KR101430458B1 - Cloth treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus. A clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a cabinet having a housing space for accommodating clothes; A hot air supply device for heating the air to supply hot air to the accommodation space; A steam generating device for generating steam injected into the accommodation space; And a recovery means for recovering the condensed water not to be supplied to the containing space when the steam generated in the steam generating device is condensed. According to such a garment processing apparatus, it is possible to effectively remove wrinkles in the garment.

Clothing, processing, wrinkling, removal

Description

[0001] Cloth treating apparatus [

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a garment processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a garment processing apparatus capable of more effectively removing wrinkles in a garment.

In recent years, various kinds of clothes processing apparatuses have been used together with washing machines for washing clothes. For example, there have been developed drum type driers for drying clothes that have been washed, cabinet-type dryers for hanging clothes and drying them, and refreshers for refreshing clothes by supplying hot air to clothes.

Among the clothes processing apparatuses, a refresher, a dryer, or the like mainly uses a heater to heat the air to supply hot air to clothes. Such a heater includes a gas heater that heats the gas by burning gas to generate air, and an electric heater that heats the air by electric resistance. In recent years, an electric heater that is easy to install and has a simple structure is widely used.

In recent years, a configuration has been developed in which not only hot air is supplied to clothes accommodated in the above-described clothes processing apparatus but also steam is supplied to remove wrinkles. However, in the case of removing wrinkles generated in the clothes by supplying the steam, the steam is condensed and sprayed into the clothes in a state of water, thereby causing the problem of wetting of the clothes. As a result, it is impossible to more effectively remove wrinkles in the garment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothes processing apparatus which does not supply condensed water to the interior of a clothes processing apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a clothes processing apparatus capable of effectively removing wrinkles in clothes by spraying steam into the clothes processing apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, A hot air supply device for heating the air to supply hot air to the accommodation space; A steam generating device for generating steam injected into the accommodation space; And a recovery means for recovering the condensed water from being supplied to the accommodating space when steam generated in the steam generating device is condensed.

Further, the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a steam injection unit for injecting steam generated in the steam generating apparatus into the accommodation space, and the collection means may be disposed between the steam generating apparatus and the steam injection unit have.

The recovery means may include a first recovery flow path formed in a steam supply path connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit to recover the condensed water to the steam generator.

Alternatively, the hot air supply device not only heats the air but also removes moisture in the air and collects it in a collection container. The collection means is formed in a steam supply passage connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit, And a first recovery flow path for recovering the collected water to the collection cistern.

Specifically, in the present invention, the recovery means may be a T-shaped tube positioned in a steam supply passage connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit. The recovery means may further include a water collecting means for collecting the condensed water, and the water collecting means may include a water collecting member provided in the first return passage. Preferably, the water collecting member comprises a case provided along the first collecting passage and having a predetermined space.

In the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention, it is preferable that the collecting means further includes collecting means for collecting the condensed water.

Specifically, the recovering means comprises a recovering member including a first flow path and a second flow path connected to the steam generating device and the steam injection unit, respectively, and a third flow path forming the first recovery flow path, And the recovery means may be formed in the recovery member and connected to the first, second, and third flow paths, respectively.

In this case, the second flow path connected to the steam injection unit is formed to be inclined toward an upper portion of the predetermined angle, and the third flow path is formed to flow downward in the recovery space so that steam flows backward along the third flow path, It is preferable to prevent the liquid from being supplied along the second flow path.

Preferably, the recovery means further includes a shut-off valve for selectively shutting off the first recovery flow path. In this case, the shutoff valve is interrupted when the steam generator is driven to generate steam, and is opened when the steam generator is not driven to recover the condensed water.

The connection portion of the T-shaped pipe connected to the steam supply passage may be formed so as to be thinner toward the outside in order to reduce the flow path resistance. Also, it is preferable that the first and second flow paths connected to the steam supply path are formed so as to be thinner toward the outside in order to reduce the flow path resistance.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention can prevent the condensed water condensed with steam from being sprayed into the interior of the clothes processing apparatus, thereby preventing the clothes from being wetted by the condensed water.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a front view showing a clothes processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a clothes processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a cabinet 10 having a housing space 12 for accommodating clothes 1 therein, a hot air supply unit 110 for supplying hot air to the housing space 12, (See FIG. 2) for selectively injecting steam into the accommodation space 12 and steam generated in the steam generating device 30 into the accommodation space 12 And the condensed water condensed during the movement of the steam includes a steam injection unit (refer to FIG. 2) 40 which is returned to the steam generator 30.

