EP3838103A1

EP3838103A1 - Dishwasher

Info

Publication number: EP3838103A1
Application number: EP19849901.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daegyu Kim; Seunghun KIM; Ilhwan Kim; Sangheon Yoon
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2018-08-13
Filing date: 2019-08-13
Publication date: 2021-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2039-08-13
Also published as: EP3838103B1; WO2020036405A1; KR20200018835A; CN112566535A; KR102598649B1; US20210298560A1; EP3838103A4

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher. The dishwasher according to the present disclosure includes a cabinet forming an external shape; a tub which is disposed inside the cabinet, and forms a washing chamber in which dishes are processed therein; a first circulation duct through which air discharged from the washing chamber flows; a second circulation duct which sends the air flowing through the first circulation duct to the washing chamber; an outside air inflow duct through which air introduced from the outside of the cabinet flows; a heat exchange duct which heat exchanges the air flowing through the outside air inflow duct with the air flowing through the first circulation duct, and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the outside; and a fan assembly which is disposed in a lower side of the tub, and forms a flow of air, wherein the fan assembly includes: a first fan that rotates around a vertically formed rotation shaft, and forms any one of air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct; a second fan which is disposed below the first fan and rotates around a vertically formed rotation shaft, and forms remaining one of air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct; a fan housing forming a first chamber forming a space in which the first fan is disposed and a second chamber forming a space in which the second fan is disposed; and a fan motor which is disposed below the second fan, and rotates the first fan and the second fan.

Description

[Technical Field]

The present disclosure relates to a dishwasher, and more particularly, to a dishwasher for driving two fans using a single motor.

[Background Art]

A dishwasher is an apparatus capable of washing dishes using water and detergent in a space where dishes may be stored, and washing dishes through a rinsing and drying process. Foreign substances from dishes can be removed by washing and rinsing processes with water and detergent. In addition, washing of the dishes may be finished through a drying process of removing water remaining on the dishes.
The drying process of the dishwasher may be achieved by the process of increasing the temperature of the dishes by increasing the temperature of the water sprayed on the dishes, promoting the evaporation of the water on the dishes, and condensing the evaporated water vapor in a cooling duct located inside or outside of a washing tank or absorbing and removing the evaporated water vapor using a dehumidifying agent.
If the humid air inside a dishwasher tub is discharged to the outside, the dishes inside the dishwasher can be quickly dried, but when the humid air is discharged to the outside of the dishwasher, there is a problem in that mold or the like may occur in the outer space where the dishwasher is disposed due to a large amount of moisture, or an external configuration may be damaged.
In addition, basically, a cleaning chamber of the tub occupies a majority of space inside the cabinet, and other configuration may be disposed in a space formed between the tub and the cabinet. Since it is difficult to form a space for an additional configuration in such a limited space, there is a problem in that it is difficult to dispose an additional configuration.

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a dishwasher capable of efficiently drying the inside of a tub by treating the humid air inside the tub.
The present disclosure further provides a dishwasher in which two fans and a fan assembly for driving the same are additionally installed in order to circulate air inside the tub and form a flow of air heat exchanged with the circulated air.
The problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[Technical Solution]

