhaust port provided on the rear surface through which air is discharged.

[0284] The above-mentioned connecting portion (322) is provided separately from the above-mentioned securing portion (321) and can be fixed by being joined to the rear of the securing portion (321) through a force-fit method or a fastening member, etc. Thus, even if the extension directions of the flow paths formed inside the securing portion (321) and the connecting portion (322) are different from each other, the connecting portion (322) can be manufactured without difficulty using a foaming method.

[0285] The above 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).

[0286] Referring to Fig. 14(b), the circulation fan (330) may be supported by being coupled to at least one of the mounting portion (321) and the connecting portion (322). In this case, if the mounting portion (321) and the connecting portion (322) are made of a material capable of foam molding rather than a metal or resin series, the rigidity for supporting the circulation fan (330) may be insufficient.

[0287] To this end, the clothing treatment device of the present invention may include a fan fixing unit (340) that is coupled to the fan receiving unit (320) and fixes the installation position of the circulation fan (330).

[0288] The above fan fixing part (340) may be made of a material with higher strength than the foam material.

[0289] For example, the fan fixing part (340) may include a fixing plate (341) made of a metal plate shape that can be fixed by being fixed upward by being fixed to the second body (312).

[0290] The impeller (331) may be placed in front of the fixed plate (341) and may be placed inside the fan receiving portion (320), and the fan motor (332) may be placed in the rear of the fixed plate (342) and may be placed outside the fan receiving portion (320).

[0291] The above fixed 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 fixed plate (341) by inserting the fixed plate (341) into the through hole.

[0292] The above fan fixing unit (340) may further include a fixing plate (342) that is positioned between the fan motor (332) and the impeller (331) and coupled to the fixing plate. The fixing plate (342) may be provided to shield the through hole and may fix the circulation fan (330) to the fixing plate (341).

[0293] Figure 15 illustrates an example of the appearance of a drying module (20).

[0294] Referring to Fig. 15(a), the drying module (20) may include a case (210) arranged at the rear of the drying body (10) and the duct module (30). The case (210) may be arranged at the rear of the cabinet (110).

[0295] The above case (210) may be provided in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its height may be provided to be equal to or smaller than the entire height of the cabinet (110).

[0296] Referring to Fig. 15(b), the case (210) may include a flow path forming part (220) that forms a flow path for supplying air from the duct module (30) to the drying body (10), and an auxiliary flow path part (230) that is arranged on one side of the flow path forming part (220) and forms a flow path for communicating the case (210) with external air. The flow path forming part (220) and the auxiliary flow path part (230) may be arranged to be separated from each other so that air therebetween does not move with each other.

[0297] A plurality of heat exchangers for dehumidifying and heating air may be installed inside the above-mentioned flow path forming part (220), and electrical components such as a compressor for supplying refrigerant for heat exchange with air to the auxiliary flow path part (230) may be installed.

[0298] The above-mentioned flow path forming part (220) may be provided so as to communicate with the duct module (30) and the housing (140) or drum (150) of the drying body (10) on the inside of the case (210), thereby forming a flow path through which the air of the drum (150) circulates.

[0299] The above-mentioned euro-forming portion (220) can be formed by extending in the height direction inside the case (210).

[0300] The above auxiliary flow path (230) can be placed on one side of the flow path forming part (220).

[0301] The above auxiliary flow path (230) may be provided with a height corresponding to the height of the flow path forming part (220), but may be provided with a width smaller than the width of the flow path forming part (220). As a result, the amount of fluid flowing in the flow path forming part (220) can be secured.

[0302] The auxiliary flow path (230) may be provided to be separated from the drying body (10) and the duct module (30) and communicate only with the outside air. Thus, the auxiliary flow path (230) may be prevented from being heated by hot air or exposed to foreign substances discharged from the drum (150). As a result, electrical components may be installed within the auxiliary flow path (230) and operate stably.

[0303] The above-mentioned euro-forming part (220) may be provided in the shape of a duct placed inside the case (210) so that air can flow.

[0304] However, in order to simplify the configuration of the drying module (20) and reduce the weight of the drying module (20), the flow path forming part (220) may be automatically formed due to the configuration of the case (210). For example, the flow path forming part (220) may be automatically formed through the arrangement of the front panel (219), the rear panel (212), the partition panel (218), and the side panel (211) forming the front of the case (210).