The cabinet 10 is provided with various components to be described later, and a receiving space 12 in which clothes are received is formed in the cabinet 10. The accommodation space 12 is selectively communicated with the outside by the door 14. [ In addition, the accommodation space 12 is provided with various supports 16 for hanging the clothes 1. The structure for supporting the clothes 1 is widely known in the field of the present invention, and thus a detailed description thereof will be omitted do.

A hot air supply device 22 for selectively supplying hot air and steam to the accommodation space 12 and a machine room 20 for accommodating the steam generating device 30 are formed in the cabinet 10. The machine room 20 is preferably located at a lower portion of the accommodation space 12 and the hot air supply device 22 and the steam generator 30 described above are located inside. The reason why the machine room 20 is located at the lower part is that the hot air and steam supplied to the housing space 12 have a property of ascending so that the machine room 20 is located at the lower part, Because it is preferable to supply them.

2 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration inside the machine room 20 according to an embodiment. In FIG. 2, only the components of the hot air supply device 22 and the steam generator 30 are shown for convenience of explanation, and the piping line connecting the components is not shown.

Referring to FIG. 2, a hot air supply device for supplying hot air to the accommodation space (see FIG. 1) 12 is provided inside the machine room 20, and a heat pump 22 and a steam generator 30 for supplying steam are located do.

The heat pump 22 corresponding to the hot air supply device of the present invention is similar to the heat pump used in an air conditioner or the like. That is, the heat pump 22 is provided with an evaporator 24, a compressor 26, a condenser 28 and an expansion valve (not shown) through which the refrigerant circulates, thereby dehumidifying and heating the air. That is, the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 24 to absorb the latent heat of the surrounding air, and the air is cooled to condense and remove moisture in the air. Further, when the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 28 through the compressor 26, the ambient air is heated by releasing latent heat toward the surrounding air. Accordingly, the evaporator 24 and the condenser 28 function as a heat exchanger, and the air introduced into the machine room 20 is sequentially dehumidified and heated through the evaporator 24 and the condenser 28, ).

As described above, the air heated by the heat pump 22 can be slightly lower in temperature than the air heated using the conventional heater, but it is possible to dehumidify the air without using a separate dehumidifying device. Therefore, the air supplied back to the accommodation space 12 by the heat pump 22 is relatively 'low temperature dry air' (here, 'low temperature' does not mean that the temperature is absolutely low, Which means that the temperature is relatively low compared to the conventional heated air). Therefore, although the temperature of the air supplied by the heat pump 22 of the present invention is lower than the hot air of the conventional clothes processing apparatus, the dehumidified air is supplied without a separate dehumidifying device, .

An air inlet 21 through which the air in the accommodation space 12 flows into the interior of the machine room 20 is formed in the upper portion of the machine room 20 and the air inlet 21 and the evaporator 24, It is preferable to form a flow path through which the air flows by the duct 29 connecting the fan 28 and the fan 32. The air introduced into the machine room 20 through the air inlet 21 by the duct 29 is dehumidified and heated while passing through the heat pump 22 and is supplied to the accommodation space 12 again by the fan 32 .

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the heat pump 22 is described as an example of a hot air supply device for supplying hot air to the accommodating space 12 of the cabinet. However, the hot air supply device is not limited to this, A gas-type heater, and an electric heater that heats the air by electric resistance may be applied.

Here, although not shown in the drawing, the air inlet 21 may preferably be provided with a filter. By providing the filter in the air inlet 21, it becomes possible to filter various foreign substances or the like that may be contained in the air introduced into the machine room 20 from the accommodation space 12, and to supply only fresh air to the accommodation space 12.

