Clothing treatment apparatus

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothing treatment apparatus comprising: a cabinet; a tub provided inside the cabinet and having a tub exhaust port through which air flows out and a tub supply port through which air flows in; a drum that is connected to and rotatably arranged inside the tub, and provides a space for accommodating clothing; and a drying module which is detachably provided in the cabinet and supplies air discharged from the drum back to the drum. The drying module includes: a first flow path part providing a flow path through which the air discharged from the tub exhaust port can circulate; and a heat exchange part for dehumidifying and heating the air that has flowed into the first flow path part. The first flow path part includes: an exhaust flow path for guiding, to the heat exchange part, the air discharged from the tub exhaust port; and a supply flow path for guiding, to the tub, the air that passes through the heat exchange part. The supply flow path includes: a supply duct providing a flow path through which the air that passes through the heat exchange part moves; and a supply flow path corrugated part for guiding the air to the tub supply port. The clothing treatment apparatus further includes a reinforcing ring which is provided in at least one of the supply duct or the tub supply port and prevents at least one of the supply duct or the tub supply port from being deformed.

Description

Garment processing equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to a clothing treatment device.

[0002] In general, a garment treatment device performs any course of processing garments, and may include a washing machine that performs a washing cycle and a dryer that performs a drying cycle.

[0003] Normally, washing machines and dryers can be installed separately, but to overcome space constraints and provide convenience to users, a clothing treatment device that can perform washing and drying operations simultaneously has emerged.

[0004] A conventional clothing treatment device could be configured as a washing machine that performs a washing cycle, including a cabinet, a tub that receives water, a drum that receives and rotates clothes, a driving unit that is fixed to the tub and rotates the drum, a support unit that supports the tub, a water supply unit that supplies water to the tub, and a drain unit that drains water from the tub.

[0005] In addition, conventional clothing treatment devices can additionally be equipped with a circulation unit that circulates air from the tub to the outside of the tub, and a heat exchange unit installed in the circulation unit to sequentially dehumidify and heat the air. Accordingly, a configuration as a dryer that performs a drying process by supplying hot air to the tub can also be achieved.

[0006] In this way, the conventional clothing treatment device had the advantage of being able to selectively perform the washing and drying cycles according to the user's convenience by having both a washing machine configuration and a dryer configuration inside the cabinet.

[0007] However, in the case of commercial clothing treatment equipment, it is common for it to be equipped to process a larger quantity of clothing than a home clothing treatment equipment or to process heavy clothing such as blankets.

[0008] Therefore, there was a problem that commercial garment processing equipment had to be larger than household garment processing equipment in order to accommodate heavy and bulky garments at once.

[0009] In this situation, if a commercial clothing handling device is configured as both a washing machine and a dryer inside the cabinet, there is a fundamental problem that the limited cabinet size cannot secure a clothing capacity suitable for commercial use, or conversely, the cabinet restrictions are lifted, resulting in excessive volume and weight, making transportation and installation difficult.

[0010] Therefore, for commercial garment treatment equipment, the coupling or arrangement between the washing and drying devices was one of the important design considerations.

[0011] Additionally, garment treatment devices capable of performing drying processes must be equipped with ducts to allow air to flow. These ducts facilitate air circulation and heat exchange, thereby enabling efficient drying.

[0012] However, the duct is generally manufactured by blow molding to have a hollow structure, and is manufactured from a plastic material such as polypropylene (PP) or expanded polypropylene (EPP) for reasons such as durability, light weight, chemical resistance, economy, and ease of processing.

[0013] These materials and manufacturing methods are intended to enhance air circulation and heat exchange efficiency, but they can also cause stability issues due to vibration and deformation caused by heated air. This can reduce the functional reliability of the duct or negatively impact the overall performance of the device.

[0014] The present invention aims to solve the problem of providing a clothing treatment device capable of performing both washing and drying operations.

[0015] The present invention aims to provide a clothing processing device capable of securing an optimal clothing capacity within a limited space.

[0016] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device that minimizes the stability problem of a duct due to vibration.

[0017] The present invention aims to provide a clothing treatment device that minimizes the problem of deformation of a duct due to heated air.

[0018] In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention may include a cabinet, a tub provided inside the cabinet and having a tub exhaust section through which air is discharged and a tub air supply section through which air is introduced, a drum communicating with the tub and rotatably provided inside the tub to provide a space for accommodating clothes, and a drying module detachably provided in the cabinet to resupply air discharged from the drum to the drum.

[0019] The above drying module may include a first flow path that provides a flow path through which air discharged from the tub exhaust section can circulate, and a heat exchanger that dehumidifies and heats air introduced into the first flow path.

[0020] The first flow path may include an exhaust flow path that guides air discharged from the tub exhaust part to the heat exchange part, and an air supply flow path that guides air that has passed through the heat exchange part to the tub.

[0021] The above air supply path may include an air supply duct that provides a path through which air passing through the heat exchange unit moves, and an air supply path fold that guides the air to the tub air supply unit.

[0022] A reinforcing ring may be further included in at least one of the above-mentioned air supply duct and the above-mentioned tub air supply part to prevent at least one of the above-mentioned air supply duct and the above-mentioned tub air supply part from being deformed by heated air.

[0023] The above reinforcing ring may include a first reinforcing ring mounted on a first connection portion that is provided on the air supply duct and connects the air supply duct to the air supply path fold, and a second reinforcing ring mounted on a second connection portion that is provided on the tub air supply portion and connects the tub air supply portion to the air supply path fold.

[0024] The first reinforcing ring may be provided to be mounted in a first mounting groove formed by recessing into the inner surface of the first connecting portion, and the second reinforcing ring may be provided to be mounted in a second mounting groove formed by recessing into the inner surface of the second connecting portion.

