Washing machine with drying function for preventing electric shock when user operates heat exchanger

Abstract

Provided is a home appliance employing a method for protection against electric shock when a user touches a heat exchanger. The home appliance may comprise: a heat exchanger for performing heat exchange with the outside; a first ground line connecting the heat exchanger and the ground and including a ground resistor; and a second ground line by which the heat exchanger is directly grounded on the basis of a first event by a user, and which is connected to the ground in parallel with the first ground line.

Description

A washer / dryer that prevents electric shock when the user operates the heat exchanger.

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a device and method for protecting a user of a home appliance from electric shock when operating a heat exchanger.

[0002] Home appliances may include electrical appliances and machines used in the home. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, home appliances may include devices that are fixedly placed in the home or devices that can be moved in the home. Here, the home may mean not only a home but also an indoor space such as an office. Television, DVD (digital video disk) player, audio, refrigerator, air conditioner, air dresser, vacuum cleaner, oven, microwave oven, washing machine, dryer, electric dresser, air purifier, dishwasher set-top box, home automation control panel, security control panel, media box (e.g., Samsung HomeSync) TM ), game consoles, electronic dictionaries, electronic keys, camcorders, electronic picture frames, speakers, e-book readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers, workstations, servers, PDAs, portable multimedia players (PMPs), MP3 players, medical devices, cameras, etc. Many home appliances contain heat exchangers to use heat or cold inside. Representative examples of such devices include refrigerators, air conditioners, dryers, electric dressers, and dishwashers. Devices containing heat exchangers contain filters inside the heat exchanger, and users may be exposed to electric shock when the filter is replaced. Users may also be exposed to electric shock when they touch the heat exchanger cover.

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock is disclosed. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a drum that accommodates laundry or laundry to be dried, a drive motor for rotating the drum, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant, a condenser that discharges heated air for drying laundry to be dried using heat discharged when the high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, the condenser expanding the refrigerant condensed in the condenser into low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and a heat exchanger that discharges the low-pressure refrigerant obtained by evaporating the expanded liquid refrigerant to the compressor. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first grounding line (310) that connects the heat exchanger and a ground and includes a grounding resistor. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second grounding line that is connected to the ground in parallel with the first grounding line and in which the heat exchanger is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event by a user.

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer may include a drum that accommodates laundry or laundry to be dried, a drive motor for rotating the drum, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant, a heat exchanger that discharges heated air for drying laundry to be dried using heat discharged when the high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, an expander that expands the refrigerant condensed in the heat exchanger into low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the expanded liquid refrigerant and discharges the low-pressure refrigerant to the compressor. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock may include a first grounding line that connects the heat exchanger and a ground and includes a grounding resistor. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock may include a second grounding line that is connected to the ground in parallel with the first grounding line and in which the heat exchanger is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event by a user.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a home appliance is disclosed that protects a user from electric shock. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the outside world. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a first grounding wire that connects the heat exchanger to ground and includes a grounding resistor. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a second grounding wire that is connected to ground in parallel with the first grounding wire and that directly grounds the heat exchanger based on a first event triggered by the user.

[0006] A method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of connecting a heat exchanger to a first ground wire including a grounding resistor. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of causing a first event to occur by a user. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of turning on a switch on a second ground wire based on the first event. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of grounding a heat exchanger to ground by a second ground wire including a resistance of 100 ohms or less based on the switch being turned on.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a dryer as a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the interior of a dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Figure 3 is a circuit diagram showing the path of leakage current.

[0010] FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating changing the grounding of a heat exchanger by a first event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating changing the grounding of a heat exchanger by a second event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of a switch that shorts a ground wire by a physical force of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 6b is a drawing showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the operation of a switch for shorting the ground wire of a heat exchanger by a touch action according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in capacitance by a touch operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in inductance by a touch operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in pressure by a touch action according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 11 is a graph showing a reduction in leakage current when a heat exchanger is grounded with resistance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a garment manager including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a dishwasher including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 14 is a drawing showing an air conditioner including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a refrigerator including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a method for preventing electric shock when a user approaches a heat exchanger of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] The terms used in this disclosure will be briefly explained, and one embodiment of the present disclosure will be specifically described.

[0028] The terms used in this disclosure are selected from widely used, current terms, taking into account the functions of one embodiment of the disclosure. However, these terms may vary depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in certain cases, terms may be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the relevant embodiments of the disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure should not be defined simply as names of terms, but rather based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the disclosure.

[0029] In this disclosure, the expression “at least one of a, b or c” may refer to “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, “all of a, b and c”, or variations thereof.

[0030] Throughout this disclosure, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but rather that other components may be included, unless otherwise specifically stated. Furthermore, terms such as "part," "module," etc., used in this disclosure refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and "part" and "module" may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

[0031] Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, one embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted to clearly describe one embodiment of the present disclosure, and similar parts are designated with similar drawing reference numerals throughout the present disclosure.

[0032] When an appliance uses heat (e.g., dryers, dishwashers, clothes dryers) or cold air (e.g., refrigerators, air conditioners), it necessarily includes a heat exchanger. Inside the heat exchanger is a filter, such as a lint filter, that traps fibers and dust generated during the washing and drying process. When cleaning the heat exchanger or replacing the lint filter, the user may come into contact with the heat exchanger, which could expose the user to electric shock. To protect the user from electric shock, the heat exchanger is directly grounded with no or very low resistance, but this has the disadvantage of increasing leakage current. To prevent this leakage current from increasing, a resistor with a high resistance value can be connected in series with the ground wire. However, in this case, charges build up in the heat exchanger, increasing the risk of electric shock to the user. Therefore, a device that protects the user from electric shock while preventing this leakage current from increasing is required.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a drawing for explaining a dryer as a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Throughout this disclosure, the dryer may include a washer / dryer combination. A washer / dryer combination includes an appliance capable of performing both washing and drying within a single drum.

[0035] A dryer (2000) is a home appliance that dries laundry using heat or wind. The dryer (2000) can heat air using a heater. The dryer (2000) may include a main body (2010) and a drum (2050) rotatably installed inside the main body (2010). The drum (2050) may have a generally cylindrical shape with one end open. The dryer (2000) can dry laundry by passing heated air through the drum (2050) that accommodates the laundry. The dryer (2000) can rotate the drum (2050) so that the laundry is evenly dried throughout. A lifter (2040) may be installed inside the drum (2050) to lift laundry that has been washed or is to be washed upward while the drum (2050) rotates and then drop it by gravity.

[0036] The dryer (2000) may include a filter (not shown) that captures foreign substances contained in the air. The filter can filter out foreign substances, such as clothing dust, contained in the air passing through the laundry and deliver the air free of foreign substances to the heater. Foreign substances may accumulate on the surface of the filter. After the dryer (2000) has dried the laundry and completed its operation, the user can replace the filter or clean the foreign substances accumulated on the surface of the filter.

[0037] The main body (2010) may generally have a hexahedral shape, but is not limited thereto. An opening (2030) may be formed at the front of the main body (2010) through which objects to be dried, such as clothing or a blanket, can be put into or taken out of the drum (2050). A door (2020) that opens and closes the opening (2030) may be rotatably installed in the opening (2030). The door (2020) may include a transparent or translucent window to allow the inside of the drum (2050) to be seen. Of course, this is only an example, and the door (2020) of the dryer (2000) may be provided at the upper portion of the main body (2010), and accordingly, the opening (2030) may also be provided at the upper portion.

[0038] A user interface (2400) may be provided on the front upper side of the main body (2010) to display the operating status of the dryer (2000) to the user or to enable the user to directly control the washing operation. The user interface (2400) may include an input unit as an input interface for receiving an operation command from the user and a display unit as an output interface for displaying operation information of the washing machine.

[0039] The input unit can provide an electrical output signal corresponding to a user input to a control unit (not shown) including a processor. The input unit can include, for example, a power button, an operation button, a course selection dial (or course selection button), and a wash / rinse / spin setting button. The input button can include, for example, a tact switch, a push switch, a slide switch, a toggle switch, a micro switch, or a touch switch.

[0040] The display unit can receive a signal from the processor of the dryer (2000) and display information corresponding to the received signal. The display unit can include a screen that displays a drying course selected by rotation of the course selection dial (or pressing of the course selection button) and the operation time of the dryer, and an indicator that displays a drying setting / care setting / other setting selected by the setting button. The display unit can include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, or the like.

[0041] Although not shown in FIG. 1, the dryer (2000) may include a drive device configured to rotate the drum (2050).

[0042] A driving device (not shown) may include a driving motor and a rotating shaft (not shown) for transmitting driving force generated by the driving motor to the drum (2050). The driving device may enable the drum (2050) to rotate forward or reversely to perform a drying operation.

[0043] A control unit including a processor can control various components (e.g., a drive motor, a heat pump) of the dryer (2000). The control unit can control various components of the dryer (2000) to perform at least one operation including drying according to a user input entered into a user interface (2400).

[0044] The control unit may include hardware such as a CPU or memory, and software such as a control program. For example, the control unit may include at least one memory that stores data in the form of an algorithm or program for controlling the operation of components within the dryer, and at least one processor that performs the aforementioned operation using the data stored in the at least one memory. The memory and the processor may each be implemented as separate chips. The processor may include one or more processor chips or one or more processing cores. The memory may include one or more memory chips or one or more memory blocks. Additionally, the memory and the processor may be implemented as a single chip.