In the meantime, the machine room 20 is provided with a steam generator 30 for selectively supplying steam to the accommodation space 12. It is possible to remove wrinkles and the like which may occur in the clothes or the like due to the supply of the steam to the accommodation space 12 by the steam generating device 30 and further to the effect of sterilization by the high temperature steam, Effect can be expected. As described above, the timing of spraying the steam by the steam generator 30 can be appropriately modified. Preferably, the steam is sprayed before the hot air is supplied by the heat pump 22 described above. This is because it is preferable to dry clothes by supplying hot air after spraying high temperature steam.

The steam generator 30 includes a heater (not shown) for heating water, and generates steam by supplying water to the storage space 12. An external faucet or the like may be used as the water supply source for supplying water to the steam generator 30 or a container type water supply provided to one side of the machine room 20 may be used. This container type of water source is preferably removably installed so that the user can separate the water source from the machine room 20 to fill and reinstall the water.

The steam generated in the steam generator 30 is supplied to the accommodation space 12 through the steam hose 36 and the steam injection unit 40. In this case, the shorter the length of the steam hose 36 is, in order to prevent the temperature of the steam from being lowered or the steam to be condensed while the steam moves along the steam hose 36, the shorter the length of the steam hose 36 is. Therefore, when the machine room 20 is located in the lower portion of the accommodation space 12, the steam injection unit 40 preferably supplies steam through the upper portion of the machine room 20, that is, the lower portion of the accommodation space 12 Do.

In addition, a circulation fan 34 may be provided on the backside of the machine room 20. [ The circulating fan 34 supplies the air outside the machine room 20 to the inside of the machine room 20 so that the heat pump 22 and the steam generator 30 are driven and the temperature inside the machine room 20 is excessively high So that it is prevented from ascending.

On the other hand, even if the length of the steam hose 36 is shortened in the clothes processing apparatus having the above-described structure, it is difficult to completely prevent steam from being condensed while the steam moves along the steam hose 36. Accordingly, the steam generated in the steam generator 30 is condensed at least partially during the movement along the steam hose 36 to be condensed water. However, when the condensed water condensed with steam is supplied to the accommodation space 12 together with the steam, the clothes are soaked and not only the effect of refreshing is lowered but also water is supplied to the bottom of the clothes processing apparatus, ≪ / RTI > Therefore, when supplying steam, it is necessary to collect condensed water in which condensed steam has not been supplied to the receiving space 12 but to collect it in a separate condensate storage unit (not shown).

The garment treating apparatus according to the present invention includes recovery means for spraying steam generated in the steam generator 30 into the receiving space 12 according to the above-mentioned necessity and recovering the condensed water condensed during the movement of steam do. Hereinafter, the recovery means will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a steam generator 30 having recovery means according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the steam generated in the steam generator 30 is discharged through the discharge port 31 and supplied to the steam injection unit 40 through the steam supply passage 36. In this case, it is preferable to provide a recovery means on the steam supply passage to drain the condensed water condensed during the movement of the steam.

The recovery means includes a first recovery flow path 37 for recovering condensed water condensed in the steam supply path. Preferably, the recovery means includes a steam supply path (not shown) through a T- 36 and the first recovery flow path 37 are connected to each other. The inlet 62 and the first outlet 64 form a steam supply passage and the first inlet 64 and the outlet 62 form a steam supply passage. And a second outlet (66) vertically extending from the connecting line is connected to the first recovery flow path (37).

In addition, the first return flow path 37 may include a water collecting member 69 having a predetermined space as collecting means for collecting condensed water. The water collecting member 69 is formed as a case having a predetermined space therein to collect the condensed water when the condensed water is recovered by the first recovery flow path 37. If the water collecting member 69 is not provided, the condensed water collected in the first return flow passage 37 can flow back to the inlet port 62 through the second outlet 64 when a large amount of condensed water is generated. Accordingly, the water collecting member 69 prevents the condensed water from flowing back toward the inlet 62, thereby collecting the condensed water.

Thus, when the steam is condensed while moving along the steam supply passage 36, the generated condensed water is collected into the T-shaped pipe 60 along the steam supply passage 36, and is discharged through the second outlet 66 Collect on the collecting passage 37, more specifically collect on the collecting member 69 of the first collecting passage 37. In this case, it is preferable that a shutoff valve 68 is provided on the first recovery flow path 37 to prevent the condensed water from being supplied again to the steam generator 30 while the steam generator 30 is being driven.