[0025] The width of the first mounting groove may be greater than or equal to the width of the first reinforcing ring, and the width of the second mounting groove may be greater than or equal to the width of the second reinforcing ring.

[0026] The above-mentioned air supply pipe wrinkles may be provided with an elastic structure to reduce vibration and noise.

[0027] The above elastic structure may be provided as a bellows structure.

[0028] The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be provided to overlap at least a portion of the air supply path wrinkle portion.

[0029] The first connecting portion and the second connecting portion may be provided to be accommodated in at least a portion of the air supply path fold.

[0030] The apparatus further includes a first fixing ring that maintains the connection between the air supply path fold and the air supply duct, and a second fixing ring that maintains the connection between the air supply path fold and the tub air supply portion, wherein the first fixing ring is provided to surround an outer circumference of the air supply path fold in which the first connection portion is received, and the second fixing ring may be provided to surround an outer circumference of the air supply path fold in which the second connection portion is received.

[0031] The first fixed ring may be provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the position where the first reinforcing ring is mounted, and the second fixed ring may be provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the position where the second reinforcing ring is mounted.

[0032] The first fixing ring and the second fixing ring may include a band member in the shape of a ring with one side open, a connecting member having a connecting portion formed at both ends of the band member so that the band member is connected, and a connecting member connected to the connecting portion of the connecting member to connect the band member by tightening the band member.

[0033] The above band member may be provided as a steel band.

[0034] The above fastening member may be provided with a bolt and a nut.

[0035] The above exhaust path may further include a filter for filtering air moving to the heat exchange unit.

[0036] The above drying module may further include a blower fan that allows the air to circulate along the first flow path.

[0037] The present invention has the effect of providing a clothing treatment device capable of performing both washing and drying operations.

[0038] The present invention has the effect of providing a clothing processing device capable of securing an optimal clothing capacity within a limited space.

[0039] The present invention has the effect of providing a clothing treatment device that minimizes stability problems of a duct due to vibration.

[0040] The present invention has the effect of providing a clothing treatment device that minimizes the problem of deformation of a duct due to heated air.

[0041] Figures 1 and 2 illustrate an example of a clothing treatment device of the present invention.

[0042] Figures 3 and 4 illustrate examples of receiving portions.

[0043] Figure 5 illustrates an example of a tub air supply unit.

[0044] Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate examples of the drying module.

[0045] Figure 9 illustrates an example of a euro area.

[0046] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate examples of the connection between the air supply duct, the air supply path fold, and the tub air supply portion.

[0047] The configuration or control method of the device described below is only for explaining an embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and reference numbers used identically throughout the specification represent identical components.

[0048] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as "comprise," "include," or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and therefore, unless specifically defined, do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0049] Expressions indicating relative or absolute arrangements, such as "in which direction", "along which direction", "parallel", "perpendicularly", "centered", "concentric" or "coaxial", not only strictly indicate such arrangements, but also indicate a state of relative displacement with an angle or distance such that tolerance or the same function is obtained.

[0050] Additionally, terms including ordinal numbers, such as "first," "second," etc., used herein may be used to describe various components; however, these components are not limited by these terms, and these terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

[0051] In addition, terms such as “front,” “rear,” “upper,” “lower,” “side,” “front end,” “rear end,” “top,” and “bottom” used in this specification are defined based on the drawings or defined based on the configuration or arrangement / arrangement state between configurations, and the shape and position of each configuration are not limited by these terms.

[0052] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a garment treatment device and its control method will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 1, a clothing treatment device (100) may be equipped to include a treatment module (100a, first treatment device, washing module) that provides a space for washing or drying a treatment target such as clothing, and a drying module (100b, second treatment device, heat exchange module) that is detachably coupled to the treatment module (100a, first treatment device, washing module) for drying a treatment target put into the treatment module (100a, first treatment device, washing module).

[0054] The above processing module (100a) may include a cabinet (1), and the drying module (100b) may be provided to include a case (6). The drying module (100b) may be provided to be positioned above the processing module (100a), and in this case, the exterior of the garment treatment device (100) may be formed by the cabinet (1) and the case (6).

[0055] The cabinet (1) may be provided to include a first front panel (11) forming the front surface of the processing module (100a), a first side panel (12) connected to the first front panel (11) to form a side surface of the processing module (100a), and a first rear panel (13) provided at a position facing the first front panel (11) to form the rear surface of the processing module (100a).

[0056] The first front panel (11) may be provided with a control panel (112) for controlling the garment treatment device (100). The control panel (112) may be provided to control only one of the processing module (100a) and the drying module (100b), or may be provided to control both the processing module (100a) and the drying module (100b).

[0057] Referring to Fig. 2, the first front panel (11) may be provided with a first panel body (113) and a second panel body (114). The first panel body (113) is provided as a panel fixed to the processing module (100a) to form a mounting space for the control panel (112), and the second panel body (114) may be provided as a panel detachable from the processing module (100a).

[0058] The first panel body (113) is provided to include a cabinet penetration hole (111) that communicates with the inside of the processing module (100a), and the second panel body (114) can be provided at a position where at least some of the components provided inside the processing module (100a) can be exposed to the outside of the processing module (100a).

[0059] FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the first panel body (113) is provided to form the upper region of the first front panel (11), and the second panel body (114) is provided to form the lower region of the first front panel (11).

[0060] The first side panel (12) may be provided to include a first left panel (121) forming the left side of the processing module (100a) (a part of the left side of the garment processing device), and a first right panel (122) forming the right side of the processing module (100a) (a part of the right side of the garment processing device).

[0061] The above processing module (100a) may be provided with a mounting space (15) to which the drying module (100b) is fixed. The mounting space (15) may be provided as an open space formed on the upper surface of the cabinet (1), and FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which the mounting space (15) is formed at the upper end of the first front panel (11), the upper end of the first left panel (121), the upper end of the first right panel (122), and the upper end of the first rear panel (13).