[0305] The above auxiliary flow path (230) can be automatically formed through the arrangement of the front panel (219), auxiliary panel (214), partition panel (218), and side panel (211).

[0306] The above auxiliary panel (214) may have multiple penetration holes installed in the height direction so that it can communicate with the outside air.

[0307] Referring again to FIG. 15(a), the case (210) may include side panels (211) forming both sides and a rear panel (212) coupled to the side panels (211) to form the rear of the case (210).

[0308] The rear panel (212) may be provided to form the back surface of the flow path forming part (220) and block the flow path forming part (220) from being exposed to the outside. In this case, the case (210) may further include an auxiliary panel (214) that is arranged on one side of the rear panel (212) to form the back surface of the auxiliary flow path part (230) and block the auxiliary flow path part (230) from being exposed to the outside.

[0309] The above auxiliary panel (214) and the above rear panel (212) can form the back surface of the case.

[0310] The case (210) may further include a detachable panel (213) that is detachably provided on the rear panel (212) to expose the internal heat exchanger to the outside. Accordingly, the heat exchanger can be cleaned or repaired or replaced by detaching only the detachable panel (213) from the rear panel (212) without detaching the entire rear panel (212) from the case (210).

[0311] The rear panel (212) may be provided with a back surface through which the heat exchanger is installed, and the detachable panel (213) may be detachably coupled to the through-hole area of ​​the rear panel (212).

[0312] Figure 16 illustrates an example of the internal configuration of the drying module.

[0313] Fig. 16(a) illustrates the internal configuration of the case (210) in the drying module from the rear, and Fig. 16(b) illustrates the internal configuration of the case (210) in the drying module from the front.

[0314] Referring to Fig. 16(a), the drying module (20) may include a heat exchange unit (240) that is installed inside the case (210) and dehumidifies and heats the air supplied from the duct module (30) to generate hot air.

[0315] The above heat exchange unit (240) may include an evaporator (241) arranged in the flow path forming unit (220) to cool the air supplied from the duct module (20), and a condenser (242) to heat the air passing through the evaporator (241).

[0316] The above evaporator (241) and the above condenser (242) can be placed inside the flow path forming part (220) and can be placed in a vertical direction in the flow path forming part (220). The above condenser (242) can be placed above and spaced apart from the above evaporator (241).

[0317] The heat exchange unit (240) may further include a compressor (243) that receives refrigerant from the evaporator (241), heats it, and transfers 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 arranged inside the auxiliary flow path unit (230) and may be separated from the flow path forming unit (220).

[0318] The above 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 the outside air, and a switching valve (246) that selects whether the refrigerant delivered from the condenser (241) is supplied to either the expansion valve (244) or the auxiliary heat exchanger (245).

[0319] The above auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and the above switching valve (246) are also arranged inside the auxiliary flow path part (230) and can be separated from the flow path forming part (220).

[0320] The auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and the switching valve (246) may be positioned above the compressor (243), and the compressor (243) may be mounted on the bottom surface of the auxiliary flow path (230).

[0321] The above auxiliary flow path (230) may further include an auxiliary fan (231) that induces external air to come into contact with the auxiliary heat exchanger (245).

[0322] The auxiliary fan (231) may be positioned above the auxiliary heat exchanger (245). Thus, when the auxiliary fan (231) is driven, the outside air can cool the compressor (243) in the process of reaching the auxiliary heat exchanger (245).

[0323] The drying module (20) may further include a control panel (232) that provides a command to perform a drying process by controlling one or more of the auxiliary fan (231), the compressor (243), the expansion valve (244), and the switching valve (246). The control panel (232) may be installed in the auxiliary flow path (230) to prevent exposure to hot air passing through the flow path forming part (220). The control panel (232) may be arranged in a plate shape facing either the front or the rear of the auxiliary flow path (230). Accordingly, when the auxiliary fan (231) is driven, the control panel (232) may also be cooled by the outside air, and the control panel (232) may be prevented from interfering with the movement of the outside air supplied from the auxiliary flow path (230) to the auxiliary heat exchanger (245).