That is, while the steam generator 30 is driven to generate steam, the shutoff valve 68 is kept closed. Therefore, the condensed water collected in the first recovery flow path 37 is not recovered to the steam generator 30 by the shutoff valve 68 during the operation of the steam generator 30, And collected in the water collecting member 69.

When the steam generating device 30 stops driving, the control unit (not shown) opens the shut-off valve 68 to open the first recovery flow path 37, And the condensed water of the water collecting member (69) is returned to the steam supply device (30) through the suction port (33).

When the steam line 35 extending from the discharge port 31 of the steam generator 30 is connected to the inlet port 62 of the T-shaped pipe 60, the steam line 35 and the inlet port It is preferable that they are connected smoothly. This is because a large amount of steam is condensed by the flow path resistance and a sufficient amount of steam is not supplied to the accommodating space 12 if a step such as a latching jaw is formed between the steam line 35 and the inlet 62. Therefore, it is preferable that the steam line 35 and the inlet port 62 are smoothly connected without forming a step.

6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a connecting portion to which the steam line 35 and the inlet port 62 are connected.

6, when the steam line 35 and the inlet 62 are connected to each other, the end of the inlet 62 is formed to be thinner toward the outside so as not to form a step, do. Therefore, when the steam line 35 and the inlet port 62 are connected to each other, it is possible to smoothly connect the steam line 35 and the inlet 62 without forming a step such as a latching jaw, thereby reducing the flow path resistance while the steam is moving.

4 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a steam generator 30 having recovery means according to another embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment differs from the embodiment of Fig. 3 described above in that the collecting means and the collecting means are formed by one member. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly discussed.

Referring to FIG. 4, on the steam supply passage through which the steam is supplied from the steam generator 30, there is provided a collecting member 70 serving as collecting means and collecting means. The recovery member 70 includes a body 78 in which a recovery space is formed and a first flow path 72 and a second flow path 74 connected to the steam generation device 30 and the steam injection unit 40, And a third flow path 76 connected to a first recovery flow path 37 through which condensed water is recovered.

The shape of the recovering member 70 is shown in detail in FIG. 5, and the recovering member 70 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.

4 and 5, the first flow path 72 and the second flow path 74 of the recovery member 70 are connected to the steam generator 30 and the steam injection unit 40, respectively, Respectively. That is, the steam generated in the steam generator 30 is supplied to the steam injection unit 40 along the first flow path 72 and the second flow path 74.

In this case, it is preferable that the second flow path 74 is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle?

Since the high-temperature steam has a property of ascending, if the second flow path 74 is formed so as to be inclined upward, the flow of steam can be made more smooth. In addition, when the second flow path 74 is formed so as to be inclined, when condensed water is generated during the movement of steam along the second flow path 74 and the steam supply flow path 36, the condensed water is not supplied to the steam injection unit 40 , And is easily recovered to the recovery member (70). Therefore, it is preferable that not only the second flow path 74, but also the steam supply flow path 36 are arranged so as to be inclined in the vertical direction or the upper direction. Here, the angle? At which the second flow path 74 is inclined upward forms approximately 15 to 75 degrees, and preferably an angle of 40 to 50 degrees.

It is preferable that the first flow path 72 and the second flow path 74 are formed so that the inner diameter of the second flow path 74 is larger than the first flow path 72. This is to reduce the amount of condensation of the steam passing through the second flow path 74 by reducing the flow path resistance of the steam while the steam is traveling along the steam supply flow path 36. Also, as the diameter of the steam supply passage 36 connected to the second flow path 74 and the second flow path 74 is increased, the flow rate of the steam is reduced, thereby preventing the condensed water from being sprayed together with the steam.

On the other hand, the body 78 of the recovering member 70 is formed so as to form a recovering space of a predetermined size therein, and serves as collecting means for collecting the condensed water. That is, when the condensed water is recovered by the recovery member 70, the condensed water is recovered in the recovery space of the body 78 to prevent the condensed water from flowing backward through the first flow path 72.

It is preferable that the third flow path 76 connected to the first recovery flow path 37 in which the condensed water is recovered to the steam generator 30 is formed downward from the body 78. This is to allow the condensed water to be drained more smoothly to the first recovery flow path 37 through the third flow path 76 when condensed water is collected in the body 78.