[0062] The height of the first front panel (11) and the height of the first rear panel (13) can be set higher (H) than the height of the first left panel (121) and the height of the first right panel (122). When the heights of the first front panel (11) and the first rear panel (13) are set higher than the side panels (121, 122), not only is it advantageous for positioning and fixing the drying module (100b) when mounting it in the mounting space (15), but there is also an effect of reducing the height of the entire clothing treatment device (100).

[0063] In addition, when the first front panel (11) is set higher than the side panels (121, 122), a space can be formed in the first front panel (11) to install other devices (devices such as detergent storage units), while minimizing the increase in the height of the clothing treatment device (100).

[0064] A first control unit (19) for controlling at least one of the processing module (100a) and the drying module (100b) may be provided inside the cabinet (1). The first control unit (19) may be provided to receive a control signal from the input unit of the control panel (112) or to transmit a control signal requesting the display of information on the display unit of the control panel (112), and may be fixed to the first rear panel (13).

[0065] The cabinet (1) may be provided with a receiving portion (2) that forms a washing space and a drying space for the subject matter to be treated. Fig. 3 illustrates an example in which the receiving portion (2) is provided with a tub (2a) that forms a space for storing water and a path for moving air, and a drum (2b) that is rotatably provided inside the tub to form a space for receiving the subject matter to be treated.

[0066] The above tub (2a) provides a space for storing water and may be provided to include a tub body (21) that is fixed inside the cabinet (1) via a tub support member (23).

[0067] The above tub body (21) may be provided in a cylindrical shape with an empty interior. The tub body (21) may be provided to include a tub front surface (21a) provided in a direction facing the first front panel (11), a tub rear surface (21b) provided in a direction facing the first rear panel (13), and a tub circumference (21c) connecting the front surface and the rear surface of the tub body.

[0068] The front surface (21a) of the tub may be provided with an inlet (211) communicating with the inside of the drum (2b), and a mounting pipe (212) that is provided in a shape that surrounds the inlet (211) and protrudes from the front surface (21a) of the tub toward the cabinet penetration hole (111).

[0069] In other words, the mounting pipe (212) is provided in a cylindrical shape protruding from the front surface (21a) of the tub toward the first front panel (11), and the inlet (211) is provided as a hole penetrating the front surface (21a) of the tub, but may be provided so as to be located inside the mounting pipe (212).

[0070] The above-mentioned mounting pipe (212) not only provides a mounting space for the injection unit (3a, 3b) or the tub air supply unit (24) described later, but can also serve as a means for guiding the treatment target fed into the drum (2b) through the cabinet penetration hole (111) to the inlet (211).

[0071] The above-mentioned inlet (211) can be opened and closed by a door (22) rotatably fixed to the front surface (21a) of the tub. Referring to FIG. 2, since the door (22) is not rotatably fixed to the first front panel (11) but is rotatably fixed to the tub body (21), it is preferable that the cabinet penetration hole (111) be provided in a size and position that does not interfere with the rotation of the door (22) (rotation for opening or closing the inlet).

[0072] That is, when the input port (211) is closed, the door (22) remains exposed to the outside of the cabinet (1) through the cabinet penetration hole (111). However, when the input port (211) is opened, the door (22) can rotate toward the outside of the cabinet (1) through the cabinet penetration hole (111).

[0073] Referring to Fig. 3, in order to fix the door (22) to the front surface (21a) of the tub, the tub (2a) may be provided with a door mounting portion (224). The door mounting portion (224) may be provided to include a first mounting cover (225) that is fixed to the front surface (21a) of the tub and surrounds the mounting pipe (212), and a second mounting cover (226) that is fixed to the first mounting cover (225) and to which the hinge (227) of the door is mounted. In order to prevent the inlet (211) from being closed by the door mounting portion (224), the door mounting portion (224) may be provided with an inlet communication hole (228).

[0074] The above tub (2a) can be connected to the drying module (100b) through the tub air supply part (24) and the tub exhaust part (25). That is, the drying module (100b) can be detachably connected to the tub air supply part (24) and the tub exhaust part (25).

[0075] The above-mentioned tub air supply unit (24) may be provided to supply air into the inside of the tub body (21) through the above-mentioned mounting pipe (212), and the above-mentioned tub exhaust unit (25) may be provided to discharge air inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the tub through the above-mentioned tub circumference (21c).

[0076] The above tub air supply unit (24) may be provided to include a first air supply hole (241) and a second air supply hole (242) provided in the mounting pipe (212), and a distribution pipe (243) that guides air to each of the air supply holes (241, 242).

[0077] The first air supply hole (241) and the second air supply hole (242) may be provided to pass through the mounting pipe (212) and communicate with the inlet (211). The distribution pipe (243) may be provided to include a connection pipe (243a) connected to the drying module (100b), a first branch pipe (243b) that guides some of the air introduced into the connection pipe (243a) to the first air supply hole (241), and a second branch pipe (243c) that guides some of the air introduced into the connection pipe (243a) to the second air supply hole (242).

[0078] The above connecting pipe (243a) may include a second connecting portion (772a) that is received in the air supply path fold portion (722) described later and connected to the drying module (100b).

[0079] In order for the above-mentioned clothing treatment device (100) to perform washing or drying of a large number of items to be treated, the volume of the tub body (21) and the volume of the drum (2b) need to be designed to be large. Since the drum (2b) must be supported by the rear surface (21b) of the tub and be rotatable within the tub body (21), the durability of the tub body (21) is important in order to design the volume of the drum (2b) to be large. Therefore, the tub body (21) may be formed of a metal material.

[0080] When the above tub body (21) is made of a metal material, it is preferable that the mounting pipe (212) is also made of a metal material, but the distribution pipe (243) may be made of a different material from the mounting pipe (212).