[0045] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a heat exchanger cover (110) may be provided on one side of the main body (2010) of the dryer (2000) to allow a user to access the heat exchanger. In FIG. 1, the heat exchanger cover (110) is installed on the front side of the main body (2010) of the dryer (2000), but this is only one embodiment, and the heat exchanger cover (110) may also be installed on the side side of the main body (2010) of the dryer (2000), and the installation height may also vary.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the interior of a dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 2, the dryer (2000) may include, but is not limited to, a drum (2050), a heater (2051), a condenser (2061), an expander (2062), a heat exchanger (100), a compressor (2063), and a fan (2055) therein. In addition, the dryer (2000) may further include additional components necessary for operation.

[0048] The drum (2050) can accommodate clothes to be dried as described in Fig. 1 and rotates to dry the clothes by a drum motor (not shown).

[0049] The dryer (2000) may include at least one heat source for drying. The dryer (2000) may supply high temperature air to the drum (2050) through the heat source. For example, the dryer (2000) may include a heater (2051) as a heat source. The dryer (2000) may also include a heat pump (2060) including a condenser (2061), an expander (2062), a heat exchanger (100), and a compressor (2063) as a heat source. The dryer (2000) may include a fan (2055) for circulating air inside the drum (2050). The fan (2055) may draw air from inside the drum (2050) and discharge the air through a duct. By the fan (2055), the air inside the drum (2050) may circulate through the drum (2050) and the duct. The duct is an air passage connecting the heater (2051), drum (2050), fan (2055), and heat pump (2060) in FIG. 2.

[0050] The heat pump (2060) may include a compressor (2063), a condenser (2061), a heat exchanger (100), and an expander (2062). The compressor (2063) may compress a gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state and discharge the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The compressor (2063) may be operated by an inverter including a switching element, although not shown. The condenser (2061) may heat air with heat generated during the condensation process of the refrigerant, and the heated air may be supplied to the drum (2050) for drying clothes. The liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2061) may be transferred to the expander (2062).

[0051] The expander (2062) can expand the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2061) into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant. The expander (2062) can include a capillary tube (2062a) for controlling the pressure of the liquid refrigerant and an electronic expansion valve (EEV) 2062b whose opening amount can be changed by an electric signal. The expander (2062) can control the performance of the heat pump (2062) by controlling the opening amount of the electronic expansion valve (2062b) by a control signal from the processor of the dryer (2000).

[0052] Throughout this disclosure, the term heat exchanger (100) may be used interchangeably with the term evaporator. The heat exchanger (100) may evaporate the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander (2062). As a result, the heat exchanger (100) may return the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the compressor (2063). The heat exchanger (100) may evaporate the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander (2062). As a result, the heat exchanger (100) may return the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the compressor (2063). The heat exchanger (100) may absorb heat from the surroundings through an evaporation process that changes the low-pressure liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant. The heat exchanger (100) may be provided on a duct and may cool the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) during the evaporation process. When the surrounding air is cooled by the heat exchanger (100) and the temperature of the surrounding air becomes lower than the dew point, the surrounding air of the heat exchanger (100) may condense. The water condensed by the heat exchanger (100) may be collected by a water receiving tank (not shown) provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger (100). The water collected through the water receiving tank may be moved to a separate storage or discharged to the outside of the dryer (2000). The heat exchanger (100) may include a filter for capturing foreign substances such as dust and lint contained in the air passing through the heat exchanger (100). According to one embodiment, the filter may include a lint filter.

[0053] As condensation occurs around the heat exchanger (100), the humidity of the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) may decrease. In other words, the amount of water vapor contained in the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) may decrease. By utilizing this condensation around the heat exchanger (100), the dryer (2000) may reduce the amount of water vapor contained in the air inside the drum (2050) and dry the clothing or bedding to be dried.

[0054] The condenser (2061), expander (2062), compressor (2063) and heat exchanger (100) included in the heat pump (2060) can be connected to each other by a pipe (2068) through which refrigerant flows.

[0055] The air circulated by the fan (2055) can be dried by the heat exchanger (100) while passing through the heat exchanger (100), and then heated by the condenser (2061) while passing through the condenser (2061).

[0056] The heater (2051) can heat the air by assisting the condenser (2061). For example, the heater (2051) can heat the air in the duct by assisting the condenser (2061) before the condenser (2061) of the heat pump (2060) sufficiently heats the air in the duct. The temperature inside the drum (2050) can be quickly increased by the heater (2051) assisting the condenser (2061), allowing the dryer (2000) to perform drying more quickly.

[0057] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the condenser (2061) included in the heat pump (2060) may be referred to as a heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger (100) in the above embodiment may be referred to as an evaporator. Since the condenser (2061) may also dry laundry to be dried by releasing high-temperature air into the drum (2050) through heat exchange, the condenser (2061) may also be a type of heat exchanger. Accordingly, throughout the present disclosure, the heat exchanger (100) may refer to both the evaporator and the condenser (2061), or may refer to either the evaporator or the condenser (2061). Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a path of leakage current.

[0058] In order to clean the inside of the heat exchanger (100) of the dryer (2000) or to replace / clean the filter inside the heat exchanger (100), the user needs to touch the heat exchanger (100). Therefore, to prevent the user from being shocked, the heat exchanger (100) needs to be directly grounded to the ground with no resistance or a minimum ground resistance - up to 500 ohms (Ω) or, more strictly, 100 ohms. Let us call the grounding in which the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the ground with no resistance or a minimum ground resistance a direct grounding. However, if the heat exchanger (100) is directly grounded, the compressor (2063) is also connected to the directly grounded circuit, so there is a problem that the compressor leakage current generated in the compressor (2063) trips the earth leakage breaker (ELB) or the ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) due to the direct grounding with no resistance or only a minimum resistance. Therefore, in order to prevent the leakage circuit breaker or GFCI from tripping, a resistance ground with a large resistor inserted between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground is required. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a grounding resistor (300) may be inserted in the middle of the grounding wire. A large resistance of 10kΩ to 10MΩ is used as this grounding resistor (300). Since the magnitude of the compressor leakage current is reduced by the grounding resistor (300), the leakage circuit breaker (ELB) or the ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) does not trip. However, when this grounding resistor (300) is used, although the leakage current is reduced, the amount of charge accumulated in the heat exchanger (100) increases on the contrary. If the amount of charge accumulated in the heat exchanger (100) is large, the risk of electric shock increases again when the user touches the heat exchanger (100). Therefore, a grounding method that can prevent electric shock to users while reducing leakage current is needed.

[0059] FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating changing the grounding of a heat exchanger by a first event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] The heat exchanger (100) is connected to the ground by a first ground wire (310) including a grounding resistor (300) when the switch (200) is open. The grounding resistor (300) may have a resistance of 10kΩ to 10MΩ. Of course, a larger resistance may be used as the grounding resistor (300). According to Fig. 4a, when the switch (200) is open, the current leaking from the heat exchanger (100) and the compressor (2063) is limited by the grounding resistor (300), so that the tripping of the earth leakage breaker (ELB) or ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) can be prevented.

[0061] In one embodiment, when a first event (510) occurs, the heat exchanger (100) is connected to ground by a second ground wire (320) having no or minimal resistance. Of course, the second ground wire (320) typically has no resistance, but may have some resistance depending on the inherent resistance component of the wire of the second ground wire (320). Alternatively, for circuit reasons, a minimal resistance—for example, a resistance of 500 ohms or less—may be included in the second ground wire (320). In one embodiment, the second ground wire (320) connecting the heat exchanger (100) to ground may include a switch (200) that shorts or opens the second ground wire (320). The switch (200) may include at least one of a switch operated by a physical force and an electronic switch operated by an electronic signal. The first event (510) may include at least one of a user touching the heat exchanger cover (110) for cleaning the heat exchanger (100) or removing the filter in the heat exchanger (100). In other words, since the first event (510) occurs when the user touches the heat exchanger (100), the heat exchanger (100) needs to be grounded through a second ground wire (320) that has no resistance or only a very small resistance of 100 ohms or less to prevent the user from being shocked. Since the second ground wire (320) has no resistance or only a very small resistance, the charge in the heat exchanger (100) escapes to the ground through the second ground wire (320) at a very high speed, so there is no risk of shock even if the user touches the heat exchanger (100).

[0062] The first event (510) may take various forms. In one embodiment, the first event (510) may include at least one of the heat exchanger cover (110) being opened and the filter within the heat exchanger (100) being removed.

[0063] FIG. 4b is a diagram illustrating changing the grounding of a heat exchanger by a second event according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] The heat exchanger (100) is connected to the ground by a second ground wire (320) that has no (almost no) grounding resistance when the switch (200) is turned on. According to Fig. 4b, when the switch (200) is turned on, the charge accumulated in the heat exchanger (100) and the compressor (2063) is discharged to the ground by the second ground wire (320), thereby preventing the user from being shocked.