4, a configuration and a method for opening and closing the shutoff valve 68 with the shutoff valve 68 in the first recovery flow path 37 to recover the condensed water to the steam generator 30 are shown in FIG. 3 And therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Also, in this embodiment, the structure for reducing the flow path resistance when connecting the steam line 35 and the first flow path 72 of the collecting member 70 is similar to the configuration described with reference to FIG. 6, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. For example, although in the above-described embodiments, the condensed water is described as being recovered to the steam generator, it is not limited thereto. That is, when a heat pump is provided as a hot air supply device, the heat pump serves to remove moisture in the air as described above. In this case, a water collecting container (not shown) for collecting the condensed water removed from the heat pump can be detachably installed in the machine room. Accordingly, in the above-described embodiments, the first recovery flow path for recovering the condensed water condensed with steam can be connected to the collection tube. This makes it possible for the user to separate the collection cisterns, discard the condensed water, mount the collection cistern again, and use the clothes processing apparatus.

1 is a front view of a clothes processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the inside of the machine room in Fig. 1,

3 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a steam generator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a steam generator according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

5 is a perspective view showing the recovery means for recovering the condensed water in Fig. 4, and Fig.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a connection state of the recovery means and the steam supply passage in FIG. 5;

Claims (16)

A cabinet in which a receiving space for accommodating clothes is formed; A hot air supply device for heating the air to supply hot air to the accommodation space; A steam generating device for generating steam injected into the accommodation space; And And recovery means for recovering the condensed water from being supplied to the accommodating space when steam generated in the steam generating device is condensed while moving to the accommodating space. A cabinet in which a receiving space for accommodating clothes is formed; A hot air supply device for heating the air to supply hot air to the accommodation space; A steam generating device for generating steam injected into the accommodation space; And And recovery means for recovering the condensed water not to be supplied to the containing space when the steam generated in the steam generating apparatus is condensed, Further comprising a steam injection unit for injecting steam generated in the steam generator into the accommodation space, Wherein the recovery means is located between the steam generator and the steam injection unit. 3. The method of claim 2, Wherein the recovery means includes a first recovery flow path formed in a steam supply passage connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit to recover the condensed water to the steam generator. 3. The method of claim 2, The hot air supply device not only heats the air, but also removes moisture in the air and collects it in a collection container, Wherein the recovery means includes a first recovery flow passage formed in a steam supply passage connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit to recover the condensed water to the collection container. The method according to claim 3 or 4, Wherein the recovery means comprises a T-shaped tube positioned in a steam supply passage connecting the steam generator and the steam injection unit. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein the recovery means further comprises a water collecting means for collecting the condensed water. The method according to claim 6, Wherein the water collecting means comprises a water collecting member provided in the first return passage. 8. The method of claim 7, Wherein the water collecting member comprises a case provided along the first return flow passage and having a predetermined space. The method according to claim 3 or 4, Wherein the recovery means further comprises a water collecting means for collecting the condensed water. 10. The method of claim 9, Wherein the recovery means comprises a recovery device including a first flow path and a second flow path connected to the steam generating device and the steam injection unit respectively and a third flow path forming the first recovery flow path, Wherein the water collecting means comprises a collection space formed inside the collection member and connected to the first, second, and third flow paths, respectively. 11. The method of claim 10, And the second flow path connected to the steam injection unit is formed to be inclined toward an upper portion of a predetermined angle. 11. The method of claim 10, And the third flow path is formed to extend downward in the collection space. The method according to claim 3 or 4, Wherein the recovery means further comprises a shut-off valve for selectively shutting off the first recovery flow path. 14. The method of claim 13, Wherein the shutoff valve is interrupted when the steam generator is driven to generate steam, and is opened when the steam generator is not driven. 6. The method of claim 5, Wherein the connecting portion of the T-shaped tube connected to the steam supply passage is formed to have a thickness thinner toward the outside in order to reduce the flow path resistance. 11. The method of claim 10, Wherein the first and second flow paths connected to the steam supply path are formed to have a thickness thinner toward the outside in order to reduce the flow path resistance.

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