[0081] At this time, it may be advantageous in terms of cost and time to mold the distribution pipe (243) equipped with the first branch pipe (243b) and the second branch pipe (243c) described above using a material such as plastic rather than metal. Accordingly, when the distribution pipe (243) and the mounting pipe (212) are made of different materials, the processing module (100a) may further include a bracket (244) that connects the distribution pipe (243) to the mounting pipe (212).

[0082] The above distribution pipe (243) may be provided as a flow path protruding from the mounting pipe (212) toward the drying module (100b). Meanwhile, the free end (the portion to which the drying module is connected) of the connecting pipe (243a) may be provided so as to be exposed to the outside of the processing module (100a) through the mounting space (15) of the cabinet (1). In other words, the free end of the connecting pipe (243a) may be provided so as to be positioned higher than the upper end of the first front panel (11). This is to facilitate coupling between the processing module (100a) and the drying module (100b).

[0083] The above tub exhaust part (25) may be provided as an exhaust pipe protruding from the tub circumference (21c) toward the drying module (100b). That is, the above tub exhaust part (25) may be provided as an exhaust pipe protruding toward the mounting space (15) formed on the upper surface of the processing module (100a).

[0084] The free end (the portion to which the drying module is connected) of the above tub exhaust section (25) may be positioned at a point higher than the upper end of the side panel (12), or may be positioned at a point lower than the upper end of the side panel (12). The former has the effect of facilitating the coupling of the processing module (100a) and the drying module (100b), and the latter has the effect of reducing the overall height of the clothing treatment device (100).

[0085] Referring to FIG. 4, the door (22) may be provided to include a door frame (221) rotatably fixed to the hinge (227), a door frame penetration hole (222) provided to penetrate the door frame (221), and a door window (223) fixed to the door frame (221) to close the door frame penetration hole (222).

[0086] The above door frame penetration hole (222) is provided at a position corresponding to the input port (211) (a position connected to the input port), and the door window (223) may be provided with a light-transmitting material. In this case, the interior of the drum (2b) can be confirmed from the outside of the processing module (100a).

[0087] The above door window (223) may be provided to include a first window (223a) fixed to the door frame (221) so as to be exposed to the outside through the cabinet penetration hole (111), and a second window (223b) fixed to the door frame (221) so as to be located inside the mounting pipe (212).

[0088] The first window (223a) may be provided with glass that is positioned in the cabinet penetration hole (111) and forms a part of the first front panel (11), and the second window (223b) may be provided with glass that protrudes from the door frame (221) toward the inlet (211).

[0089] The above tub body (21) receives water through the water supply unit (4), and the water inside the tub body (21) can be discharged to the outside of the clothing treatment device (100) through the drain unit (28).

[0090] The above drainage unit (28) may be provided to include a drain pipe (281) that guides water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1). The drain pipe (281) may be provided with one end fixed to the lower space of the tub circumference (21c) (an area of ​​the tub circumference located below a horizontal line passing through the center of the inlet) and the other end as a hose that penetrates the first rear panel (13).

[0091] The above drain pipe (281) may be provided to discharge water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1) using gravity, or may be provided to discharge water inside the tub body (21) to the outside of the cabinet (1) through a drain pump. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of the former case, and in this case, the drain unit (28) may further be provided with a drain valve (282) that controls the opening and closing of the drain pipe (281) according to a control signal of the first control unit (19).

[0092] The above drainage unit (28) may further be equipped with a drainage filter for filtering water flowing into the drainage pipe (281), and the drainage filter may be provided so as to be detachable from the drainage pipe (281). The drainage valve (282) and the drainage filter may be provided at a location exposed to the outside when the second panel body (114) is separated from the processing module (100a).

[0093] Referring to Fig. 5, the bracket (244) is a means for fixing the distribution pipe (243) to the mounting pipe (212). The bracket (244) may include a fastening body (245) fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the mounting pipe (212), a first communication hole (245a) provided to penetrate the fastening body (245) and communicate with the first air supply hole (241) of the mounting pipe (212), and a second communication hole (245b) provided to penetrate the fastening body (245) and communicate with the second air supply hole (242) of the mounting pipe (212).

[0094] The above-mentioned fastening body (245) may be provided with a material different from the material of the tub body (21) (material of the mounting pipe) and may be fixed to the mounting pipe (212) through a fastening means such as a bolt. However, the above-mentioned fastening body (245) may be provided with the same material as the material of the above-mentioned distribution pipe (243).

[0095] In order to reduce the inflow of foreign substances into the above-mentioned air supply holes (241, 242), a plurality of bracket partition walls may be provided in the first communication hole (245a) and the second communication hole (245b). The bracket partition walls may be provided along the width direction or the height direction of each communication hole.

[0096] The above bracket (244) may be provided with a first connecting tube (246) that connects the first branch tube (243b) to the first communication hole (245a), and a second connecting tube (247) that connects the second branch tube (243c) to the second communication hole (245b).

[0097] A cleaning unit mounting portion (248) in which the first cleaning unit (3a) is mounted may be provided in the space between the first cleaning tube (246) and the second cleaning tube (247) of the above-described fastening body (245). When the above-described fastening body (245) is fixed to the above-described mounting tube (212), the cleaning unit mounting portion (248) is provided to be positioned above the cleaning nozzle mounting hole (213) of the above-described mounting tube (212).

[0098] The above processing module (100a) may be equipped with a temperature detection sensor (219) for temperature measurement. In this case, the fastening body (245) may be equipped with a sensor mounting portion (249) in which the temperature detection sensor (219) is mounted, and the mounting tube (212) may be equipped with a sensor mounting hole (218) that communicates with the sensor mounting portion (249). The temperature detection sensor (219) fixed to the sensor mounting portion (249) may be positioned inside the mounting tube (212) through the sensor mounting hole (218).