[0065] In one embodiment, when a second event (520) occurs, a connection is made between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground by a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300). In one embodiment, the connection between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground by the first ground wire (310) may be made by a switch (200) that shorts or opens the second ground wire (320). The switch (200) may include at least one of a switch operated by a physical force and an electronic switch operated by an electronic signal. The second event (520) may include various forms. In one embodiment, the second event (520) may include at least one of the heat exchanger cover (110) closing and the filter within the heat exchanger (100) being removed and then installed (or being replaced with a new filter and then installed). In other words, since the second event (520) occurs when the user ends contact with the heat exchanger (100), it is necessary to ground the heat exchanger (100) through the first ground wire (310) having a large resistance such as the grounding resistor (300) so as to limit the leakage current generated in the heat exchanger (100) and the compressor (2063) rather than to prevent the user from being shocked.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the switch (200) may be operated by a physical force when the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened (closed) or the filter is removed (mounted). For example, the on-off status of the switch (200) may be changed by a physical force applied when the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened (closed) or the filter is removed (mounted). To explain one embodiment in which the on-off status of the switch (200) is changed by a physical force of the heat exchanger cover (110), reference is made to FIG. 5.

[0067] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of a switch that shorts a ground wire by a physical force of a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 5, a switch (201) is illustrated as a switch (200) placed on the second ground line (320) in FIG. 4a, which is operated by a physical force. The switch (201) is at a position 201a when the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, and at this time, the switch (201) is in an off state. According to one embodiment, a first event (510) may be generated by a user. The first event (510) may include an event in which a user opens the heat exchanger cover (110) to replace a filter in the heat exchanger (100) or to clean the heat exchanger (100). When the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened, the force that supported the switch (201) at the position 201a when the heat exchanger cover (110) was closed is released, and therefore, the switch (201) can move to the position 201b by a restoring force. At this time, the switch (201) can be turned on. When the switch (201) is turned on, the heat exchanger (100) is grounded with the second ground wire (320) having no or minimal resistance as shown in FIG. 4a, so that the user is free from the risk of electric shock. Conversely, when a second event (520) by the user occurs, in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed again, the switch (201) is moved to position 201a again by the physical force applied to the heat exchanger cover (110), and the switch (201) is turned off. When the switch (201) is turned off, the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the first ground wire (310) having the grounding resistance (300), so that the leakage current is prevented from increasing. The physical linkage of the heat exchanger cover (110) and the switch (201) can be implemented in various ways, not just in the case of FIG. 5. This method of linkage can be equally applied to an example in which a filter within a heat exchanger (100) is removed or installed.In other words, if a physical force is applied to turn the switch (201) on and off by the heat exchanger cover (110) as in Fig. 5, the switch (201) can be turned on and off in the same manner by removing and installing the filter. In this case, removing and installing the filter can be the first event (510) and the second event (520), respectively.

[0069] There may also be cases where the switch (200) is operated by the operation of the light sensor when the first event (510) occurs in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened. To explain this operation, reference is made to FIGS. 6a and 6b.

[0070] FIG. 6A is a diagram showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 6A, a heat exchanger (100) may be provided with an internal optical sensor having a light transmitting portion (202a) and a light receiving portion (202b). When the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, the heat exchanger cover (110) blocks the light transmitted from the light transmitting portion (202a), so the light receiving portion (202b) cannot receive the light. When a first event (510) occurs in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened by a user, the light transmitted from the light transmitting portion (202a) is detected by the light receiving portion (202b). The light receiving portion (202b) may turn on the switch (200) as in FIG. 4A based on the detected light. At this time, the switch (200) may include a phototransistor. According to one embodiment, the optical sensor may include an infrared (IR) sensor.

[0072] Conversely, when a second event (520) occurs in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed by the user, the light transmitted from the light transmitting unit (202a) is blocked, and the light receiving unit (202b) cannot receive the light. Accordingly, since the light receiving unit (202b) cannot receive the light, the switch (200) is turned off, as shown in FIG. 4b, and the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the first grounding line (310).

[0073] The embodiment in which the light sensor operates according to FIG. 6a can be equally applied when the filter in the heat exchanger (100) is removed. For example, when the filter is mounted, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) may be blocked. When the first event (510) in which the filter is removed occurs, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) may be detected by the light reception unit (202b), and at this time, the heat exchanger (100) may be directly grounded via the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when the second event (520) in which the filter is mounted occurs, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) is not detected by the light reception unit (202b), so the switch (200) is turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) is resistively grounded by the first ground wire (310).

[0074] FIG. 6b is a drawing showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0075] FIG. 6A is a drawing showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 6A, a heat exchanger (100) may be provided with an internal optical sensor having a light transmitting portion (202a) and a light receiving portion (202b). When the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, the heat exchanger cover (110) blocks the light transmitted from the light transmitting portion (202a), so the light receiving portion (202b) cannot receive the light. When a first event (510) occurs in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened by a user, the light transmitted from the light transmitting portion (202a) is detected by the light receiving portion (202b). The light receiving portion (202b) may turn on the switch (200) as in FIG. 4A based on the detected light. At this time, the switch (200) may include a phototransistor. According to one embodiment, the optical sensor may include an infrared (IR) sensor.

[0077] Conversely, when a second event (520) occurs in which the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed by the user, the light transmitted from the light transmitting unit (202a) is blocked, and the light receiving unit (202b) cannot receive the light. Accordingly, since the light receiving unit (202b) cannot receive the light, the switch (200) is turned off, as shown in FIG. 4b, and the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the first grounding line (310).

[0078] The embodiment in which the light sensor operates according to FIG. 6a can be equally applied when the filter in the heat exchanger (100) is removed. For example, when the filter is mounted, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) may be blocked. When the first event (510) in which the filter is removed occurs, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) may be detected by the light reception unit (202b), and at this time, the heat exchanger (100) may be directly grounded via the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when the second event (520) in which the filter is mounted occurs, the light transmitted from the light transmission unit (202a) is not detected by the light reception unit (202b), so the switch (200) is turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) is resistively grounded by the first ground wire (310).

[0079] FIG. 6b is a drawing showing a heat exchanger connected to a ground wire by a light sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0080] According to one embodiment, when light is transmitted from the light transmitting unit (202a), the switch (200) included in the light receiving unit (202b) is operated (turned on) by the light to connect the heat exchanger (100) to the second ground line (320). The switch (200) may include, but is not limited to, a phototransistor. The resistance (R) (330) on the second ground line (320) may be designed to have a minimum resistance of 500 ohms or less - or 100 ohms or less using a smaller resistance. When the phototransistor as the switch (200) is turned on by the light, the heat exchanger (100) can be directly grounded to the ground via the second ground line (320).

[0081] Conversely, when the user closes the heat exchanger cover (110), the light transmitted from the light transmitting unit (202a) is blocked from being transmitted to the light receiving unit (202b). Accordingly, the switch (200) is not activated by the light and is turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) is resistance-grounded to the ground by the first grounding wire (310) having a large resistance.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the operation of a switch for shorting the ground wire of a heat exchanger by a touch action according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 7, a user (710) may touch the heat exchanger cover (110) to clean the heat exchanger (100) or clean / replace a filter within the heat exchanger (100). When the user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110), a touch detection sensor (not shown) connected to the heat exchanger cover (110) detects the touch of the user (710). The detected touch may be used as a signal to turn on the switch (200).

[0084] A touch detection sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a capacitive sensor that detects a touch by a change in capacitance due to a touch of a user (710). A touch detection sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an inductive sensor that detects a touch by detecting a change in inductance according to a displacement difference of a metal touch key due to a touch of a user (710) on the metal touch key. A touch detection sensor according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a pressure sensor that detects a touch by detecting a pressure due to a touch of a user (710).

[0085] The dryer (2000) can detect a touch from a user (710) and use this as a first event (510) to turn on the switch (200). In addition, the dryer (2000) can turn off the switch (200) by using a second event (520) in which a touch occurs on the heat exchanger cover (110) as the heat exchanger cover (110) closes.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in capacitance by a touch operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] Referring to Fig. 8, a first capacitance (801) exists between the heat exchanger cover (110) and the ground (GND). When the SW (810) operates, the first capacitance (801) between the power supply and the ground is charged, and the charging time at this time is t1. If the user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110), the entire circuit becomes a circuit with the second capacitance (802) added between the user (710) and the ground when viewed from the power supply side, so the size of the capacitance that must be finally charged becomes C1+C2. Therefore, the final charging time becomes a charging time (>t1) equal to the amount of the second capacitance (802) added. In this way, depending on the change in charging time, the dryer (2000) determines that the user (710) has touched the heat exchanger cover (110) and turns on the switch (200). When the switch (200) is turned on, the heat exchanger (100) is grounded through the second ground wire (320) having no resistance or very small resistance. According to one embodiment, when the dryer (2000) detects a touch based on a change in capacitance, the processor of the dryer (2000) can control the switch (200) to turn on based on the detected touch signal. At this time, the switch (200) may include an electronic switch. Conversely, when the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, the dryer (2000) can control the switch (200) to turn off. According to one embodiment, the dryer (2000) can detect that the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed and detect that the switch (200) has been finally touched, and control the switch (200) to be turned off by making this a second event.

