KR101542393B1 - Clothes treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a clothes processing apparatus for effectively processing clothes. The present invention relates to a cabinet; A receiving space provided in the cabinet, the receiving space receiving the garment to be processed; An air supply device for generating dry air and supplying the dry air to circulate in the accommodation space; A water supply device for supplying a predetermined amount of water into the accommodation space; And a container including a body configured to store condensed water generated in the air supply device, an outlet provided in the body for discharging the stored condensed water, and an inclined portion formed in the body adjacent to the outlet, Lt; / RTI >

Clothing processing equipment, condensate, container

Description

{CLOTHES TREATING APPARATUS}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clothes processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a structure for processing condensed water generated in the clothes processing apparatus.

In recent years, various kinds of processing apparatuses have been used for post-processing of clothes washed together with washing machines for washing clothes. The garment disposal apparatus is one such apparatus for post-treatment of laundered garments, and is a device for making garments in a better condition for wearing. The garment treating apparatus basically dries clothes, and can further remove wrinkles, odors, bacteria, and static electricity. More specifically, the clothes processing apparatus has a predetermined space for processing clothes. The clothes processing apparatus supplies dry air and moisture into the processing space for processing clothes.

On the other hand, since the drying air is produced by removing moisture from the outside air, the removed moisture is condensed in the clothes processing apparatus. If such condensed water is left in the clothes processing apparatus, the condensed water is corrupted and mold or odor is generated. Therefore, a device capable of effectively discharging the condensed water is required for the clothes processing apparatus. In addition, in order to fundamentally prevent mold or odor from residual condensed water, the discharging device must be periodically cleaned and easily cleaned for the convenience of the user.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a clothes processing apparatus having a device for discharging generated condensed water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes processing apparatus having a discharge device that can be easily and effectively cleaned.

In order to achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a cabinet comprising: a cabinet; A receiving space provided in the cabinet, the receiving space receiving the garment to be processed; An air supply device for generating dry air and supplying the dry air to circulate in the accommodation space; A water supply device for supplying a predetermined amount of water into the accommodation space; And a container including a body configured to store condensed water generated in the air supply device, an outlet provided in the body for discharging the stored condensed water, and an inclined portion formed in the body adjacent to the outlet, Lt; / RTI >

The discharge port may be provided at an upper end of the body, and the inclined portion may be formed at an upper end of the body. Further, the inclined portion can continuously extend from the outlet.

The container may be detachably installed in the clothes processing apparatus. In addition, the container may further include a handle for a user provided on the body, and may be installed on the inclined portion.

The clothes processing apparatus may further include a sump for temporarily accommodating the condensed water discharged from the air supply device, and the container may further include an inlet for introducing the condensed water in the sump into the inside thereof.

The condensed water generated by the above-described present invention can be collected in a container and effectively discharged to the outside of the clothes processing apparatus. Further, the container can be easily and effectively cleaned by the structural shape of the container.

Hereinafter, a clothes processing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the clothes processing apparatus. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of air and moisture supply devices.

First, the cabinet 10 forms the appearance of the clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention, and a receiving space 20 for accommodating clothes to be processed is formed in the cabinet 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the receiving space 20 is formed by an inner cabinet 12 which is actually provided separately in the cabinet 10. As shown in Fig. The inner cabinet 12 is fixed to the cabinet 10 and thus remains stationary. Like the inner cabinet 20, the accommodation space 20 does not move. The receiving space 20 and the inner cabinet 12 may be disposed on the upper portion of the cabinet 10 and the front portion of the receiving space 20 is opened. In other words, the receiving space 20 has an inlet formed in the front portion thereof, and the user can easily insert the clothes into the receiving space 20 through the inlet. The accommodation space 20 can be selectively opened or closed by a door 11 rotatably installed in the cabinet 10. [ Various switches (not shown) for driving the clothes processing apparatus may be provided on the outer surface of the door 11 or the cabinet 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, an outfit chamber having a predetermined size is formed below the accommodation space 20, and an air supply device 30 is installed in the electric room interior. The air supply device 30 basically removes moisture from the air and provides dry air into the accommodation space 20 for drying clothes. In addition, the air supply device 30 can heat the air to supply hot and dry air. Since the hot air generally rises in the upward direction, the air supply device 30 is installed below the cabinet 10, that is, below the accommodation space 20, as shown in the drawing, Lt; / RTI > The air supply device 30 is preferably separated from the accommodation space 20 by a separate partition and the top wall of the electric room or the bottom wall of the inner cabinet 12 Actually, it can be such a barrier. The partition wall prevents the clothes from being damaged by the high-temperature air supply device 30 and prevents the condensed water generated in the air supply device 30 from being stuck on the clothes.