[0324] The auxiliary flow path (230) may further include an auxiliary partition plate (233) that blocks air passing through the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) from accessing the control panel (232). The auxiliary partition plate (233) may be arranged between the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and the control panel (232) and may extend to an area where the auxiliary fan (231) is arranged.

[0325] Referring to Fig. 16(b), the front panel (219) forming the front of the flow path forming part (230) may be arranged in front of the flow path forming part (230) and spaced apart from the front of the auxiliary flow path part (230).

[0326] Alternatively, the case (210) may further include an additional panel (219) that connects the partition panel (218) and the side panel (211) at the rear of the front panel (219) to form the front of the euro-forming portion (230).

[0327] The following description is based on an embodiment equipped with the above-mentioned additional panel (219), but the same can be applied to an embodiment equipped with only the above-mentioned front panel (219).

[0328] The above additional panel (219) may be provided with an inlet (215) through which air passing through the duct module (30) flows into the lower portion of the euro-forming portion (220), and an outlet (216) disposed above the inlet (215) through which air passing through the condenser (242) is discharged.

[0329] The inlet (215) may be positioned at a position facing the fan receiving portion (220) at the bottom of the evaporator (241), and the outlet (216) may be positioned at a position facing the rear body (152) of the drum (150) or the inside of the housing (140) at the rear panel (114) of the cabinet (110).

[0330] Accordingly, the air discharged from the outlet (3222) of the connection part (322) is introduced through the inlet (215), rises by the power of the circulation fan (330), passes through the evaporator (241) and the condenser (242) sequentially, is dehumidified and heated, and is discharged through the outlet (216) to be discharged into the housing (140) and the drum (150).

[0331] The above evaporator (241) can cool the air and condense moisture, and the condensed water can fall from the evaporator (241) and be collected on the bottom surface of the flow path forming part (220).

[0332] The above drying module (20) may include a drainage unit (250) that communicates with the bottom surface of the euro-forming unit (220) and discharges the condensate.

[0333] The above 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 the lower portion of the drainage body (251) to the outside of the case (210) to discharge water. Due to the drainage unit (250), water condensed in the flow path forming unit (220) may be prevented from evaporating again and flowing back into the drum (150), and the inside of the flow path forming unit (220) may be prevented from rotting.

[0334] The above-mentioned dry cleaning module (20) may further include a cleaning unit (270) that can spray water onto the evaporator (241) to wash away foreign substances or remaining bacteria accumulated in the evaporator (241), and a water supply unit (260) that supplies water to the cleaning unit (270).

[0335] The above cleaning unit (270) may be provided to spray water toward the evaporator (241) from below the evaporator (241). In addition, the evaporator (241) may be arranged at an angle to increase the heat exchange area, thereby increasing the drying performance, and also to induce the water sprayed from the cleaning unit (270) to move along the surface of the evaporator (241) to wash away foreign substances.

[0336] The above drainage unit (250) can discharge all of the water sprayed from the cleaning unit (270) and foreign substances separated from the evaporator (241) to the outside of the drying module (20).

[0337] The above water supply unit (260) may also use water condensed in the above evaporator (241).

[0338] Alternatively, the water supply unit (260) may be provided to receive water directly from an external water source and supply it to the cleaning unit (270).

[0339] The above water supply unit (260) may include a water supply valve (261) that communicates with an external water supply source, and a water supply pipe (262) that is connected from the water supply valve (261) to the cleaning unit (270) and supplies the water to the cleaning unit (270).

[0340] The above control panel (280) may also be provided to control the water supply valve (261).

[0341] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing the structure in which the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) of the clothing treatment device of the present invention is installed.

[0342] Figure 17 illustrates a state in which the switching valve (246) uses the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) as an evaporator, but the switching valve (246) can change the flow path state to a state in which the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) is used as a condenser.

[0343] 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), and 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) through the switching valve (246).

[0344] Since the garment treatment device of the present invention is equipped with a commercial dryer, it is necessary to quickly dry a large quantity of garments. To this end, the garment treatment device of the present invention may consider increasing the cross-sectional area (241) of the evaporator to rapidly supply hot air from the beginning of the drying cycle, and increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the condenser (242) to supply high-temperature hot air in the middle and end of the drying cycle.