In order to achieve the above problems, the dishwasher according to the present disclosure includes a cabinet forming an external shape; a tub which is disposed inside the cabinet, and forms a washing chamber in which dishes are processed therein; a first circulation duct through which air discharged from the washing chamber flows; a second circulation duct which sends the air flowing through the first circulation duct to the washing chamber; an outside air inflow duct through which air introduced from the outside of the cabinet flows; a heat exchange duct which heat exchanges the air flowing through the outside air inflow duct with the air flowing through the first circulation duct, and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the outside; and a fan assembly which is disposed in a lower side of the tub, and forms a flow of air, wherein the fan assembly includes: a first fan that rotates around a vertically formed rotation shaft, and forms any one of air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct; a second fan which is disposed below the first fan and rotates around a vertically formed rotation shaft, and forms remaining one of air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct; a fan housing forming a first chamber forming a space in which the first fan is disposed and a second chamber forming a space in which the second fan is disposed; and a fan motor which is disposed below the second fan, and rotates the first fan and the second fan, so that the fan assembly for drying the tub can be compactly disposed in the lower space of the tub.
A third chamber in which the fan motor is disposed is formed below the second chamber in the fan housing, thereby driving the first fan and the second fan by using a single fan motor.
The first chamber is partitioned from the second chamber and disposed above the second chamber, and the third chamber is disposed below the second chamber to communicate with the second chamber.
The first chamber has a first inlet port, through which air is introduced, that is formed in an upper side, and a first outlet port, through which air is discharged, that is formed in one side of a circumferential surface, and the second chamber has a second inlet port, through which air is introduced, that is formed in a lower side, and a second outlet, through which air is discharged, that is formed in one side of a circumferential surface.
In the first chamber, air flowing through the first circulation duct is introduced into the first inlet port and air is discharged to the second circulation duct through the first outlet port and, in the second chamber, air introduced from the outside of the cabinet is introduced to the second inlet port and air is discharged to the heat exchange duct through the second outlet port.
The fan housing forms a third chamber that forms a space in which the fan motor is disposed, and the third chamber is disposed below the second chamber and communicates with the second inlet port.
The fan housing includes: an upper cover which forms an upper portion of the first chamber; a lower cover which forms a lower portion of the second chamber; and a central cover which is disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover and partitions the first chamber and the second chamber.
The fan assembly includes: a first circulation duct-connecting part which connects the first chamber and the first circulation duct; a second circulation duct-connecting part which connects the first chamber and the second circulation duct; and a heat exchange duct-connecting part which connects the second chamber and the heat exchange duct, wherein the first circulation duct-connecting part, the second circulation duct-connecting part, and the heat exchange duct-connecting part are disposed in a front-rear direction in one side surface of a lower portion of the tub.
The dishwasher further includes a circulation part heater which is disposed inside the second circulation duct and heats a flowing air.
Details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[Advantageous Effects]