[0088] FIG. 9 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in inductance by a touch operation according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] Referring to Fig. 9, the operating principle of an inductive metal touch key is illustrated. The inductive touch key included in the heat exchanger cover (110) can detect the presence or absence of a conductive object such as a metal based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. When an AC current flows through a coil (901), a magnetic field is generated. This magnetic field changes along with the displacement change of a nearby conductive object such as a metal - approaching or moving away. This change in the magnetic field causes a change in the inductance of the path through which the AC current flows. Based on this change in inductance, the value of the AC current also changes. A home appliance such as a dryer (2000) can detect a change in the AC current to determine whether a touch has been made to the metal touch key included in the heat exchanger cover (110).

[0090] In this way, based on the change in the value of the AC current flowing in the coil (901) according to the change in inductance, the dryer (2000) determines that the user (710) has touched the heat exchanger cover (110) and turns on the switch (200) in FIG. 4A. When the switch (200) is turned on, the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the ground through the second ground wire (320) having no resistance or very small resistance. According to one embodiment, when the dryer (2000) detects a touch according to the change in inductance, the processor of the dryer (2000) can control the switch (200) to be turned on based on the detected touch signal. At this time, the switch (200) may include an electronic switch. Conversely, when the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, the dryer (2000) can control the switch (200) to be turned off. According to one embodiment, the dryer (2000) can detect that the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed and detect that the switch (200) has been finally touched, and control the switch (200) to be turned off by making this a second event.

[0091] FIG. 10 is a drawing showing that a switch for shorting a ground wire of a heat exchanger operates according to a change in pressure by a touch action according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0092] According to FIG. 10, at 1001, a user's (710) finger touches a heat exchanger cover (110). At this time, pressure is applied to the heat exchanger cover (110) according to the touch of the user (710). A pressure sensor (1010) under the heat exchanger cover (110) is a sensor that receives the pressure caused by the user's (710) finger push, converts it into an electric signal, and transmits it to the PCB (1020). The PCB (1020) may include a processor, and may not necessarily be located directly under the pressure sensor (1010), but may be located at an appropriate location within the dryer (2000).

[0093] When pressure by the push of the user (710) is applied on the heat exchanger cover (110), as shown in 1002, a change in displacement occurs in the pressure sensor (1010) under the heat exchanger cover (110), and the pressure sensor (1070) detects the pressure. The detected pressure is converted into an electric signal, and based on this electric signal, the dryer (2000) determines that the user (710) has touched the heat exchanger cover (110) and turns on the switch (200) in FIG. 4A. When the switch (200) is turned on, the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the ground through the second ground wire (320) having no resistance or very small resistance. According to one embodiment, when the dryer (2000) detects a touch according to a change in pressure, the processor of the dryer (2000) can control the switch (200) to turn on based on the detected touch signal. At this time, the switch (200) may include an electronic switch. Conversely, when the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed, the dryer (2000) may control the switch (200) to turn off. According to one embodiment, the dryer (2000) may detect that the heat exchanger cover (110) is closed and detect that the switch (200) has been finally touched, and control the switch (200) to turn off by using this as a second event.

[0094] FIG. 11 is a graph showing a reduction in leakage current when a heat exchanger is grounded with resistance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] Referring to the graph 1101 on the left, when the heat exchanger (100) is grounded, the leakage current is quite large at 12.47 mA because there is no grounding resistance (300) or only a very small resistance in the grounding wire. This state can be said to be a state in which the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the second grounding wire (320) by the first event (510) as in Fig. 4a or a state in which the switch (200) is turned on. In one embodiment, the case in which the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the second grounding wire (320) is when the user (710) opens the heat exchanger (100) or removes the filter of the heat exchanger (100). In other words, the case in which the leakage current is large is limited to a temporary case in which the first event (510) occurs by the user (710).

[0096] Referring to the graph 1102 on the right, it can be confirmed that the leakage current is reduced to 3.09 mA due to the presence of grounding resistance (300) when the heat exchanger (100) is grounded. This state can be said to be a state in which the heat exchanger (100) is connected to the first ground line (310) by the second event (520) or a state in which the switch (200) is turned off. The case in which the leakage current is limited according to the graph 1102 applies to most cases except when the user (710) opens the heat exchanger (100) or removes the filter of the heat exchanger (100). In other words, the case in which the leakage current is reduced corresponds to the state in most of the time from when the second event (520) occurs by the user (710) until when the first event (510) occurs.

[0097] FIG. 12 is a drawing showing a garment manager including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 12, a clothing manager (3000) may include a main body (3010) forming an exterior, a door (3020) rotatably coupled to the main body (3010), an interior of the manager (3011) in which clothing is received and managed in the main body (3010), and a drain (3015a) and a water tank (3015b) for dehumidifying and supplying steam to the interior of the manager (3010).

[0099] A heat exchanger (100) may be placed at the rear of the drain tank (3015a) and the water supply tank (3015b), although not shown in Fig. 12. The heat exchanger (100) can dehumidify and heat the air inside the manager (3011).

[0100] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a garment manager (3000) may include a heat exchanger cover (110). The heat exchanger cover (110) on the side of the garment manager (3000) allows a user (710) to access the heat exchanger (100).

[0101] When a user (710) opens a heat exchanger cover (110), a heat exchanger (100) may be provided inside. The clothing manager (3000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when the user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110). The heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance by using the user's (710) action of touching and opening the heat exchanger cover (110) by the touch-sensitive sensor as a first event (510). Conversely, the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300) by using the closing of the heat exchanger cover (110) or the mounting of a filter as a second event (520).

[0102] In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be physically actuated by a force of a user (710) opening the heat exchanger cover (110) to turn on the heat exchanger (100) so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the switch (200) may be physically actuated based on a second event (520) of a user (710) closing the heat exchanger cover (110) or mounting a filter so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistance (300).

[0103] In one embodiment, when a user (710) opens the heat exchanger cover (110) or removes a filter inside the heat exchanger (100), the switch (200) may be turned on by the operation of the light sensor, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when a user (710) closes the heat exchanger cover (110) or installs a filter, the light sensor may be operated, and the switch (200) may be turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) including the grounding resistor (300).

[0104] FIG. 13 is a drawing showing a dishwasher including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 13, a dishwasher (4000) may be configured with a main body (4010) and a door (4020) for putting dishes to be washed into and taking them out of the main body (4010). A user interface (4015) may be included at the upper end of the door (4020). The user interface (4015) of the dishwasher (4000) according to FIG. 13 is arranged in a cross-section that appears only when the door (4020) is opened from the main body (4010), but is not limited thereto. The user interface (4015) may be arranged in the main body (4010) or may be arranged in the front end of the door (4020).

[0106] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a dishwasher (4000) may include a heat exchanger cover (110). When the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened, a heat exchanger (100) may be provided inside. The dishwasher (4000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when a user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110). By using such a touch-sensitive sensor, an action of a user (710) to open the heat exchanger cover (110) or remove a filter may be regarded as a first event (510), and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the heat exchanger (100) can be connected to the first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300) by the action of a user (710) closing the heat exchanger cover (110) or mounting a filter as a second event (520).

[0107] Alternatively, when a user (710) opens the heat exchanger cover (110) or removes the filter, the switch (200) may be physically turned on by the force generated when the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened or the filter is removed, as a first event (510), so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, when a user (710) closes the heat exchanger cover (110) or installs the filter, the switch (200) may be physically turned off, as a second event (520), so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) having the grounding resistance (300).

[0108] In one embodiment, when a user (710) opens the heat exchanger cover (110) or removes the filter, the switch (200) may be turned on by the operation of the light sensor, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when a user (710) closes the heat exchanger cover (110) or installs the filter, the light sensor may be operated, and the switch (200) may be turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) including the grounding resistor (300).

[0109] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an air conditioner among home appliances according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] An air conditioner (5000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure can absorb heat from an air-conditioned space (hereinafter referred to as "indoor") and release heat from the outside of the air-conditioned space (hereinafter referred to as "outdoor") for cooling the air-conditioned space, which is the target of air conditioning. In addition, the air conditioner (5000) can absorb heat from the outdoors and release heat to the indoors for heating the indoor space.

[0111] An air conditioner (5000) may include one or more outdoor units (5100) installed outdoors and one or more indoor units (5200) installed indoors. The outdoor unit (5100) may be electrically connected to the indoor unit (5200). For example, a user may input information (or commands) for controlling the indoor unit (5200) through a user interface panel (5220), and the outdoor unit (5100) may operate in response to the user input of the indoor unit (5200).

[0112] The outdoor unit (5100) can be fluidly connected to the indoor unit (5200) through a refrigerant pipe.

[0113] The outdoor unit (5100) is installed outdoors. The outdoor unit (5100) can perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and outdoor air by utilizing a phase change of the refrigerant (e.g., evaporation or condensation). This heat exchange can be achieved through an outdoor heat exchanger included in the outdoor unit (5100). For example, while the refrigerant condenses in the outdoor unit (5100), the refrigerant can release heat to the outdoor air. While the refrigerant evaporates in the outdoor unit (5100), the refrigerant can absorb heat from the outdoor air.