[0345] However, if the area of ​​the evaporator and the condenser is increased excessively, a problem may arise in which the volume of the drying module (20) is excessively increased.

[0346] In addition, if the area of ​​the evaporator is increased, it may initially help heat the compressor (243), but if the compressor (243) is operating normally, an excessive amount of heat may be supplied to the compressor (243), which may cause the compressor (243) to overheat.

[0347] In addition, if the area of ​​the condenser is increased, it may help to quickly supply sufficient hot air at the beginning of the drying process, but if the compressor (243) operates normally, excessive heat may be supplied to the inside of the drum (150), which may damage clothing, and the temperature may uniformly rise throughout the circulating flow path, which may cause a problem of a decrease in the coefficient of performance.

[0348] To this end, the clothing treatment device of the present invention additionally arranges the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and the switching valve (246), so that the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) can be converted into an evaporator (241) and a condenser (242) as needed.

[0349] For example, at the beginning of the drying process, the control panel (280) can control the switching valve (246) to control the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) to be used as the evaporator (241). Specifically, the switching valve (246) can guide the refrigerant delivered from the condenser (242) to the expansion valve (244), and the refrigerant passing through the expansion valve (244) can pass through the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and then flow into the evaporator (241).

[0350] In this process, the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside air in the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) and then flows back into the evaporator (241) to absorb heat from the air flowing through the flow path forming part (220). As a result, the energy of the refrigerant flowing into the compressor (243) increases further, so that the time it takes for the compressor (243) to operate normally and increase the pressure of the refrigerant can be shortened.

[0351] When the compressor (243) operates normally, such as in the middle or end of the drying cycle, the control panel (280) can control the switching valve (246) to control the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) to be used as the condenser (242). Specifically, the switching valve (245) can 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) can pass through the expansion valve (244) and then flow into the evaporator (241).

[0352] In this process, the refrigerant is heated by discharging heat from the condenser (242) to the air flowing through the flow path forming part (220), and then moves to the auxiliary heat exchanger (245) to discharge some of the remaining heat back to the outside air. As a result, the refrigerant can be introduced into the evaporator (241) with a sufficient temperature and pressure while passing through the expansion valve (244) in a state where the enthalpy has dropped significantly. As a result, the heat exchange part (240) can be prevented from overheating, and the temperature difference between the evaporator (241) and the condenser (242) can be secured to be larger, thereby preventing the coefficient of performance from decreasing.

[0353] Figure 18 illustrates an example of the internal structure of a drying module of a clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0354] Among the heat exchanger (240), the evaporator (241) and the condenser (242) can be installed inside the flow path forming part (220) placed inside the case (210).

[0355] The above evaporator (241) is placed below the condenser (242) and can exchange heat with the air flowing into the duct forming part (220).

[0356] The above evaporator (241) may be provided to cool the air introduced from the duct module (30) through the inlet (215) and condense moisture from the air. In addition, the evaporator (241) may absorb heat from the air through a refrigerant and transfer the heat to the compressor (243).

[0357] The air passing through the evaporator (241) can rise toward the condenser (242) in a cooled state by the pressure provided by the circulation fan (330). The air passing through the condenser (242) can be heated in the condenser (242) and converted into high-temperature dry hot air. The hot air can be introduced into the drying body (10) through the outlet (216) to dry clothes inside the drum (150).

[0358] The above-mentioned euro-forming part (220) is arranged in the height direction of the case (210), the inlet (215) is arranged at the lower front side of the euro-forming part (220), and the outlet (216) is arranged at the upper front side of the euro-forming part (220).

[0359] The above evaporator (241) is positioned lower than the condenser (242), so that when moisture in the air condenses into water, it can fall to the lower portion of the flow path forming part (222). As a result, the condensed water can be prevented from contacting the condenser (242) and from being reintroduced into the drum (150).

[0360] The above drying module (20) may further include a drainage unit (250) provided on the bottom surface of the euro-forming unit (220) to collect the water.

[0361] The above drainage unit (250) may include a drainage body (251) forming the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit (220), and a water collecting surface (252) formed on the upper surface of the drainage body (251) to collect the water.

[0362] Additionally, the drainage unit (250) may include a drainage hole (253) through which water collected in the water collection surface (252) is discharged, and a drainage pipe (254) that guides water discharged from the drainage hole (253) to the outside of the case (210). In this case, the water collection surface (252) may also be defined as a drainage surface.