According to the dishwasher of the present disclosure, one or more of the following effects are provided.
First, the dishwasher of the present disclosure has the advantage of improving drying performance by circulating or exhausting the air inside the tub according to the degree of humidity of the air inside the tub.
Second, since it is possible to flow the internal air of each of the heat exchange duct and the circulation duct by driving two fans using a single fan motor, there is also an advantage of reducing power consumption.
Third, since the fan motor and the two fans included in the fan assembly are disposed in the vertical direction, and each fan is formed in a compact configuration with a structure that sucks air in the upper side or the direction in which the fan motor is disposed, there is also an advantage that it can be placed in a narrow space in the lower side the tub.
The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a flow of air inside a dishwasher during a drying process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 is a view for explaining heat exchange occurring in air flowing through a tub, a circulation duct, and a heat exchange duct according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the configuration and disposition of a tub, a circulation duct, a heat exchange duct, and a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of cutting one side of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7A is a view for explaining a disposition of an outside air inflow duct according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7B is a view for explaining a disposition of an outside air inflow duct according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one side for explaining the inner side of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of one side of a fan housing to explain a coupling relationship between a fan assembly and the fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10A is a view showing a lower side of a lower cover of a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 10B is a view in which one side of a lower cover of a fan housing is cut away according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[Mode for Invention]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the present embodiment, the same designations and the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and further description thereof will be omitted.
Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference to drawings for explaining a dishwasher according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of a dishwasher according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring to FIG. 1, the dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment includes a cabinet 12 forming an external shape, a door 16 that is coupled to the cabinet 12 to open and close the cabinet 12, and a tub 14 that is installed inside the cabinet 12 and has a washing chamber 14a for processing dishes disposed therein. The cabinet 12 and the tub 14 have an open front surface on which the door 16 is disposed.
The dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment may include a dispenser (not shown) that stores detergent inserted by a user, and injects detergent into the tub 14 in a washing step. The dispenser may be disposed in the door 16.
The cabinet 12 according to the present embodiment forms an external shape, and has open one side.
The tub 14 according to the present embodiment is disposed inside the cabinet 12. The tub 14 according to the present embodiment may form a space, between the tub and the cabinet 12, in which a heat exchange duct 80 and a circulation duct 60, 70 described later are disposed. A circulation duct inlet hole 62a through which air flowing through the washing chamber 14a inside the tub 14 is discharged to the circulation duct 60, 70 is formed in the upper surface of the tub 14 according to the present embodiment. A circulation duct exhaust hole 76 through which air flowing through the circulation duct 60, 70 is discharged to the washing chamber 14a inside the tub 14 is formed in the side surface of the tub 14 according to the present embodiment.
The dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment includes a rack 36, 38 for accommodating dishes inside the tub 14, a spray nozzle 30, 32, 34 for spraying washing water toward dishes accommodated in the rack 36, 38, a sump 18 for supplying washing water to the spray nozzle 30, 32, 34, and a washing pump 20 for pumping the washing water stored in the sump 18 to the spray module.
The rack 36, 38 include an upper rack 36 disposed in an upper portion of the washing chamber 14a and a lower rack 38 disposed below the upper rack 36. The spray nozzle 30, 32, 34 may further include a top spray nozzle 30 that is disposed in an upper end of the washing chamber 14a and sprays washing water into the washing chamber 14a, an upper spray nozzle 32 that is disposed between the upper rack 36 and the lower rack 38, and sprays washing water onto the upper rack 36 or onto the upper rack 36 and the lower rack 38, and a lower spray nozzle 34 that is disposed below the lower rack 38, and sprays the washing water to the lower rack 38. Each of the plurality of spray nozzles 30, 32, and 34 may be connected to a plurality of spray nozzle connection pipes 40, 42, and 44.
Inside the washing pump 20, an impeller 22 that rotates so that the washing water inside the washing pump 20 is supplied to a plurality of spray nozzles, a washing motor 24 that rotates the impeller 22, and a heater 26 that heats the washing water inside the washing pump 20 may be contained. The washing water pumped from the washing pump 20 flows through a washing water supply pipe 46, and a switching valve 28 connects at least one of the plurality of spray nozzles 30, 32, and 34 to the washing water supply pipe 46.
The dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment may include a water supply assembly that supplies washing water into the dishwasher, and a drain assembly that drains water stored in the dishwasher. The water supply assembly according to the present embodiment may include a water supply pipe 48 that forms a water supply passage through which washing water is supplied from an external water source, a water supply valve 50 that opens and closes the water supply passage formed in the water supply pipe 48, and a flow meter (not shown) that measures the flow rate of the washing water flowing to a sump 18 through the water supply passage.