[0114] An indoor unit (5200) is installed indoors. The indoor unit (5200) can perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and indoor air by utilizing a phase change of the refrigerant (e.g., evaporation or condensation). At this time, the heat exchange can be performed through an indoor heat exchanger included in the indoor unit (5200). For example, while the refrigerant evaporates in the indoor unit (5200), the refrigerant can absorb heat from the indoor air, thereby cooling the indoor space. While the refrigerant condenses in the indoor unit (5200), the refrigerant can release heat to the indoor air, thereby heating the indoor space. The air conditioner (5000) may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an indoor heat exchanger. The air conditioner (5000) may include a refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor, the outdoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the indoor heat exchanger.

[0115] There may be instances where a user (710) comes into contact with the outdoor heat exchanger or indoor heat exchanger to clean or replace a filter in the outdoor heat exchanger or indoor heat exchanger.

[0116] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an air conditioner (5000) may include an indoor heat exchanger cover in an indoor unit. Alternatively, the air conditioner (5000) may include an outdoor heat exchanger cover in an outdoor unit. When the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger cover is opened, an indoor heat exchanger or an outdoor heat exchanger may be provided inside. The air conditioner (5000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when a user (710) touches the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger cover. By using such a touch-sensitive sensor, an action of a user (710) to open the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger by touching it may be regarded as a first event (510), and the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the user's (710) action of closing the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger cover may be used as a second event (520) to connect the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger to the first ground wire (310) having the grounding resistor (300).

[0117] Alternatively, the user (710) may physically operate the switch (200) to turn on the indoor or outdoor heat exchanger cover as a first event (510), so that the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger may be connected to the second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the user (710) may physically operate the switch (200) to turn on the indoor or outdoor heat exchanger cover as a second event (520), so that the indoor or outdoor heat exchanger may be connected to the first ground wire (310) having ground resistance (300).

[0118] According to one embodiment, when a user (710) opens the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger cover, the switch (200) may be turned on by the operation of the light sensor, and the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger may be connected to the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when a user (710) closes the indoor heat exchanger cover or the outdoor heat exchanger cover, the light sensor may be operated, and the switch (200) may be turned off, and the indoor heat exchanger or the outdoor heat exchanger may be connected to the first ground wire (310) including the grounding resistor (300).

[0119] Although the above description focuses on the characteristics of the indoor or outdoor heat exchanger cover being opened or closed, the grounding between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground may also be changed when the filter is removed or installed, as in the previous drawing 13.

[0120] An indoor unit (5200) of an air conditioner (5000) may include a user interface panel (5220) that displays operation information of the air conditioner (5000) and can receive commands from a user. A display unit of the user interface panel (5220) may receive information regarding the operation of the air conditioner (5000) from a processor that controls the operation of the air conditioner (5000) and display information corresponding to the received information. The display unit may include an indicator that displays the operation type of the air conditioner (5000) selected by the user or whether the power of the indoor unit (5200) is on / off. The indicator may include, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a light emitting diode (LED) panel, or a plurality of LEDs.

[0121] The outdoor unit (5100) includes an outdoor unit body (5101) forming the exterior of the outdoor unit (5100), and an outdoor unit fan (5102) provided on one side of the outdoor unit body (5101) to discharge heat-exchanged air.

[0122] The indoor unit (5200) may include an indoor unit body (5201) forming the exterior of the indoor unit (5200), an indoor unit discharge port (5202) provided on the front of the indoor unit body (5201) to discharge heat-exchanged air, and a user interface panel (5220) for receiving operation commands for the air conditioner (5000) from a user.

[0123] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a refrigerator including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0124] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body (6010).

[0125] The main body (6010) may include an inner case, an outer case arranged on the outside of the inner case, and an insulating material provided between the inner case and the outer case.

[0126] The "inner case" may include a case, plate, panel, or liner forming a storage compartment. The inner case may be formed as a single body or may be formed by assembling multiple plates. The "outer case" may form the outer appearance of the main body and may be joined to the outer surface of the inner case so that insulation is placed between the inner case and the outer case.

[0127] "Insulation" can insulate the interior and exterior of a storage room so that the temperature inside the storage room can be maintained at a set temperature without being affected by the external environment of the storage room. In one embodiment, the insulation can include foam insulation. The foam insulation can be formed by injecting and foaming urethane foam, a mixture of polyurethane and a foaming agent, between the inner and outer layers after securing them with a jig or the like.

[0128] In one embodiment, the insulation may include a vacuum insulation in addition to the foam insulation, or the insulation may consist solely of the vacuum insulation instead of the foam insulation. The vacuum insulation may include a core material and an outer shell material that accommodates the core material and seals the interior at a vacuum or near-vacuum pressure. The vacuum insulation may further include an adsorbent that adsorbs gases and moisture to stably maintain a vacuum state. However, the insulation is not limited to the foam insulation or vacuum insulation described above, and may include various materials that can be used for insulation.

[0129] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to a storage compartment.

[0130] A "refrigeration supply device" may include a system comprising a machine, mechanism, electronic device and / or a combination thereof that can generate and guide cold air to cool a storage room.

[0131] According to one embodiment, the refrigeration supply device is a drawing showing a refrigerator including a heat exchanger according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein grape 15 performs the compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation processes of the refrigerant.

[0132] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body (6010).

[0133] The main body (6010) may include an inner case, an outer case arranged on the outside of the inner case, and an insulating material provided between the inner case and the outer case.

[0134] The "inner case" may include a case, plate, panel, or liner forming a storage compartment. The inner case may be formed as a single body or may be formed by assembling multiple plates. The "outer case" may form the outer appearance of the main body and may be joined to the outer surface of the inner case so that insulation is placed between the inner case and the outer case.

[0135] "Insulation" can insulate the interior and exterior of a storage room so that the temperature inside the storage room can be maintained at a set temperature without being affected by the external environment of the storage room. In one embodiment, the insulation can include foam insulation. The foam insulation can be formed by injecting and foaming urethane foam, a mixture of polyurethane and a foaming agent, between the inner and outer layers after securing them with a jig or the like.

[0136] In one embodiment, the insulation may include a vacuum insulation in addition to the foam insulation, or the insulation may consist solely of the vacuum insulation instead of the foam insulation. The vacuum insulation may include a core material and an outer shell material that accommodates the core material and seals the interior at a vacuum or near-vacuum pressure. The vacuum insulation may further include an adsorbent that adsorbs gases and moisture to stably maintain a vacuum state. However, the insulation is not limited to the foam insulation or vacuum insulation described above, and may include various materials that can be used for insulation.

[0137] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a cold air supply device configured to supply cold air to a storage compartment.

[0138] A "refrigeration supply device" may include a system comprising a machine, mechanism, electronic device and / or a combination thereof that can generate and guide cold air to cool a storage room.

[0139] In one embodiment, a refrigeration supply device can generate refrigeration through a refrigeration cycle that includes the processes of compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation of a refrigerant. To this end, the refrigeration supply device can include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and a heat exchanger capable of driving the refrigeration cycle.

[0140] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a refrigerator (6000) may include a heat exchanger cover (110). When the heat exchanger cover (110) is opened, a heat exchanger (100) may be provided inside. The refrigerator (6000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when the heat exchanger cover (110) is touched. An action of a user (710) touching and opening the heat exchanger cover (110) by such a touch-sensitive sensor may be used as a first event (510) to connect the heat exchanger (100) to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, an action of a user (710) closing the heat exchanger cover (110) may be used as a second event (520) to connect the heat exchanger (100) to a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300).

[0141] Alternatively, the user (710) may open the heat exchanger cover (110) as a first event (510), and the switch (200) may be physically operated to turn on, so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the user (710) may close the heat exchanger cover (110) as a second event (520), and the switch (200) may be physically operated to turn off, so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300).

[0142] In one embodiment, when a user (710) opens the heat exchanger cover (110), the switch (200) may be turned on by the operation of the light sensor, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when a user (710) closes the heat exchanger cover (110), the light sensor may be operated, and the switch (200) may be turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) including the grounding resistor (300).

[0143] Although the above description focuses on the characteristics of the heat exchanger cover (110) being opened or closed, the grounding between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground may be changed in the same manner when the filter is removed or installed, as in the previous drawing 13.

[0144] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a machine room in which at least some components belonging to a cold air supply device are arranged.

[0145] The "machine room" may be designed to be partitioned and insulated from the storage room to prevent heat generated by components placed within the machine room from being transferred to the storage room. The interior of the machine room may be configured to be in communication with the exterior of the main body to dissipate heat from components placed within the machine room.

[0146] A refrigerator (6000) is a type of home appliance that supplies cold air generated by a compressor in a refrigeration supply unit to a storage compartment, allowing various foods to remain fresh for long periods of time. In addition to this long-term preservation function, the refrigerator (6000) is equipped with various additional functions. Representative functions include a communication function that enables the establishment of an IoT network and a function that outputs sound via speakers built into the refrigerator (6000).

[0147] Referring to FIG. 15, another refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a main body (6010) and doors (6030a, 6030b, 6030c, 6030d) that can open and close a storage compartment.

[0148] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a door (6030) configured to open and close an open side of a storage compartment.