[0363] Meanwhile, the upper surface and the lower surface of the condenser (242) can be arranged parallel to the bottom surface of the case (210) or the drain (250).

[0364] The evaporator (241) may be formed to have a larger surface area in contact with the air than the condenser (242). As a result, the evaporator (241) can absorb more heat from the air, dehumidify the circulated air, increase drying performance, and induce the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (243) to reach the target temperature more quickly.

[0365] To this end, the evaporator (241) may be formed so that the lower surface (2413) that first comes into contact with the air is wider than the lower surface of the condenser (242).

[0366] For example, the area of ​​the lower surface of the condenser (242) may correspond to the cross-sectional area in the width direction of the duct forming part (220) or may be formed slightly smaller in consideration of the area of ​​the refrigerant pipe.

[0367] However, the area of ​​the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241) may be provided to be much larger than the cross-sectional area in the width direction of the guiding member (220).

[0368] For this purpose, the evaporator (241) may be arranged to be inclined with respect to the flow direction of the euro forming part (220) or the air.

[0369] The above evaporator (241) may be arranged so that only the lower surface (2413) is inclined, or the upper surface may also be arranged parallel to the lower surface (2413) to maintain uniform overall heat exchange performance.

[0370] The above slope can be set between 30 degrees and 60 degrees based on the bottom surface of the condenser (243). For example, the above slope can be set in the range of 45 degrees to 50 degrees.

[0371] The above evaporator (241) may be arranged at an angle so that the front surface facing the front of the flow path forming part (220) is arranged at a different height than the rear surface facing the rear of the flow path forming part (220).

[0372] Specifically, the evaporator (241) may be positioned so that the lower part (2414) positioned at the lowest position is positioned toward the rear of the case (210), and the upper part (2411) positioned at the highest position is positioned toward the front of the case (210).

[0373] As a result, the evaporator (241) can be arranged so that its lower surface (2413) faces the inlet (215). As a result, the air discharged from the inlet (215) can pass through a large area of ​​the evaporator (241) and be cooled.

[0374] Specifically, the area of ​​the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241) may be larger than the area of ​​the inlet (216).

[0375] The above evaporator (241) can be placed at a position where at least a portion of the lower surface (2413) faces the inlet (215) in the front-back direction.

[0376] For example, the upper height from the bottom of the inlet (215) can be set to a first height (H1), the lower end (2413) of the evaporator (241) can be positioned lower by a fourth height (H4) from the top of the inlet (215), and the upper end (2412) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) can be positioned higher by a third height (H3) from the top of the inlet (215).

[0377] Accordingly, the air flowing into the flow path forming part (220) in the forward and backward direction from the inlet (215) can immediately come into contact with the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241) before the flow path direction is changed. As a result, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange part (240) can be further increased.

[0378] The length of the fourth height (H4) may be provided to be shorter than the length of the third height (H3). Accordingly, a plurality of areas of the evaporator (241) may be arranged above the inlet (215). Accordingly, the water condensed from the upper end of the evaporator (241) is not pushed out to the rear of the case (210) by the air, but moves along the incline direction of the evaporator (241) in a clumped state to a certain degree, thereby removing foreign substances attached to the evaporator (241). The length (H6) from the lower end (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) to the drain surface (252) or the water collecting surface (252) may be formed to be shorter than the length (H7) from the upper end of the inlet (215) to the drain surface (252). That is, the height (H6) from the drain surface (252) to the lower end (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator (242) can be formed lower than the height (H7) from the drain surface (252) to the upper end of the inlet (215). As a result, water falling from the evaporator (241) can be prevented from flowing back into the air flowing in from the inlet (215), and can be collected in the drain surface (252).

[0379] In the case where the above drainage surface (252) is provided at an angle, the reference for the height may correspond to the lowest drainage surface (252) where the drainage hole (253) is formed.

[0380] The condenser (242) may be positioned between the outlet (216) and the inlet (215) above the evaporator (241). Thus, the air passing through the evaporator (241) may pass through the entire area of ​​the condenser (242) before being discharged through the outlet (216). Accordingly, the air may be heated to the maximum extent and supplied to the inside of the drum (150).