The drainage assembly according to the present embodiment may include a drain pipe 52 that has a drain passage for guiding the water stored in the sump 18 to the outside, and a drain pump 54 that is disposed in the drain passage formed in the drain pipe 52, and drains the washing water in the sump 18 to the outside. The drain pump 54 may include a drain motor (not shown) that generates rotational force.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of air inside a dishwasher during a drying process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a view for explaining heat exchange occurring in air flowing through a tub, a circulation duct, and a heat exchange duct according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the configuration and disposition of a tub, a circulation duct, a heat exchange duct, and a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5A is a view for explaining a disposition of an outside air inflow duct according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5B is a view for explaining a disposition of an outside air inflow duct according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
The dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment includes a circulation duct 60, 70 that forms a space in which the air inside the washing chamber 14a flows to the outside of the tub 14 and circulates, a heat exchange duct 80 that exchanges heat with the circulation duct 60, 70 by introducing air from the outside of the cabinet 12, and a fan assembly 100 that forms the flow of air between the circulation duct 60, 70 and the heat exchange duct 80.
The circulation duct 60, 70 includes a first circulation duct 60 that heat-changes the air discharged from the tub 14 with the heat exchange duct 80, and a second circulation duct 70 that heats the heat-exchanged air and supplies it to the washing chamber 14a inside the tub 14.
The first circulation duct 60 is disposed between the heat exchange duct 80 and the cabinet 12. The first circulation duct 60 according to the present embodiment may be disposed to be surface-contact with the heat exchange duct 80 to exchange heat with air, which is introduced from the outside, flowing through the heat exchange duct 80. In addition, the first circulation duct 60 is disposed to be surface-contact with the cabinet 12 to exchange heat with the air flowing outside the cabinet 12.
The first circulation duct 60 is disposed between the side surface of the tub 14 and the cabinet 12, and may include a heat exchange-circulation duct 64 that heat exchanges with the heat exchange duct 80, and a connection duct 62 that sends the air discharged from the tub 14 to the heat exchange-circulation duct 64.
The connection duct 62 connects the circulation duct inlet hole 62a formed in the upper side of the tub 14 with the heat exchange-circulation duct 64. A plurality of flow path guides 66 for guiding the flow of air may be formed inside the heat exchange-circulation duct 64. The flow path guide 66 may achieve effective heat exchange by controlling the speed of air flowing inside the heat exchange-circulation duct 64, or allowing the flow length to be a long distance.
The heat exchange-circulation duct 64 may include a plurality of condensed water guides 68 for guiding condensed water generated by heat exchange to the circulation duct exhaust hole 76. The plurality of condensed water guides 68 may be disposed in one side surface and the other side surface of the inner side of the heat exchange-circulation duct 64, respectively.
The second circulation duct 70 flows through the first circulation duct 60 to supply heat-exchanged air into the tub 14. A circulation part heater 78 may be disposed inside the second circulation duct 70. Accordingly, the air flowing through the second circulation duct 70 may be heated by the circulation part heater 78 and supplied into the tub 14.
A circulation duct exhaust hole 76 communicating with the washing chamber 14a inside the tub 14 is formed in an end of the second circulation duct 70. An upper flow path through which air flows upward is formed in the upstream of the circulation duct 60, 70, a lower flow path is formed in the downstream to allow the air flown upward to flow downward, and a circulation duct exhaust hole 76 is formed in the downstream of the lower flow path. The circulation part heater 78 may be disposed in the upstream of the upper flow path. That is, the circulation part heater 78 is disposed below the upper flow path.
Accordingly, the washing water scattered from the washing chamber 14a in the tub 14 to the second circulation duct 70 can be prevented from flowing into the circulation part heater 78.
The heat exchange duct 80 may be disposed between the side surface of the tub 14 and the first circulation duct 60. Accordingly, the air, which is introduced from the outside, flowing through the heat exchange duct 80 can exchange heat with the first circulation duct 60. In addition, air flowing through the heat exchange duct 80 may exchange heat with air flowing through the washing chamber 14a inside the tub 14. Therefore, the high-temperature and high-humidity air flowing through the washing chamber 14a of the tub 14 and the high-temperature and high-humidity air flowing through the first circulation duct 60 can generate condensate water through heat exchange with the outside air flowing through the heat exchange duct 80.
A separate flow path guide (not shown) may be formed inside the heat exchange duct 80 as well.
The dishwasher 10 according to the present embodiment may include an exhaust duct 86 for discharging air heat-exchanged with the first circulation duct 60 in the heat exchange duct 80 to the outside of the cabinet 12. The exhaust duct 86 is disposed above the tub 14 and may discharge air to the front of the cabinet 12.
Air introduced into the cabinet 12 from the outside may flow to the heat exchange duct 80 through an outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b. The outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b according to the present embodiment may be connected to a third chamber 124 described below. Therefore, the outside air introduced into the outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b flows into a second chamber 122 through the third chamber 124, and flows into the heat exchange duct 80 due to the rotation of a second fan.