[0149] The refrigerator (6000) according to FIG. 15 is illustrated with four doors (6030), but the number of doors (6030) is not limited thereto. The upper door (6030a) and the lower door (6030b) on the right side of the refrigerator (6000) may be configured as one door, and the upper door (6030c) and the lower door (6030d) on the left side of the refrigerator (6000) may be configured as one door. In addition, the number of doors of the refrigerator (6000) may be more or less than four. In addition, the positions of the doors (6030) may also be varied. Depending on the arrangement of the doors (6030) and the storage compartment, the refrigerator (6000) may be a French door type refrigerator, a side-by-side type refrigerator, etc. Between the plurality of doors (6030a, 6030b, 6030c, 6030d), there may be a handle area, which is a space where a user can insert a hand to open and close the door (6030).

[0150] The door (6030) may be configured to seal the storage compartment when the door (6030) is closed. The door (6030) may include insulation, similar to the body (6010), to insulate the storage compartment when the door (6030) is closed.

[0151] A refrigerator (6000) according to one embodiment may include a user interface panel (6220) on a door (6030). The user interface panel (6220) may be located on any one of the doors (6030a, 6030b, 6030c, 6030d).

[0152] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] As illustrated in FIG. 16, a home appliance (1000) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a processor (1200), a communication interface (1300), a user interface (1400), and a memory (1500). The home appliance (1000) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be at least one of a dryer (2000), a clothes manager (3000), a dishwasher (4000), an air conditioner (5000), and a refrigerator (6000), but is not limited thereto. The home appliance (1000) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes all types of home appliances that include a heat exchanger (100) and are accessible to a user for cleaning the heat exchanger (100) or removing a filter of the heat exchanger (100).

[0154] Below, we will look at the above components in turn.

[0155] The processor (1200) can control the overall operation of the home appliance (1000). The processor (1200) is a hardware device that controls the overall operation of the home appliance (1000). The processor (1200) is a hardware component (chip) that includes an integrated circuit in which electrical circuits are integrated.

[0156] The processor (1200) may include various processing circuits and / or multiple processors. For example, the term “processor” as used herein, including in the claims, may include various processing circuits, including at least one processor. One or more processors in at least one processor may be configured to perform various functions described herein, individually and / or collectively, in a distributed fashion. As used herein, “processor,” “at least one processor,” and “one or more processors” may be configured to perform various functions. However, these terms encompass, without limitation, situations where one processor performs some of the functions and other processor(s) perform other parts of the functions, and situations where a single processor may perform all of the functions. Furthermore, at least one processor may include a combination of processors that perform various functions of the disclosed functions in a distributed manner. At least one processor may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

[0157] The processor (1200) can control the communication interface (1300), the user interface (1400), and the memory (1500) by executing programs stored in the memory (1500). The home appliance (1000) may include only a main processor, or may include a main processor and at least one sub-processor.

[0158] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a home appliance (1000) may be equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) processor. The AI ​​processor may be manufactured in the form of a dedicated hardware chip for artificial intelligence (AI), or may be manufactured as part of an existing general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU or application processor) or a graphics-only processor (e.g., GPU) and equipped in the home appliance (1000).

[0159] The communication interface (1300) may include one or more components that enable communication between the home appliance (1000) and a server device (not shown) or between the home appliance (1000) and a user terminal (not shown). For example, the communication interface (1300) may include a short-range wireless communication interface (1310) and a long-range wireless communication interface (1320). The short-range wireless communication interface (1310) may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication interface, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication interface, a near field communication interface, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication interface, a Zigbee communication interface, an IrDA (infrared Data Association) communication interface, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication interface, an UWB (Ultra Wideband) communication interface, an ANT+ communication interface, etc. The remote communication unit (1320) may include the Internet, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN), and a mobile communication unit. The mobile communication unit transmits and receives wireless signals with at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. Here, the wireless signals may include various types of data according to transmission and reception of voice call signals, video call signals, or text / multimedia messages. The mobile communication unit may include, but is not limited to, a 3G module, a 4G module, an LTE module, a 5G module, a 6G module, an NB-IoT module, an LTE-M module, and the like.

[0160] The user interface (1400) may include an output interface (1410) and an input interface (1420). The output interface (1410) is for outputting an audio signal or a video signal and may include a display and an audio output unit, etc.

[0161] When the display and the touchpad are configured as a touch screen in a layered structure, the display can be used as an input interface (1420) in addition to the output interface (1410). The display can include at least one of a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display, a light-emitting diode (LED), an organic light-emitting diode, a flexible display, a 3D display, and an electrophoretic display. In addition, depending on the implementation form of the home appliance (1000), the home appliance (1000) can include two or more displays.

[0162] The audio output unit can output audio data received from the communication interface (1300) or stored in the memory (1500). In addition, the audio output unit can output audio signals related to functions performed in the home appliance (1000). The audio output unit can include a speaker, a buzzer, etc.

[0163] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the output interface (1410) can display information about the home appliance (1000). For example, the output interface (1410) can output a GUI (Graphical User Interface) corresponding to the current status, fault information, or product type information of the home appliance (1000).

[0164] The input interface (1420) is for receiving input from a user. The input interface (1420) may be at least one of a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact electrostatic capacitance type, pressure resistive film type, infrared detection type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral tension measurement type, piezo effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, and a jog switch, but is not limited thereto.

[0165] The input interface (1420) may include a voice recognition module. For example, the home appliance (1000) may receive a voice signal, which is an analog signal, through a microphone, and convert the voice portion into computer-readable text using an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) model. The home appliance (1000) may interpret the converted text using a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) model to obtain the user's speech intent. Here, the ASR model or the NLU model may be an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be processed by an artificial intelligence-dedicated processor designed with a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence model may be created through learning. Here, being created through learning means that a basic artificial intelligence model is learned using a plurality of learning data by a learning algorithm, thereby creating a predefined operation rule or artificial intelligence model set to perform a desired characteristic (or purpose). The artificial intelligence model may be composed of a plurality of neural network layers. Each of the multiple neural network layers has multiple weight values, and performs neural network operations through operations between the operation results of the previous layer and the multiple weight values.

[0166] Linguistic understanding is the technology of recognizing, applying, and processing human language / characters, including natural language processing, machine translation, dialog systems, question answering, and speech recognition / synthesis.

[0167] The memory (1500) may store a program for processing and controlling the processor (1200) and may store input / output data. The memory (1500) may also store an artificial intelligence model.

[0168] The memory (1500) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. In addition, the home appliance (1000) may also operate a web storage or cloud server that performs a storage function on the Internet.

[0169] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the home appliance (1000) may include a heat exchanger cover (110). The heat exchanger cover (110) included in the home appliance (1000) allows a user (710) to access the heat exchanger (100).

[0170] When a user (710) opens a heat exchanger cover (110) of a home appliance (1000), a heat exchanger (100) may be provided inside. The home appliance (2000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when the user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110). The heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance by using the action of the user (710) to open the heat exchanger cover (110) by using the touch-sensitive sensor as a first event (510). Conversely, the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300) by using the action of the user (710) to close the heat exchanger cover (110) as a second event (520).

[0171] The block diagram and features of the home appliance (1000) according to FIG. 16 can be applied to all home appliances according to FIG. 1, FIG. 12 to FIG. 15 of the present disclosure.

[0172] FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0173] As illustrated in FIG. 17, a dryer (2000) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a drum (2050), a fan (2055), a heat pump (2060), a processor (2200), a communication interface (2300), a user interface (2400), and a memory (2500).

[0174] Below, we will look at the above components in turn.

[0175] A dryer (2000) is a home appliance that dries laundry using heat or wind. The dryer (2000) may include a drum (2050) that is rotatably installed inside the main body. The dryer (2000) can dry laundry by passing heated air through the drum (2050) containing laundry. The dryer (2000) can rotate the drum (2050) to evenly dry the laundry overall. A lifter (2040) that lifts washed clothes upward while the drum (2050) rotates and then drops them by gravity may be installed inside the drum (2050).

[0176] The dryer (2000) may include a filter (not shown) that captures foreign substances contained in the air. The filter can filter out foreign substances, such as clothing dust, contained in the air passing through the laundry and deliver the air free of foreign substances to the heater. Foreign substances may accumulate on the surface of the filter. After the dryer (2000) has dried the laundry and completed its operation, the user can replace the filter or clean the foreign substances accumulated on the surface of the filter.

[0177] The dryer (2000) may include, but is not limited to, a drum (2050), a condenser (2061), an expander (2062), a heat exchanger (100), a compressor (2063), and a fan (2055) therein.

[0178] The dryer (2000) may include at least one heat source for drying. The dryer (2000) may supply high temperature air to the drum (2050) through the heat source. For example, the dryer (2000) may include a heater as the heat source. The dryer (2000) may also include a heat pump (2060) including a condenser (2061), an expander (2062), a heat exchanger (100), and a compressor (2063) as the heat source. The dryer (2000) may include a fan (2055) for circulating air inside the drum (2050). The fan (2055) may draw air from inside the drum (2050) and discharge the air through a duct. By the fan (2055), the air inside the drum (2050) may circulate through the drum (2050) and the duct. The duct is an air passage connecting the heater (2051), drum (2050), fan (2055), and heat pump (2060) in FIG. 2.