[0099] The above sensor mounting portion (249) may be provided to be positioned between the first connecting tube (246) and the second connecting tube (247).

[0100] The above temperature detection sensor (219) may be provided to measure at least one of the temperature inside the drum body (26), the temperature of the processing object inside the drum body (26), and the temperature of the air supplied from the drying module (100b). In this case, an infrared temperature sensor that detects infrared rays emitted from the processing object and measures the temperature of the processing object may be an example of the temperature detection sensor (219).

[0101] In order to measure the temperature inside the drum body (26), the temperature of the object to be processed, or the temperature of the air supplied to the tub body (21), the temperature sensor (219) is preferably provided in the upper region of the mounting pipe (212). Accordingly, the temperature detection sensor (219) may be located in a space between 10 degrees clockwise and 10 degrees counterclockwise based on the uppermost end of the mounting pipe (212) among the circumference of the mounting pipe (212).

[0102] Figure 6 illustrates an example of the drying module (100b).

[0103] Referring to FIG. 6, the drying module (100b) may be provided to include a case (6), a flow path (7, 8) provided inside the case (6), and a heat exchanger (9) provided in the flow path (7, 8) to remove moisture from the air (dehumidify) or heat the air.

[0104] The case (6) may include a support frame (61) mounted on the cabinet (1), a side panel (65, second side panel) fixed to the support frame (61) to form a side surface of the case (6), a rear panel (64, second rear panel) fixed to the support frame (61) to form a rear surface of the case (6), and an upper panel (66) fixed to the support frame (61) to form an upper surface of the case (6).

[0105] The second rear panel (64) may be provided with a panel exhaust port (641) that connects the inside of the case (6) with the outside. Accordingly, air inside the case (6) can be discharged to the outside through the panel exhaust port (641), and outside air can be introduced into the inside of the case (6).

[0106] A frame panel (62) may be provided on the front surface of the above support frame (61). The frame panel (62) may be provided to form a space in which a portion of the above-described guiding section (7, 8) is supported.

[0107] Furthermore, the support frame (61) may be provided with a front panel (67, second front panel) forming the front surface of the case (6). The second front panel (67) may be provided in a shape that surrounds the frame panel (62) so that the frame panel (62) is not exposed to the outside. In addition, the second front panel (67) may be rotatably fixed to the support frame (61) or the frame panel (62) so that the user can easily access the frame panel (62).

[0108] When the case (6) is mounted on the cabinet (1), the lower end of the second side panel (65) may be connected to the upper end of the first side panel (12) of the processing module (100a), and the lower end of the second rear panel (64) may be connected to the upper end of the first rear panel (13). Meanwhile, when the case (6) is mounted on the cabinet (1), the second front panel (67) may be provided to be positioned on the same plane as the first front panel (11).

[0109] Meanwhile, in order to facilitate the coupling or separation of the drying module (100b) to or from the processing module (100a), at least one of the free end (the part where the air supply duct fold is connected) of the tub air supply part (24) and the free end (the part where the exhaust duct is connected) of the tub exhaust part (25) may be positioned at a point higher than the top of the cabinet (1).

[0110] Figure 7 illustrates a case where the free end (the part where the air supply path fold is connected) of the above tub air supply part (24) is located at a point higher than the top of the cabinet (1).

[0111] When the upper part of the first front panel (11) or the upper part of the first rear panel (13) is positioned (H1) higher than the upper part of the first side panel (121, 122), the free end of the tub air supply part (24) may be positioned higher than the upper part of the first front panel (11) or the upper part of the first rear panel (13).

[0112] As described above, this complementary coupling method has the effect of providing an intuitive attachment / detachment method so that the user can easily attach or detach the drying module (100b) to or from the processing module (100a).

[0113] Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, the support frame (61) may be provided to include a lower frame (611) that can be detachably coupled to the mounting space (15) of the cabinet (1), an upper frame (617) positioned above the lower frame (611) to which the upper panel (66) is fixed, and a connecting frame (618) that connects the frames (611, 617).

[0114] The front surface of the support frame (61) is closed by the frame panel (62), and both sides of the support frame (61) can be closed by the second side panel (65). In addition, the upper surface of the support frame (61) is closed by the upper panel (66), and the rear surface of the support frame (61) can be closed by the second rear panel (64).

[0115] As described above, the internal space of the cabinet (1) can be communicated with the outside through the mounting space (15). At this time, in order to connect the internal space of the cabinet (1) and the internal space of the support frame (61), a communication space (612) communicating with the mounting space (15) may be provided on the bottom surface of the support frame (61).

[0116] The above support frame (61) may be provided with a support panel (613) that divides the communication space (612) into an open side and a closed side. The closed side refers to an area of ​​the communication space (612) where the support panel (613) is positioned, and the open side may be defined as an area of ​​the communication space (612) where the support panel (613) is not positioned. Since the communication space (612) is provided to communicate with the mounting space (15), the mounting space (15) can also be viewed as being divided into an open side and a closed side by the support panel (613).

[0117] The interior of the above support frame (61) can be divided into a front space (6a) where the frame panel (62) is positioned and a rear space (6b) where the second rear panel (64) is positioned. The support panel (613) can be fixed to the lower frame (611) and positioned in the rear space (6b).

[0118] Meanwhile, the support panel (613) may be fixed to the lower frame (611) and provided along the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the garment treatment device (100) or the length direction (X-axis direction) of the garment treatment device (100). FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the support panel (613) is provided along the width direction of the garment treatment device (100).

[0119] The above support panel (613) may be provided to include a support body (614) that supports a part of the euro section (7, 8) or a part of the heat exchange section (9), and a fixing body (615) that fixes the support body (614) to the lower frame (611).