The air supply device 30 may include a heater or a thermoelectric device for producing hot air and a dehumidifying device provided separately from the heating device. However, it is preferable to use a heat pump capable of simultaneously performing dehumidification and air heating.

Therefore, the clothes processing apparatus uses a heat pump as the air supply device 30. [ 3, the air supply device 30 includes an evaporator 31, a compressor 32, a condenser 33, and an expansion valve (not shown) through which the refrigerant is circulated. In this case, the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 31 to absorb the latent heat of the ambient air and cool the air. By cooling the air, moisture in the air condenses and can be removed. Further, when the refrigerant is condensed in the condenser 33 after being compressed by the compressor 32, the refrigerant heats the ambient air by discharging the latent heat toward the ambient air. Accordingly, the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33 function as a heat exchanger, and the air introduced into the air supply device 30 is dried and hot air through the evaporator and the condenser.

As described above, the air heated by the heat pump can be dehumidified without using a separate dehumidifier, although the temperature may be somewhat lower than air heated using a conventional heater. Therefore, the air generated in the air supply device 30 can effectively dry the clothes in the accommodation space 20, and the processed clothes are thus refreshed in a state suitable for dressing.

2, the accommodation space 20 is provided with a suction port 35 through which the air in the accommodation space 20 is introduced into the air supply device 30. The introduced air is heated and dehumidified in the air supply device 30, i.e., the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33. In addition, the accommodation space 20 is provided with a discharge port 38, and the dry, hot air from the air supply device 30 is supplied into the accommodation space 20 through the discharge port 38. Therefore, the clothes processing apparatus has a circulating flow path of the dry air formed by the air supply device 30, and the circulating flow path is substantially the same as that of the air supply device 30 as shown by arrows in FIGS. 2 and 4-5. The evaporator 31, the condenser 33, the discharge port 38, the accommodation space 20 and the intake port 35 of the evaporator 30 as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, if the suction port 35 is formed adjacent to the discharge port 38, a short flow path is formed between the suction port 35 and the discharge port 38. Therefore, the dry air is not sufficiently circulated or diffused in the accommodation space 20 due to the short path formed. Also, the supplied dry air does not evenly contact the garment, and the garments can not be properly refreshed. For this reason, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, in order to form a long flow path, the suction port 35 is basically provided in the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20. Fig. Further, in order to secure a longer flow path, the suction port 35 is formed at a front portion of the bottom of the accommodation space 20, that is, a bottom wall of the inner cabinet 12 forming the accommodation space 20 wall. In this case, the suction port 35 is also adjacent to the door 11 arranged in front of the accommodation space 20. [ Further, the outlet 38 may be provided at the rear of the accommodation space 20, that is, at the rear side of the accommodation space 20. More specifically, the outlet 38 may be disposed in a rear wall of the inner cabinet 12 forming the receiving space 20. [ By this arrangement, the accommodation space 20 is formed between the discharge port 38 and the suction port 35 and has a flow of dry air having a substantially long path. More precisely, the dry air flows from the rear portion of the accommodation space 20 to the front portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20, as shown by the arrows in Figs. Thus, the dry air can flow across the receiving space 20 entirely due to the suction port 35 and the discharge port 38 arranged as described above. Such dry air can evenly contact the garment and thus suitably dry the garments. The flow path of the dry air also forms an air curtain at an inlet of the accommodation space 20 closed by the door 11, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Therefore, even if the door 11 is opened during operation of the clothes processing apparatus, the temperature in the accommodation space 20 is not significantly lowered, and the dust can not enter the accommodation space 20.