[0179] The heat pump (2060) may include a compressor (2063), a condenser (2061), a heat exchanger (100), and an expander (2062). In addition, the heat pump (2060) may further include a heat exchanger cover (110) and a switch (200). The compressor (2063) may compress a gaseous refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure state and discharge the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The compressor (2063) may be operated by an inverter of the dryer (2000), although not shown. The condenser (2061) may heat air with heat generated during the condensation process of the refrigerant, and the heated air may be supplied to the drum (2050) for drying clothes in the drum (2050). The liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2061) may be transferred to the expander (2062).

[0180] The expander (2062) can expand the high-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant condensed in the condenser (2061) into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant.

[0181] The heat exchanger (100) can evaporate the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander (2062). As a result, the heat exchanger (100) can return the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the compressor (2063). The heat exchanger (100) can evaporate the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander (2062). As a result, the heat exchanger (100) can return the low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant to the compressor (2063). The heat exchanger (100) can absorb heat from the surroundings through an evaporation process that changes the low-pressure liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant. The heat exchanger (100) can be provided on a duct and can cool the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) during the evaporation process. When the surrounding air is cooled by the heat exchanger (100), and the temperature of the surrounding air becomes lower than the dew point, the air surrounding the heat exchanger (100) can condense. The water condensed by the heat exchanger (100) can be collected by a water receiving tank provided at the bottom of the heat exchanger (100). The water collected through the water receiving tank can be moved to a separate storage or discharged to the outside of the dryer (2000). The heat exchanger (100) can include a filter for capturing foreign substances such as dust and lint contained in the air passing through the heat exchanger (100). According to one embodiment, the filter can include a lint filter. The filter can have a mesh structure.

[0182] As condensation occurs around the heat exchanger (100), the humidity of the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) may decrease. In other words, the amount of water vapor contained in the air passing through the heat exchanger (100) may decrease. By utilizing this condensation around the heat exchanger (100), the dryer (2000) may reduce the amount of water vapor contained in the air inside the drum (2050) and dry the clothing or bedding to be dried.

[0183] The condenser (2061), expander (2062), compressor (2063) and heat exchanger (100) included in this (2060) can be connected to each other by a pipe through which refrigerant flows.

[0184] The air circulated by the fan (2055) can be dried by the heat exchanger (100) while passing through the heat exchanger (100), and then heated by the condenser (2061) while passing through the condenser (2061).

[0185] The heater (2051) can heat the air by assisting the condenser (2061). For example, the heater (2051) can heat the air in the duct by assisting the condenser (2061) before the condenser (2061) of the heat pump (2060) sufficiently heats the air in the duct. The temperature inside the drum (2050) can be rapidly increased by the heater (2051) assisting the condenser (2061), enabling the dryer (2000) to perform drying more quickly.

[0186] The processor (2200) can determine the switching frequency (turn-on / turn-off frequency) of the inverter switching circuit included to drive the compressor (2063) of the dryer (2000). The processor (2200) can generate a driving control signal to turn on / off the switching circuit according to the determined switching frequency.

[0187] The processor (2200) can control the overall operation of the dryer (2000). The processor (2200) is a hardware device that controls the overall operation of the dryer (2000). The processor (2200) may be a hardware device (chip) including an integrated circuit in which electrical circuits are integrated. The processor (2200) can control the heat pump (2060), the communication interface (2300), the user interface (2400), and the memory (2500) by executing programs stored in the memory (2500). The dryer (2000) may include at least one processor.

[0188] The processor (2200) may include various processing circuits and / or multiple processors. For example, the term “processor” as used herein, including in the claims, may include various processing circuits, including at least one processor. One or more processors in at least one processor may be configured to perform various functions described herein, individually and / or collectively, in a distributed fashion. As used herein, “processor,” “at least one processor,” and “one or more processors” may be configured to perform various functions. However, these terms encompass, without limitation, situations where one processor performs some of the functions and other processor(s) perform other parts of the functions, and situations where a single processor may perform all of the functions. Furthermore, the at least one processor may include a combination of processors that perform various functions of the disclosed functions in a distributed manner. The at least one processor may execute program instructions to achieve or perform various functions.

[0189] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the dryer (2000) may be equipped with an artificial intelligence (AI) processor. The AI ​​processor may be manufactured in the form of a dedicated hardware chip for artificial intelligence (AI), or may be manufactured as part of an existing general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU or application processor) or a graphics-only processor (e.g., GPU) and equipped in the dryer (2000).

[0190] When a user (710) opens a heat exchanger cover (110), a heat exchanger (100) that can be visually confirmed may be provided inside. The dryer (2000) may include at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor that is sensitive to touch when the user (710) touches the heat exchanger cover (110). The heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance by using the user's (710) action of touching and opening the heat exchanger cover (110) as a first event (510). Conversely, the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300) by using the user's (710) action of closing the heat exchanger cover (110) as a second event (520).

[0191] Alternatively, the user (710) may open the heat exchanger cover (110) as a first event (510), and the switch (200) may be physically operated to turn on, so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320) having no or little resistance. Conversely, the user (710) may close the heat exchanger cover (110) as a second event (520), and the switch (200) may be physically operated to turn off, so that the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) having a grounding resistor (300).

[0192] In one embodiment, when a user (710) opens the heat exchanger cover (110), the switch (200) may be turned on by the operation of the light sensor, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the second ground wire (320). Conversely, when a user (710) closes the heat exchanger cover (110), the light sensor may be operated, and the switch (200) may be turned off, and the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to the first ground wire (310) including the grounding resistor (300).

[0193] Although the above description focuses on the characteristics of the heat exchanger cover (110) being opened or closed, the grounding between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground may also change when the filter is removed or installed.

[0194] FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a method for preventing electric shock when a user approaches a heat exchanger of a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0195] In step S1801, the heat exchanger (100) of the home appliance (1000) is connected to a first grounding line (310) including a grounding resistor (300) to minimize leakage current.

[0196] In step S1803, a user (710) approaches the heat exchanger (100). For example, the user (710) may open the heat exchanger cover (110) to clean the heat exchanger (100) or clean / replace a filter within the heat exchanger (100). This action of the user (710) corresponds to the first event (510). Not only the action of the user (710) opening the heat exchanger cover (110), but also the action of removing the filter within the heat exchanger (100) may correspond to the first event (510).

[0197] In step S1805, based on the first event (510) that occurred in the preceding S1803, the heat exchanger (100) may be connected to a second ground wire (320) having no or minimal resistance. By connecting the heat exchanger (100) to the second ground wire (320) having no or minimal resistance, the user (710) may be protected from the risk of electric shock. In one embodiment, the occurrence of the first event (510) may cause a switch (200) between the heat exchanger (100) and the ground to be turned on. In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be operated by a physical force applied by the user (710) to open the heat exchanger cover (110). In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be operated by an optical sensor that operates in response to the user's (710) action of opening the heat exchanger cover (110). In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be actuated by a touch-sensitive sensor—a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor—that is sensitive to a user's (710) touching the heat exchanger cover (110) to open the heat exchanger cover (110). In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be turned on not only by the opening of the heat exchanger cover (110), but also by the removal of a filter.

[0198] In step S1807, a second event (520) may be generated by the user (710). The second event (520) may include at least one of the actions of the user (710) closing the heat exchanger cover (110) or mounting a filter within the heat exchanger (100).

[0199] In step S1809, the heat exchanger (100) of the appliance (1000) is connected to a first ground line (310) having a grounding resistor (300) based on a second event (520).

[0200] In one embodiment, a second event (520) may cause a switch (200) between the heat exchanger (100) and ground to be turned off. In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be actuated by a physical force applied by a user (710) to close the heat exchanger cover (110). In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be actuated by a light sensor that operates in response to the user's (710) action of closing the heat exchanger cover (110). In one embodiment, the switch (200) may be actuated by a touch-sensitive sensor—a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, or a pressure sensor—that is sensitive to the user's (710) action of touching the heat exchanger cover (110) to close the heat exchanger cover (110) and then ending the touch. Alternatively, the switch (200) may be turned off by a combination of a touch-sensitive sensor and the action of closing the heat exchanger cover (110). For example, if it is detected that there is no longer any touch on the touch-sensitive sensor and the heat exchanger cover (110) is in a closed state, the second event (520) may be determined to have occurred and the switch (200) may be turned off. In one embodiment, the closed state of the heat exchanger cover (110) may also be identified by a light sensor.

[0201] According to one embodiment, the preceding switch (200) may be turned off not only by the action of closing the heat exchanger cover (110) but also by the action of mounting the filter.

[0202] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a home appliance is disclosed that protects a user from electric shock. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the outside. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a first grounding wire that connects the heat exchanger to ground and includes a grounding resistor. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a second grounding wire that is directly grounded to ground based on a first event by the user and is connected to ground in parallel with the first grounding wire.

[0203] In one embodiment, the resistance of the second ground wire may be less than or equal to 500 ohms (Ω).

[0204] In one embodiment, the grounding resistance may be greater than 10 kΩ.

[0205] In one embodiment, the first event may include at least one of a cover of the heat exchanger being opened and a filter of the heat exchanger being removed.

[0206] In one embodiment, the appliance may further include a switch that shorts or opens the second ground wire. In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by the first event.

[0207] In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by a force applied when the cover of the heat exchanger is opened.