[0381] The evaporator (241) can prevent water condensed in the evaporator (241) from remaining in the evaporator (241) by having its lower surface (2413) inclined. That is, even if moisture condenses in the evaporator (241) and water droplets form on the surface of the evaporator (241), the incline of the evaporator (241) causes the water droplets to move downward and eventually fall off the evaporator (241). As a result, the surface of the evaporator (241) can always be exposed to air, so that the efficiency of heat exchange with the air can be maintained.

[0382] As described above, the incline direction of the evaporator (241) is a direction in which the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator faces the inlet (215). Therefore, since the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241) extends toward the end in a direction away from the inlet (215), the water formed in the evaporator (241) can also move toward the lower portion of the evaporator (241) while moving in a direction away from the inlet (215) and can fall into the drain (250). As a result, the water formed in the evaporator (241) can be prevented from falling near the inlet (215) and moving back toward the condenser (242). Therefore, the water can be prevented from being dried again and flowing into the drum (150), so that the drying efficiency can be maintained.

[0383] Water moving downward along the slope of the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241) can wash away foreign substances adhering to the evaporator (241). That is, even if foreign substances such as lint contained in the air discharged from the inlet (215) accumulate on the lower surface of the evaporator (241), the water formed on the evaporator (241) can wash away the foreign substances as it moves downward, and if the water clumps together and grows larger as it moves downward, the performance of washing away the foreign substances can be enhanced.

[0384] In addition, when water is directly sprayed toward the lower surface (2413) from the washing unit (270), after the sprayed water comes into contact with the evaporator (241), it can move along the slope of the lower surface (2413) throughout the evaporator (241).

[0385] That is, rather than all of the water falling freely due to gravity after coming into contact with the surface of the evaporator (241), at least some of the water can move downward along the surface of the evaporator (241) due to the incline at which the evaporator (241) is placed. As a result, foreign substances adhering to the evaporator (241) can be primarily removed by the pressure of the water sprayed from the washing unit (270), and foreign substances adhering to the evaporator (241) can be secondarily removed as the water remaining in the evaporator (241) after being sprayed from the washing unit (270) moves along the evaporator (241) by gravity.

[0386] As a result, even if the washing unit (270) cannot spray water on the entire area of ​​the evaporator (241) or sprays less water on a specific area, foreign substances adhering to the evaporator (241) can be completely removed. Accordingly, the clothing treatment device of the present invention can save the amount of water sprayed from the washing unit (270) and also reduce the number of spray nozzles that spray water in the washing unit (270) described below.

[0387] Meanwhile, the washing unit (270) may be provided to spray water closer to the upper portion than the lower portion of the lower surface (2413) of the evaporator (241). That is, the washing unit (270) may be provided to spray water closer to the front portion than the rear portion of the evaporator (241). As a result, the water sprayed to the washing unit (270) can wash up to the upper portion (2412) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241), and the entire evaporator (241) can be washed as the water is swept down to the lower portion (2414) of the evaporator (241).

[0388] Figure 19 illustrates an embodiment of a washing unit of a clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0389] The water supply unit (260) of the drying module (20) may include a water supply valve (261) that is fixed to the case (210) and communicates with an external water source, and a water supply pipe (262) that extends from the water supply valve (261) to the washing unit (270). The water supply unit (260) may be mounted on the upper portion of the rear panel of the case (210). In addition, the water supply pipe (262) may be arranged to extend from the outside of the case (210) to a height at which the washing unit (270) is installed. This prevents the water supply unit (260) from interfering with the flow path of the flow path forming unit (220) or the auxiliary flow path unit (230).

[0390] The above washing unit (270) may include a nozzle frame (271) connected to at least one of the side panel (211) and the partition panel (218) of the case (210) at a height lower than the evaporator (241), and a spray nozzle (272) coupled to the nozzle frame (272) and connected to the water supply pipe (262) to spray water onto the evaporator (241).

[0391] The above injection nozzles (272) may be arranged in multiple numbers along the width direction of the evaporator (241) and spaced apart from each other.

[0392] Figure 20 illustrates an embodiment in which the above washing unit is arranged.