Referring to FIG. 4A, the outside air inflow duct 140a may be formed in one side of a circumferential surface on which the fan motor 134 of the fan assembly 100 is disposed. In this case, the outside air may flow into the rear of the cabinet 12. Referring to FIG. 4B, the outside air inflow duct 140b may be disposed below the fan assembly 100. In this case, outside air may flow into the cabinet 12 through the lower side of the cabinet 12. In addition, it is possible to form an inlet port in the lower front of the cabinet 12 or to form an inlet port by a space between the tub 14 and the cabinet 12.
The fan assembly 100 may send air flowing through the first circulation duct 60 to the second circulation duct 70, and send air introduced into the cabinet 12 from the outside to the heat exchange duct 80.
Inside the fan assembly 100 according to the present embodiment, a first chamber 120 communicating the first circulation duct 60 with the second circulation duct 70, and a second chamber 122 communicating the outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b with the heat exchange duct 80 are formed. A first fan 130 for flowing the air of the first circulation duct 60 to the second circulation duct 70 may be disposed in the first chamber 120, and a second fan 132 for flowing the air of the outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b to the heat exchange duct 80 may be disposed in the second chamber 122. In addition, the fan assembly 100 may include a fan motor 134 that simultaneously rotates the first fan 130 and the second fan 132. The fan motor 134 is disposed in one side of the first fan 130 or the second fan 132, and rotates the first fan 130 and the second fan 132 simultaneously. The fan assembly 100 according to the present embodiment is disposed below the tub 14. The fan assembly 100 according to the present embodiment has a structure in which two fans 130 and 132 are driven by a single fan motor 134. The detailed configuration of the fan assembly 100 will be described below.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of one side for explaining the inner side of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a fan assembly of FIG. 6 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one side for explaining the inner side of a fan assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a view for explaining a coupling relationship between a fan motor and a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10A is a view showing a lower side of a lower cover of a fan housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10B is a view in which one side of a lower cover of a fan housing is cut away according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Hereinafter, a fan assembly according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10.
The fan assembly 100 according to the present embodiment includes a fan housing 110 that forms a first chamber 120 communicating with the first circulation duct 60 and the second circulation duct 70 and a second chamber 122 receiving outside air and communicating with the heat exchange duct 80, a first fan 130 which is disposed inside the first chamber 120 and flows the air inside the first circulation duct 60 to the second circulation duct 70, a second fan 132 which is disposed inside the second chamber 122 and flows the air introduced into the cabinet 12 from the outside to the heat exchange duct 80, and a fan motor 134 which is disposed in one side of the first fan 130 or the second fan 132, and rotates the first fan 130 and the second fan 132.
The first chamber 120 and the second chamber 122 disposed inside the fan housing 110 may be disposed vertically. The first chamber 120 according to the present embodiment is disposed above the second chamber 122. Inside the fan housing 110 according to the present embodiment, a third chamber 124 in which the fan motor 134 is disposed may be formed below the second chamber 122.
A first inlet port 120a communicating with the first circulation duct 60 is formed in the upper side of the first chamber 120, and a first outlet port 120b communicating with the second circulation duct 70 is formed in one side of the circumferential surface of the first chamber 120.
A second inlet port 122a through which air introduced from the outside of the cabinet 12 is introduced is formed in the lower side of the second chamber 122, and a second outlet port 122b communicating with the heat exchange duct 80 is formed in one side of the circumferential surface of the second chamber 122. The second inlet port 122a according to the present embodiment communicates the second chamber 122 with the third chamber 124. The third chamber 124 may be connected to the outside air inflow duct 140a, 140b.
The third chamber 124 may have a third inlet port 124a through which outside air flows into one of the lower side or the circumferential surface. The third inlet port 124a may be set in consideration of the disposition of the outside air inflow duct. Accordingly, when the outside air inflow duct 140a is disposed behind the third chamber 124 as shown in FIG. 7A, the third inlet port 124a may be formed in one side of the circumferential surface of the third chamber 124. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the outside air inflow duct 140b is disposed in the lower side of the third chamber 124, the third inlet port 124a may be formed in the lower side of the third chamber 124.
The first chamber 120 and the second chamber 122 are disposed vertically with a central cover 116 interposed therebetween, and the internal space is not communicated with each other. The second chamber 122 and the third chamber 124 are disposed vertically and are disposed to communicate with each other. A chamber partition plate 114a having a second inlet port 122a is disposed between the second chamber 122 and the third chamber 124. When the fan motor 134 is operated, the air inside the third chamber 124 flows into the second chamber 122 due to the rotation of the second fan 132.
The fan housing 110 includes an upper cover 112 forming an upper portion of the first chamber 120, a lower cover 114 forming a lower portion of the second chamber 122, and a central cover 116 which is disposed between the upper cover 112 and the lower cover 114, and partitions the first chamber 120 and the second chamber 122.