[0208] In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by force applied as the filter is removed.

[0209] In one embodiment, the switch may comprise an electronic switch. In one embodiment, the electronic switch may be turned on based on a light sensor that detects that the cover of the heat exchanger is open.

[0210] In one embodiment, the light sensor may be an infrared sensor.

[0211] In one embodiment, the switch may comprise an electronic switch. In one embodiment, the electronic switch may be turned on based on a light sensor that detects that the filter is removed.

[0212] In one embodiment, the light sensor may be an infrared sensor.

[0213] In one embodiment, the first event may include a user touching at least a portion of a cover of the heat exchanger.

[0214] In one embodiment, a home appliance is provided, which is an electronic switch that shorts or opens a second ground wire. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a home appliance is provided that protects a user from electric shock. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with the outside. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a first ground wire that connects the heat exchanger to ground and includes a grounding resistor. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a second ground wire that is directly grounded to ground and is connected to ground in parallel with the first ground wire based on a first event by a user. In one embodiment, the home appliance may include a washer / dryer.

[0215] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock is disclosed. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a drum that accommodates laundry or laundry to be dried, a drive motor for rotating the drum, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant, a condenser that discharges heated air for drying laundry to be dried using heat discharged when the high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, the condenser expanding the refrigerant condensed in the condenser into low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and a heat exchanger that discharges the low-pressure refrigerant obtained by evaporating the expanded liquid refrigerant to the compressor. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first grounding line (310) that connects the heat exchanger and a ground and includes a grounding resistor. The washing machine and dryer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a second grounding line that is connected to the ground in parallel with the first grounding line and in which the heat exchanger is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event by a user.

[0216] In one embodiment, the resistance of the second ground wire may be less than or equal to 500 ohms (Ω).

[0217] In one embodiment, the grounding resistance may be greater than 10 kΩ.

[0218] In one embodiment, the first event may include at least one of a cover of the heat exchanger being opened and a filter of the heat exchanger being removed.

[0219] In one embodiment, the appliance may further include a switch that shorts or opens the second ground wire. In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by the first event.

[0220] In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by a force applied when the cover of the heat exchanger is opened.

[0221] In one embodiment, the switch may be turned on by force applied as the filter is removed.

[0222] In one embodiment, the switch may comprise an electronic switch. In one embodiment, the electronic switch may be turned on based on a light sensor that detects that the cover of the heat exchanger is open.

[0223] In one embodiment, the light sensor may be an infrared sensor.

[0224] In one embodiment, the switch may comprise an electronic switch. In one embodiment, the electronic switch may be turned on based on a light sensor that detects that the filter is removed.

[0225] In one embodiment, the light sensor may be an infrared sensor.

[0226] In one embodiment, the first event may include a user touching at least a portion of a cover of the heat exchanger.

[0227] In one embodiment, the appliance may further include an electronic switch that shorts or opens the second ground wire. In one embodiment, the electronic switch may be turned on based on detecting a touch.

[0228] According to one embodiment, the appliance may further include at least one of a capacitive sensor and an inductive sensor that detects a touch on the cover of the heat exchanger.

[0229] According to one embodiment, the appliance may further include a pressure sensor that detects the touch on the cover of the heat exchanger.

[0230] In one embodiment, based on a second event by the user, the second ground wire may be opened and the heat exchanger may be grounded to ground by the first ground wire.

[0231] In one embodiment, the second event may include at least one of a cover of the heat exchanger being closed and a filter of the heat exchanger being mounted.

[0232] In one embodiment, the appliance may further include a switch that shorts or opens the second ground wire. In one embodiment, the switch may be turned off by the second event.

[0233] In one embodiment, the switch may be turned off by a force applied when the cover of the heat exchanger is closed or by a force applied when the filter is mounted.

[0234] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer may include a drum that accommodates laundry or laundry to be dried, a drive motor for rotating the drum, a compressor that compresses a refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant, a heat exchanger that discharges heated air for drying laundry to be dried using heat discharged when the high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, an expander that expands the refrigerant condensed in the heat exchanger into low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the expanded liquid refrigerant and discharges the low-pressure refrigerant to the compressor. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock may include a first grounding line that connects the heat exchanger and a ground and includes a grounding resistor. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the washing machine and dryer that protects a user from electric shock may include a second grounding line that is connected to the ground in parallel with the first grounding line and in which the heat exchanger is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event by a user.

[0235] A method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of connecting a heat exchanger to a first ground wire including a grounding resistor. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of causing a first event to occur by a user. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of turning on a switch on a second ground wire based on the first event. In one embodiment, the method for protecting a user from electric shock in a home appliance may include a step of grounding a heat exchanger to ground by a second ground wire including a resistance of 100 ohms or less based on the switch being turned on.

[0236] A method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of program commands that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program commands, data files, data structures, etc., alone or in combination. The program commands recorded on the medium may be those specially designed and configured for the present disclosure or may be those known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program commands such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of program commands include not only machine language codes generated by a compiler, but also high-level language codes that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc.

[0237] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, executed by a computer. Computer-readable media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer, and include both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Furthermore, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically contains computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave, or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented as a computer program or computer program product containing computer-executable instructions, such as a computer program that is executed by a computer.

[0238] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, the term "non-transitory storage medium" simply means a tangible device that does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish between cases where data is permanently stored in the storage medium and cases where data is temporarily stored. For example, a "non-transitory storage medium" may include a buffer in which data is temporarily stored.

[0239] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in the present document may be provided as included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through an application store or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product (e.g., a downloadable app) may be temporarily stored or temporarily generated in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

Claims

1. A drum (2050) for accommodating laundry or laundry to be dried; A drive motor for rotating the above drum; A compressor (2063) that compresses refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant; A condenser (2061) that releases heated air for drying the laundry to be dried using the heat discharged during condensation of the high-pressure refrigerant; An expander (2062) that expands the refrigerant condensed in the above condenser (2061) into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant; A heat exchanger (100) that discharges low-pressure refrigerant that has evaporated the liquid refrigerant expanded in the above expander to the above compressor; A first ground wire (310) connecting the heat exchanger (100) and the ground and including a grounding resistor (300); and A washing machine / dryer combination, wherein the heat exchanger (100) is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event (510) by a user and includes a second grounding wire (320) connected to the ground in parallel with the first grounding wire (310).

2. In paragraph 1, The resistance of the above second grounding wire is 500 ohms (Ω) or less, A washing machine with a dryer, the above grounding resistance being 10k ohm or more.

3. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 2, A washer / dryer combination, wherein the first event comprises at least one of opening a cover of the heat exchanger and removing a filter of the heat exchanger.

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, Further comprising a switch for shorting or opening the second ground wire, A washer / dryer combination, wherein the switch is turned on by the first event.

5. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, A washing machine and dryer, wherein the switch is turned on by force applied when the cover of the heat exchanger is opened or the filter is removed.

6. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, A washing machine / dryer combination, wherein the switch comprises an electronic switch, and the electronic switch is turned on based on a light sensor detecting that the cover of the heat exchanger is opened or is turned on based on a light sensor detecting that the filter is removed.

7. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, The above light sensor is an infrared sensor, and it is a washing machine with a dryer.

8. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 7, A washer / dryer combination, wherein the first event comprises the user touching at least a portion of the cover of the heat exchanger.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, Further comprising an electronic switch for shorting or opening the second ground wire, A washing machine / dryer combination, wherein the electronic switch is turned on based on the detection of the above touch.

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 9, A washer / dryer combination, further comprising at least one of a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and a pressure sensor for detecting the touch on the cover of the heat exchanger.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, Based on the second event by the user, the second grounding wire is opened and the heat exchanger is grounded to the ground by the first grounding wire. A washer / dryer combination, wherein the second event comprises at least one of closing the cover of the heat exchanger and mounting a filter of the heat exchanger.

12. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 11, Further comprising a switch for shorting or opening the second ground wire, A washer / dryer combination, wherein the switch is turned off by the second event.

13. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 12, A washing machine with a dryer, wherein the switch is turned off by a force applied when the cover of the heat exchanger is closed or by a force applied when the filter is installed.

14. A drum (2050) for accommodating laundry or laundry to be dried; A drive motor for rotating the above drum; A compressor (2063) that compresses refrigerant and discharges high-pressure refrigerant; A heat exchanger that releases heated air for drying the laundry to be dried using the heat discharged during condensation of the high-pressure refrigerant; An expander (2062) that expands the refrigerant condensed in the above heat exchanger into a low-pressure liquid refrigerant; An evaporator that discharges low-pressure refrigerant, which is the liquid refrigerant expanded in the expander, to the compressor; A first ground wire (310) connecting the heat exchanger and the ground and including a grounding resistor (300); and A washing machine / dryer combination, wherein the heat exchanger is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event (510) by a user and includes a second ground wire (320) connected to the ground in parallel with the first ground wire (310).

15. Heat exchanger (100) that performs heat exchange with the outside; A first ground wire (310) connecting the heat exchanger (100) and the ground and including a grounding resistor (300); and An appliance (1000) wherein the heat exchanger (100) is directly grounded to the ground based on a first event (510) by a user and includes a second ground wire (320) connected to the ground in parallel with the first ground wire (310).

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