[0393] The washing unit (270) may be arranged closer to the front among the front and rear of the case (210). Since the upper end (2413) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) is arranged forward relative to the lower end (2414) of the lower surface, the washing unit (270) may be arranged closer to the upper end (2413) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) than to the lower end (2414) of the lower surface. As a result, the washing unit (270) may spray more water at a stronger water pressure to a higher area of ​​the evaporator (241) than to a lower area, and may induce the sprayed water to flow down in the inclined direction of the evaporator (241) to wash away foreign substances.

[0394] Specifically, the washing unit (270) may be positioned rearward by a first distance (D1) from the upper part of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) or the inlet (215). In addition, the washing unit (270) may be positioned forward by a second distance (D2) from the lower part (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241), and the second distance (D2) may be set longer than the first distance (D1).

[0395] Figure 21 illustrates the positional relationship of the above drainage section.

[0396] The drain body (251) of the above drainage unit (250) can be mounted on the base panel of the case (210) to form the bottom surface of the flow path forming unit (220). The shape of the cross-section of the drain body (251) can be provided to correspond to the shape of the cross-section of the flow path forming unit (220).

[0397] The above drain body (251) may be provided with a different material from the case (210). For example, the above drain body (251) may be provided with a resin series. Accordingly, the drainage part (250) can freely form a water collection surface (252) and a drainage hole (253) on the drain body (251).

[0398] The above drain body (251) may be provided in a box shape and a hollow space may be formed inside in which the drain pipe (254) is installed.

[0399] The above drain hole (253) may be provided to penetrate the upper surface of the drain body (251).

[0400] The above water collection surface (252) may have a slope that decreases from the periphery of the drain body (251) toward the drain hole (253). Accordingly, water condensed and dropped from the evaporator (241) or water sprayed and dropped from the washing unit (270) can all move to the drain hole (253) along the slope formed on the water collection surface (252).

[0401] As a result, the condensed water condensed in the evaporator (241) or the washing water sprayed from the washing unit (270) can be prevented from remaining in the drain body (251), and all foreign substances can be discharged through the drain hole (253). Accordingly, the inside of the flow path forming unit (220) can be maintained in a clean state, and the water remaining in the drain body (251) can be prevented from evaporating and flowing into the inside of the drum (150).

[0402] Meanwhile, the drain hole (253) may be arranged closer to the front than the rear of the water collection surface (252). That is, the drain hole (253) may be arranged closer to the upper part (2412) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) than to the lower part (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator.

[0403] As a result, the drain hole (253) can be positioned closer to the highest position in the evaporator (241) than to the lowest position in the evaporator (241). As a result, water condensed in the evaporator (241) or water sprayed into the evaporator (241) can be discharged through the drain hole (253) while sweeping down as much of the water collecting surface (252) as possible after falling on the water collecting surface (252).

[0404] As a result, more foreign substances or lint that may remain on the collecting surface (252) can be washed away.

[0405] The above drain hole (253) may be positioned closer to the inlet (215) than to the rear of the case (210).

[0406] The above-mentioned water collection surface (252) may include a forward slope (2521) extending forward based on the drain hole (253) and a rear slope (2522) extending backward based on the drain hole (253).

[0407] The length of the above rear slope (2522) may be formed to be shorter than the length of the above front slope (2521), and the slope angle of the above rear slope (2522) may be gentler than the slope angle (2521) of the above front slope.

[0408] As a result, water including condensate or washing water that has fallen to the upper part of the rear slope (2522) can move to the drain hole (253) more slowly than water that has fallen to the upper part of the front slope (2521), thereby washing foreign substances more reliably.

[0409] Meanwhile, since the forward slope (2521) descends downward at a steeper slope from the inlet (215) due to the drain hole (253), it is possible to prevent water collected in the drain hole (253) from coming into contact with air blowing in from the inlet (215) as much as possible. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent water collected in the drain hole (253) and discharged through the drain pipe (254) coupled to the drain hole (253) from flowing back due to air flowing in from the inlet (215).

[0410] The first length (L1) spaced apart from the upper end (2412) of the lower surface of the inlet (215) or the evaporator (241) in the drain hole (253) may be formed shorter than the second length (L2) spaced apart from the lower end (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) in the drain hole (253).