[0120] The above support body (614) may be provided to be positioned at a lower point than the lower frame (611). That is, the lowermost end of the support body (614) may be provided to be positioned at a lower point than the bottom surface (communication space, the lowermost end of the lower frame) of the support frame (61). When the case (6) is mounted on the cabinet (1), the bottom edge of the support frame (61) will be supported by the panels (11, 12, 13) of the cabinet (1) forming the mounting space (15), and the support body (614) will be positioned inside the cabinet (1). In other words, when the case (6) is fixed on the cabinet (1), the support body (614) will be positioned at a lower point than the upper end of the first side panel (12).

[0121] Since the above support panel (613) is provided to support the above-mentioned euro section (7, 8) or the above-mentioned heat exchange section (9), if the above-mentioned support body (614) is provided to be positioned at a lower point than the above-mentioned lower frame (611), the effect of reducing the overall height of the above-mentioned clothing treatment device (100) can be expected.

[0122] The above frame panel (62) may be provided with a first panel through hole (621), a second panel through hole (622), and a third panel through hole (623) that connect the inside of the case (6) with the outside.

[0123] The above panel first through-hole (621) may be provided to be opened and closed by a panel first door (624) rotatably fixed to the frame panel (62), and the above panel second through-hole (622) may be provided to be opened and closed by a panel second door (626) rotatably fixed to the frame panel (62).

[0124] The first door (624) of the panel may be provided with a space for mounting a second control unit (63) that controls the drying module (100b). In this case, the first through-hole (621) of the panel may be a control unit outlet that exposes the second control unit (63) to the outside of the case (6).

[0125] The above-mentioned euro portion (7, 8) may be equipped with a filter for filtering air discharged from the tub body (21), and the panel second through-hole (622) may be a filter outlet for drawing the filter out of the case (6).

[0126] The third through hole (623) of the above panel can be a means (panel air supply hole) for supplying air from outside the case (6) to the euro section (7, 8).

[0127] The above-mentioned flow path (7, 8) may be provided to include a first flow path (7) that is connected to the tub body (21) and forms a flow path through which air can circulate, and a second flow path (8) that forms a path for the movement of outside air.

[0128] Referring to FIG. 9, the first flow path (7) may be provided to include an exhaust flow path (71) connected to the tub exhaust part (25), an air supply flow path (72) connected to the tub air supply part (24), a heat exchange flow path (73) connected to the exhaust flow path (71), and a blower flow path (74) equipped with a fan for moving air and connecting the heat exchange flow path (73) and the air supply flow path (72).

[0129] The above exhaust path (71) may be provided as an exhaust duct (711) that is detachably fixed to the tub exhaust section (25) of the processing module (100a). In order to reduce the vibration of the tub body (21) from being transmitted to the heat exchange path (73), an exhaust path corrugation (712) may be provided in at least a portion of the exhaust duct (711).

[0130] The above-mentioned air supply path (72) may be provided with an air supply duct (721) that is fixed to the air blower path (74) and provides a path for air to move through the air blower path (74). At this time, in order to reduce the vibration of the tub body (21) from being transmitted to the air supply duct (721), an air supply path fold (722) may be provided in at least a portion of the air supply duct (721) or at one end of the air supply duct (721).

[0131] The above heat exchange path (73) may be provided with a heat exchange duct (73b) fixed to the support panel (613). The heat exchange duct (73b) may be provided to include a first heat exchange duct (734) in which a first heat exchanger (91) provided in the heat exchange unit (9) is mounted, a second heat exchange duct (735) in which a second heat exchanger (92) provided in the heat exchange unit (9) is mounted, and a connecting duct (736) connecting the heat exchange ducts (734, 735).

[0132] The above heat exchange duct (73b) may be fixed to the bottom surface (support body, 614) of the support panel (613), or may be fixed to a duct mounting portion (616) provided on the support panel (613). The duct mounting portion (616) protrudes from the support body (614) toward the heat exchange duct (73b) and serves as a means for maintaining a gap between the bottom surface of the heat exchange duct (73b) and the support body (614).

[0133] As described below, since the air that flows into the heat exchange duct (73b) from the tub body (21) through the exhaust duct (711) is condensed while passing through the first heat exchanger (91), condensate may remain inside the heat exchange duct (73b). In order to discharge the condensate remaining inside the heat exchange duct (73b), the drying module (100b) may be provided with a condensate discharge portion (75), and the condensate discharge portion (75) may be provided in a space formed between the bottom surface of the heat exchange duct (73b) and the support body (614) by the duct mounting portion (616).

[0134] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate an example of the connection relationship between the air supply duct (721), the air supply path fold (722), and the tub air supply portion (24) of the clothing treatment device (100) of the present invention.

[0135] Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the drying module (100b) includes a first flow path (7) that provides a flow path through which air discharged from the tub exhaust part (25) can circulate, and a heat exchange part (9) that dehumidifies and heats air flowing into the first flow path (7), and the first flow path (7) may include an exhaust flow path (71) that guides air discharged from the tub exhaust part (25) to the heat exchange part (9), and an air supply flow path (72) that guides air passing through the heat exchange part (9) to the tub (2a).

[0136] The above-mentioned air supply path (72) may include an air supply duct (72) that provides a path for air passing through the heat exchanger (9) to move, and an air supply path corrugation (722) that guides the air to the tub air supply part (24). FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate an example in which an air supply path corrugation (722) is provided at one end of the air supply duct (721) to reduce vibration of the tub body (21) from being transmitted to the air supply duct (721).

[0137] Accordingly, the air discharged from the tub (2a) through the tub exhaust section (25) flows into the drying module (100b) through the exhaust path (71) and moves to the heat exchange section (9), and the air heated in the heat exchange section (9) can be re-supplied into the tub (2a) by sequentially passing through the air supply duct (721), the air supply path fold (722), and the tub air supply section (24).