The first chamber 120 is formed by coupling the upper cover 112 and the central cover 116. The coupling of the upper cover 112 and the central cover 116 may form an exhaust chamber 126 that sends air discharged from the first chamber 120 to the second circulation duct 70. The upper cover 112 may further include a fastening portion 112c that is fastened or fixed to the central cover 116 and the lower cover 114. The fastening portion 112c may extend downward from a second circulation duct-connection portion 112b described below.
The exhaust chamber 126 according to the present embodiment is disposed in front of the first chamber 120. The first chamber 120 and the exhaust chamber 126 may communicate with each other through the first outlet port 120b. The exhaust chamber 126 may be formed in a direction in which the first outlet port 120b is formed in the first chamber 120. The second chamber 122 is formed by the coupling of the central cover 116 and the lower cover 114.
The lower cover 114 includes a fan motor fixing portion 114b that fixes the fan motor 134 by separating from the chamber partition plate 114a by a certain interval. The fan motor fixing portion 114b is disposed around the second inlet port 122a and protrudes downward from the lower surface of the chamber partition plate 114a. The fan motor fixing portion 114b may have a hook shape protruding downward from the chamber partition plate 114a. The fan motor fixing portion 114b may be fastened with the fastening member 136 of the fan motor 134 described below, and fix the fan motor 134. A plurality of fan motor fixing portions 114b according to the present embodiment may be formed along the circumference of the second inlet port 122a. The plurality of fan motor fixing portions 114b may be spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the second inlet port 122a.
The fan assembly 100 may further include a first circulation duct-connecting part 112a connecting the first chamber 120 and the first circulation duct 60, a second circulation duct-connecting part 112b connecting the first chamber 120 and the second circulation duct 70, and a heat exchange duct-connecting part 118 connecting the second chamber 122 and the heat exchange duct 80. The first circulation duct-connecting part 112a and the second circulation duct-connecting part 112b may be integrally formed with the upper cover 112. The first circulation duct-connecting part 112a, the second circulation duct-connecting part 112b, and the heat exchange duct-connecting part 118 according to the present embodiment may be disposed in the front-rear direction from one side of the lower side of the tub.
The heat exchange duct-connecting part 118 extends in the left direction among the lower cover 114 and the central cover 116 forming the circumference of the second chamber 122, and extends upward to be connected to the heat exchange duct 80. The heat exchange duct-connecting part 118 according to the present embodiment is disposed behind the first circulation duct-connecting part 112a and the second circulation duct-connecting part 112b.
The second circulation duct-connecting part 112b extends in the front direction among the upper cover 112 and the central cover 116 forming the circumference of the first chamber 120, and extends upward of the left direction to be connected with the second circulation duct 70. The second circulation duct-connecting part 112b is connected to the first chamber 120 through the exhaust chamber 126. The second circulation duct-connecting part 112b connects the exhaust chamber 126 and the second circulation duct 70.
The first circulation duct-connecting part 112a forms a space communicating with the inlet port in the upper side of the first chamber 120, and extends to be disposed between the second circulation duct-connecting part 112b and the heat exchange duct-connecting part 118.
The second circulation duct-connecting part 112b, the first circulation duct-connecting part 112a, and the heat exchange duct-connecting part 118 may be sequentially disposed from the front in the lower portion of the side surface of the tub 14. The first fan 130 and the second fan 132 rotate around a vertically formed rotation shaft. A rotation shaft for rotating the first fan 130 and a rotation shaft for rotating the second fan 132 may be formed on the same line.
The first fan 130 and the second fan 132 according to the present embodiment may use a centrifugal fan that introduces air from one surface parallel to the rotation shaft and discharges air in a circumferential direction perpendicular to the rotation shaft.
The first fan 130 according to the present embodiment circulates the air inside the tub 14 to the outside of the tub 14. The second fan 132 according to the present embodiment heat-exchanges air introduced from the outside of the cabinet 12 with air circulating to the outside of the tub 14, and discharges to the outside of the cabinet 12.
The fan assembly 100 according to the present embodiment may include a first rotation shaft 137 connecting the first fan 130 and the second fan 132, and a second rotation shaft 138 connecting the second fan 132 and the fan motor 134. The first rotation shaft 137 and the second rotation shaft 138 can be integrally formed. The first rotation shaft 137 may pass through the central cover 116 to connect the first fan 130 and the second fan 132.
The fan motor 134 according to the present embodiment is disposed in the third chamber 124. The fan motor 134 according to the present embodiment rotates the first fan 130 and the second fan 132 simultaneously. The fan motor 134 is disposed to be separated from the second inlet port 122a downward by a certain interval.
The fan motor 134 includes a fastening member 136 that is fastened to the fan motor fixing portion 114b to fix the position of the fan motor 134. The fastening member 136 according to the present embodiment is formed to protrude radially outward along the circumferential surface of the upper side of the fan motor 134. A plurality of fastening members 136 according to the present embodiment may be formed. The plurality of fastening members 136 are installed at positions corresponding to the plurality of fan motor fixing portions 114b.
Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is not construed as being limited to the described embodiments but is defined by the appended claims as well as equivalents thereto.