[0411] The lower part (2415) of the upper surface of the evaporator (241) can be supported on the rear panel of the case (210) or the back surface of the flow-forming part (220), and the upper part (2412) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) can be supported on the front panel of the case (210) or the front surface of the flow-forming part (220).

[0412] When the evaporator (241) has a rectangular cross-section, the lower end (2414) of the lower surface of the evaporator (241) may be positioned closer to the inlet (215) than the lower end (2415) of the upper surface of the evaporator (241).

[0413] The present invention may be implemented in various modified forms, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drying body including a cabinet having an opening through which clothes are inserted, and a drum arranged inside the cabinet to accommodate the clothes; A drying module including a case positioned at the rear of the cabinet and connected to the cabinet, a flow path forming part forming a flow path for guiding air discharged from the drum back to the drum within the case, and an evaporator positioned inside the flow path forming part for cooling the air and a condenser for heating the air passing through the evaporator; A duct module including a duct body positioned lower than the drum and in front of the flow path forming portion to allow air discharged from the drum to flow in, and a fan receiving portion positioned rearward of the duct body to accommodate a circulation fan that moves the air to the flow path forming portion; The above-mentioned euro-forming portion is arranged to extend in the height direction inside the case, The above evaporator is placed lower than the above condenser, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator is provided at an angle.

2. In paragraph 1, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator is provided with a different slope from the lower surface of the condenser.

3. In paragraph 2, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the condenser is arranged parallel to the bottom surface of the case.

4. In paragraph 1, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator has a slope whose height decreases from the front end to the rear end.

5. In paragraph 1, The above Euro-forming part An inlet formed on the front of the case through which air discharged from the drum flows in, An outlet is included through which air discharged upward from the above inlet is discharged again toward the drum, A clothes treatment device, characterized in that a portion of the lower surface of the evaporator is positioned lower than the upper portion of the inlet.

6. In paragraph 5, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the condenser is entirely disposed between the inlet and the outlet.

7. In paragraph 5, A clothes treatment device, characterized in that the evaporator is arranged so that its lower surface is inclined in a direction facing the inlet.

8. In paragraph 5, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator extends away from the inlet as the height decreases.

9. In paragraph 5, A clothes treatment device, characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator has a greater number of areas positioned higher than the upper part of the inlet than areas positioned lower than the upper part of the inlet.

10. In paragraph 5, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the height from the top of the lower surface to the top of the inlet is greater than the height from the bottom of the lower surface of the evaporator to the top of the inlet.

11. In paragraph 5, The above drying module A clothes treatment device characterized in that it further includes a drainage section arranged on the bottom surface of the above-mentioned euro-forming section to collect water that has fallen from the above-mentioned evaporator.

12. In paragraph 11, The above drainage part A drainage body forming the lower surface of the above-mentioned euro-forming part, A drainage surface formed on the upper part of the above drainage body and where the water is collected, A clothing treatment device characterized by including a drain hole through which water is discharged by penetrating the drain surface.

13. In paragraph 12, The height from the drainage surface to the bottom of the evaporator A clothes treatment device characterized in that the height from the above drainage surface to the top of the inlet is set shorter than that.

14. In paragraph 13, A clothes treatment device, characterized in that the drain hole is positioned closer to the inlet than the lower part of the lower surface of the evaporator.

15. In paragraph 14, A clothes treatment device, characterized in that the drain hole is positioned closer to the upper part of the lower surface of the evaporator than to the lower part of the lower surface of the evaporator.

16. In paragraph 13, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the drainage surface includes a slope that lowers toward the drainage hole.

17. In paragraph 16, The above drainage surface is A forward inclined surface extending slantedly from the front edge of the above drain body toward the above drain hole, Including a rear inclined surface extending in an inclined direction from the rear edge of the above drain body toward the above drain hole, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the slope of the front slope is formed more steeply than the slope of the rear slope.

18. In paragraph 17, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the length of the front inclined surface is formed shorter than the length of the rear inclined surface.

19. In paragraph 13, The above drainage part A clothing treatment device characterized by further including a drain pipe extending from the drain hole to the outside of the case to discharge the water.

20. In paragraph 1, A clothes treatment device characterized in that the lower surface of the evaporator is wider than the lower surface of the condenser.

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