[0138] The above-mentioned air supply duct (721) and the above-mentioned tub air supply part (24) can be manufactured from a plastic material such as polypropylene (PP) or expanded polypropylene (EPP) for reasons such as durability, light weight, chemical resistance, economy, and ease of processing.

[0139] The above-mentioned air supply duct (721) and the above-mentioned tub air supply part (24) can be manufactured through a blow molding process. The blow molding process is one of the manufacturing methods for molding plastic, and refers to a method in which a plastic formed into a preform shape through heating is inflated inside a mold using compressed air to form it into a desired shape.

[0140] The above-mentioned air supply duct (721) and the above-mentioned tub air supply part (24) are structures that must accommodate the flow of air, and must be manufactured in a hollow shape with an empty interior, so they can be efficiently manufactured using a blow molding method.

[0141] In this way, the air supply duct (721) and the tub air supply unit (24) made of a plastic material such as polypropylene (PP) or expanded polypropylene (EPP) and manufactured in a hollow shape through a blow molding method have relatively low thermal stability and may be deformed by air heated in the heat exchange unit (9).

[0142] Accordingly, a reinforcing ring (771, 772) may be further included to prevent at least one of the air supply duct (721) and the tub air supply part (24) from being deformed by heated air.

[0143] The above reinforcing rings (771, 772) may include a first reinforcing ring (771) mounted on a first connecting portion (771a) provided in the air supply duct (721) and connecting the air supply duct (721) with the air supply path fold (722), and a second reinforcing ring (772) mounted on a second connecting portion (772a) provided in the tub air supply portion (24) and connecting the tub air supply portion (24) with the air supply path fold (722).

[0144] The first reinforcing ring (771) may be provided to be mounted in a first mounting groove (771b) formed by being sunken into the inner surface of the first connecting portion (771a), and the second reinforcing ring (772) may be provided to be mounted in a second mounting groove (772b) formed by being sunken into the inner surface of the second connecting portion (772a).

[0145] The width of the first mounting groove (771b) may be greater than or equal to the width of the first reinforcing ring (771), and the width of the second mounting groove (772b) may be greater than or equal to the width of the second reinforcing ring (772).

[0146] The first mounting groove (771b) is formed by being sunken into the inner surface of the first connecting portion (771a) provided in the air supply duct (721), so that a step can be formed between the inner surface of the first connecting portion (771a) and the inner surface of the first mounting groove (771b).

[0147] The above step prevents the first reinforcing ring (771) from protruding outside the first mounting groove (771b) and structurally supports the first reinforcing ring (771). As a result, the first reinforcing ring (771) can maintain a more stable structure, thereby more effectively preventing the air supply duct (721) from being deformed by heated air.

[0148] Likewise, the second mounting groove (772b) is formed by being sunken into the inner surface of the second connecting portion (772a) provided in the tub air supply portion (24), so that a step can be formed between the inner surface of the second connecting portion (772a) and the inner surface of the second mounting groove (772b).

[0149] The above step prevents the second reinforcing ring (772) from protruding out of the second mounting groove (772b) and structurally supports the second reinforcing ring (772). As a result, the first reinforcing ring (772) can maintain a more stable structure, thereby more effectively preventing the tub air supply part (24) from being deformed by heated air.

[0150] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned air supply path wrinkle portion (722) may be provided with an elastic structure to alleviate vibration and noise generated when the drum (2b) rotates.

[0151] Preferably, the elastic structure may be a bellows structure. The bellows structure refers to a duct shape with wrinkles that provides elasticity and flexibility. Due to the elasticity and flexibility, the bellows structure can be freely adjusted to fit complex machine configurations, minimize installation space constraints, and respond well to vibration and pressure changes, thereby improving the overall stability and durability of the garment treatment device (100).

[0152] Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the first connecting portion (771a) may overlap at least a portion of the air supply path fold portion (722) and be connected to the air supply path fold portion (722).

[0153] That is, the first connecting portion (771a) and the air supply path fold portion (722) are provided with different diameters so that the portion having a relatively larger diameter can be connected while accommodating the portion having a relatively smaller diameter.

[0154] In addition, the second connecting portion (772a) may overlap at least a portion of the air supply path fold portion (722) and be connected to the air supply path fold portion (722), and the second connecting portion (772a) and the air supply path fold portion (722) may be provided with different diameters so that a portion having a relatively larger diameter may be connected while accommodating a portion having a relatively smaller diameter.

[0155] For example, the diameters of the first connecting portion (771a) and the second connecting portion (772a) are provided to be smaller than the diameter of the air supply path fold (722), so that the first connecting portion (771a) and the second connecting portion (772a) can be accommodated in at least a portion of the air supply path fold (722) and connected to both ends of the air supply path fold (722).

[0156] It may further include a first fixing ring (781) that maintains the connection between the air supply path fold (722) and the air supply duct (721), and a second fixing ring (782) that maintains the connection between the air supply path fold (722) and the tub air supply part (24).

[0157] The first fixing ring (781) may be provided to surround the outer surface of the air supply path fold (722) in which the first connecting portion (771a) is received, and the second fixing ring (782) may be provided to surround the outer surface of the air supply path fold (722) in which the second connecting portion (772a) is received.

[0158] The first fixing ring (781) may be provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the position where the first reinforcing ring (771) is mounted, and the second fixing ring (782) may be provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the position where the second reinforcing ring (772) is mounted.

[0159] That is, the first fixed ring (781) and the first reinforcing ring (771) may be provided so that at least a portion thereof overlaps three-dimensionally, and the second fixed ring (782) and the second reinforcing ring (772) may also be provided so that at least a portion thereof overlaps three-dimensionally.

[0160] In other words, the inner surface of the first fixed ring (781) and the outer surface of the first reinforcing ring (771) may be provided so that at least a portion indirectly overlaps in three dimensions, and the inner surface of the second fixed ring (782) and the outer surface of the second reinforcing ring (772) may also be provided so that at least a portion indirectly overlaps in three dimensions.