Claims

A dishwasher comprising:
a cabinet forming an external shape;

a tub which is disposed inside the cabinet, and forms a washing chamber in which dishes are processed therein;

a first circulation duct through which air discharged from the washing chamber flows;

a second circulation duct which sends the air flowing through the first circulation duct to the washing chamber;

an outside air inflow duct through which air introduced from the outside of the cabinet flows;

a heat exchange duct which heat exchanges the air flowing through the outside air inflow duct with the air flowing through the first circulation duct, and discharges the heat-exchanged air to the outside; and

a fan assembly which is disposed in a lower side of the tub, and forms a flow of air,

wherein the fan assembly comprises:
a fan housing that forms a first inlet port which has a first chamber and a second chamber that are disposed vertically therein, and is opened to an upper side of the first chamber, a first outlet port which is opened to one side of a circumferential surface of the first chamber, a second inlet port which is opened to a lower side of the second chamber, and a second outlet port which is opened to one side of a circumferential surface of the second chamber;

a first fan which rotates around a rotation shaft formed vertically inside the first chamber, and forms any one of an air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or an air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct;

a second fan which rotates around a rotation shaft formed vertically inside the second chamber, and forms remaining one of the air flow from the first circulation duct to the second circulation duct or the air flow from the outside air inflow duct to the heat exchange duct; and

a fan motor which is disposed in a lower side of the second chamber, and transmits rotational force to the first fan and the second fan.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein a third chamber in which the fan motor is disposed is formed below the second chamber in the fan housing.
The dishwasher of claim 2, wherein the first chamber is partitioned from the second chamber and disposed above the second chamber, and
the third chamber is disposed below the second chamber to communicate with the second chamber.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the first chamber has a first inlet port, through which air is introduced, that is formed in an upper side, and a first outlet port, through which air is discharged, that is formed in one side of a circumferential surface, and
the second chamber has a second inlet port, through which air is introduced, that is formed in a lower side, and a second outlet, through which air is discharged, that is formed in one side of a circumferential surface.
The dishwasher of claim 4, wherein, in the first chamber, air flowing through the first circulation duct is introduced into the first inlet port and air is discharged to the second circulation duct through the first outlet port and, in the second chamber, air introduced from the outside of the cabinet is introduced to the second inlet port and air is discharged to the heat exchange duct through the second outlet port.
The dishwasher of claim 4, wherein the fan housing forms a third chamber that forms a space in which the fan motor is disposed,
wherein the third chamber is disposed below the second chamber and communicates with the second inlet port.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the fan housing comprises:
an upper cover which forms an upper portion of the first chamber;

a lower cover which forms a lower portion of the second chamber; and

a central cover which is disposed between the upper cover and the lower cover and partitions the first chamber and the second chamber.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the fan assembly comprises:
a first circulation duct-connecting part which connects the first chamber and the first circulation duct;

a second circulation duct-connecting part which connects the first chamber and the second circulation duct; and

a heat exchange duct-connecting part which connects the second chamber and the heat exchange duct,

wherein the first circulation duct-connecting part, the second circulation duct-connecting part, and the heat exchange duct-connecting part are disposed in a front-rear direction in one side surface of a lower portion of the tub.
The dishwasher of claim 1, further comprising a circulation part heater which is disposed inside the second circulation duct and heats a flowing air.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange duct is disposed between the first circulation duct and the tub.
The dishwasher of claim 10, wherein the first circulation duct is disposed between the cabinet and the heat exchange duct.
The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the heat exchange duct has one side surface that surface-contacts the tub, and has the other side surface that surface-contacts the first circulation duct.