[0161] Accordingly, the first reinforcing ring (771) can maintain the shape of the air supply duct (721) and withstand the pressure applied by the first fixing ring (781), increase the internal rigidity of the air supply duct (721) and support the shape maintenance, thereby effectively preventing deformation of the air supply duct (721). The second reinforcing ring (772) can also maintain the shape of the tub air supply part (24) and withstand the pressure applied by the second fixing ring (782), increase the internal rigidity of the tub air supply part (24) and support the shape maintenance, thereby effectively preventing deformation of the tub air supply part (24).

[0162] The first fixing ring (781) and the second fixing ring (782) may include a ring-shaped band member with one side open, a connecting member having a connecting portion formed at both ends of the band member so that the band member is connected, and a connecting member connected to the connecting portion of the connecting member to connect the band member by tightening the band member.

[0163] However, it is not necessarily limited to this, and if a structure can be provided that maintains the connection state of the air supply path wrinkle part (722) and the air supply duct (721), the first fixing ring (781) can be provided in various shapes, and if a structure can be provided that maintains the connection state of the air supply path wrinkle part (722) and the tub air supply part (24), the second fixing ring (782) can be provided in various shapes.

[0164] The above band member may be provided as a steel band.

[0165] The above fastening member may be provided with a bolt and a nut.

[0166] Meanwhile, as the air circulates through the drum (2b) by connecting the tub (2a) through the first duct (7), it may contain foreign substances such as lint from the object to be dried.

[0167] Foreign substances such as the above lint may cause malfunctions or be discharged to the outside and contaminate the outside air as they pass through various mechanical components within the clothing treatment device (100), so the exhaust path (71) may further include a filter (733) that filters the air moving to the heat exchange unit (9).

[0168] In addition, the drying module (100b) may further include a blower fan (74b) that allows the air to circulate along the first flow path (7).

[0169] The present invention may be implemented in various modified forms, and the scope of the rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0170] Therefore, if a modified embodiment includes an element of the claims of the present invention, it should be considered to fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. Cabinet; A tub equipped inside the cabinet, the tub having a tub exhaust port through which air is discharged and a tub supply port through which air is introduced; A drum rotatably provided inside the tub to provide a space for accommodating clothing; and A drying module for resupplying air discharged from the drum to the drum; The above drying module A first flow path providing a flow path through which air discharged from the above-mentioned tub exhaust section can circulate, and Includes a heat exchanger that dehumidifies and heats the air introduced into the first section, The above first euro An exhaust path that guides air discharged from the above tub exhaust section to the above heat exchange section, and Including an air supply path that guides air passing through the heat exchanger to the tub, The above mentioned emergency route is A supply air duct that provides a path through which air passing through the above heat exchanger moves, and It includes a supply air path wrinkle that guides the above air to the above tub supply air part, A garment treatment device characterized by further comprising a reinforcing ring provided in at least one of the air supply duct and the tub air supply part to prevent at least one of the air supply duct and the tub air supply part from being deformed by heated air.

2. In paragraph 1, The above reinforcing ring A first reinforcing ring is provided in the above-mentioned air supply duct and is mounted on a first connecting portion that connects the above-mentioned air supply duct to the above-mentioned air flow path fold, A clothing treatment device characterized by including a second reinforcing ring mounted on a second connecting portion that is provided in the above tub air supply portion and connects the above tub air supply portion to the air supply path wrinkle portion.

3. In paragraph 2, The above first reinforcing ring It is provided to be mounted in a first mounting groove formed sunken into the inner surface of the first connecting portion, The above second reinforcing ring A clothing treatment device characterized in that it is equipped to be mounted in a second mounting groove formed sunken into the inner surface of the second connecting portion.

4. In paragraph 3, The width of the first mounting groove is provided to be greater than the width of the first reinforcing ring, A clothing processing device, characterized in that the width of the second mounting groove is greater than the width of the second reinforcing ring.

5. In paragraph 3, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the above-mentioned air supply duct folds are provided with an elastic structure to reduce vibration and noise.

6. In paragraph 5, A clothing treatment device characterized in that the above elastic structure is a bellows structure.

7. In paragraph 5, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion overlap at least a portion of the air supply path wrinkle portion.

8. In paragraph 7, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion are accommodated in at least a portion of the air supply path folds.

9. In paragraph 8, It further includes a first fixing ring that maintains the connection between the air supply path wrinkle and the air supply duct, and a second fixing ring that maintains the connection between the air supply path wrinkle and the tub air supply portion. The above first fixed ring The first connecting portion is provided to surround the outer surface of the air supply path fold portion in which the first connecting portion is received, The above second fixed ring A clothing treatment device characterized in that the second connecting portion is provided to surround the outer surface of the air supply path fold portion in which the second connecting portion is received.

10. In paragraph 9, The above first fixed ring It is provided at a position that overlaps at least a portion of the position where the first reinforcing ring is mounted, The above second fixed ring A clothing treatment device characterized in that it is provided at a position overlapping at least a portion of the position where the second reinforcing ring is installed.

11. In paragraph 9, The above first fixed ring and the above second fixed ring A ring-shaped band member with one side open, A connecting member having a fastening portion formed at both ends of the above band member so that the above band member can be connected, A clothing treatment device characterized by including a fastening member that is fastened to the fastening portion of the above-mentioned joining member and fastens the band member by tightening it.

12. In paragraph 11, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the above band member is a steel band.

13. In paragraph 11, A clothing treatment device, characterized in that the above fastening members are bolts and nuts.

14. In paragraph 9, The above exhaust gas A clothing treatment device characterized by further comprising a filter for filtering air moving to the heat exchange unit.

15. In paragraph 9, The above drying module A clothes treatment device characterized in that it further includes a blower fan that causes the air to circulate along the first euro section.

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