Further, the suction port 35 may be provided at the front edge of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20, and in this case, the dry air is discharged from the discharge port 38 to completely fill the accommodation space 20 You can cross. Further, a plurality of outlets 38 may be provided in the rear portion of the accommodation space, and they may be arranged at regular intervals from the upper portion to the lower portion of the rear portion of the accommodation space 20, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 . By the discharge openings 38, the dry air is substantially discharged from the entire rear area of the accommodation space 20 and flows to the suction port 35 as shown by an arrow. Thus, the dry air can cross the entirety of the accommodation space 20 from the top to the bottom of the accommodation space 20, and the flow of dry air in the accommodation space 20 can effectively dry and / Can be made more uniform so as to be refreshed.

5, the suction port 35 is disposed at a front portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20, while the discharge port 38 is disposed at a rear portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space . An outlet 38 disposed at the rear of the bottom of the receiving space can also be used with the outlet 38 at the rear of the receiving space 20, as shown in Fig. 5, the receiving space 20 is formed between the discharge port 38 and the suction port 35 and has a flow of dry air having a substantially long path (see, for example, FIG. 4) . More specifically, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5, the dry air is elevated from the rear portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20 to the top of the accommodation space 20 by the blower 34 do. Thereafter, the drying air descends toward the front portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20. Thus, the dry air flows across the receiving space 20 entirely due to the suction port 35 and the discharge port 38 arranged as described above, and can evenly contact the clothes to properly dry the clothes. have. 2 and 4, a kind of air curtain can be formed at the inlet of the accommodation space 20 closed by the door 11. [ And has the same effect as the example shown in Fig. 2 and Fig.

More specifically, the air supply device 30 has a first duct 36 connected to the suction port 35 as shown in FIGS. 2-5. In the first duct 36, an evaporator 31 and a condenser 33 are disposed, as is clearly shown in FIG. Accordingly, the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33 heat and dehumidify the air flowing through the first duct 36 through the suction port 35, as described above. In addition, the air supply device 30 has a second duct 37 connected to the discharge port 38. A blower 34 is installed between the second duct 37 and the first duct 31 (i.e., the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33). The air in the accommodation space 20 flows into the first duct 36 through the intake port 35 and is heated and dehumidified in the first duct 36 by the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33. [ do. Thereafter, the air is dried by the blower 34 and hot air is supplied into the accommodation space 20 through the outlet 38 via the second duct 37. The first and second ducts 36 and 37 may be integrally formed with each other. In this case, the air supply device 30 has a single duct connecting the suction port 35 and the discharge port 38 and accommodating the evaporator 31 and the condenser 33 therein.

Also, the clothes processing apparatus may have a water supply device 40 provided in the interior of the electric room, like the air supply device 30. The water supply device (40) is configured to generate moisture and selectively supply moisture generated in the accommodation space (20). In order to supply water to the accommodation space 20, the water supply device 40 may use mist, which is a mist of water, or steam, which is a gaseous state of water. In the following, a water supply device 40 using steam is described. However, the water supply device 40 using the mist can be applied to the garment processing apparatus for the same purpose.

The water supply device 40 basically includes a heater 41 for heating water and a nozzle 43 for supplying generated steam to the inside of the accommodation space 20. The water supply device 40 has a hose 42 for connecting the heater 41 and the nozzle 43. The steam generated in the heater 41 passes through the hose 42 and the nozzle 43 and finally supplied to the accommodation space 20 through the discharge port 44 (see FIG. 2) connected to the nozzle 43 do. In this case, the shorter the length of the hose 42 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 hose 42, the shorter the length of the hose 42 is. 2, the discharge port 44 is connected to the upper portion of the electric field chamber, that is, the receiving space 20 (see Fig. 2). Therefore, when the water supply device 40 is located below the receiving space 20, In the present embodiment. As the water supply source of the water supply device 40, an external faucet may be used, or a container for storing a predetermined amount of water may be used. Such a container is preferably detachably installed so that the user can take the container out of the electrical chamber to fill the water. In addition, a circulation fan 39 may be provided in the full-length room. The circulation fan 39 can cool the air supply device 30 and the water supply device 40 by supplying outside air into the electric room.

The wrinkles and static electricity of the clothes can be removed by the steam provided in the accommodation space 20. [ In addition, high temperature steam can remove bacteria and odors. Therefore, the water supply device 40 can refresh the clothes to a state suitable for wearing. The timing of supplying steam can be modified appropriately. If dry air is supplied after spraying hot steam, the garment can be completely dried so that no moisture remains in the garment. Therefore, it is preferable that the steam is sprayed before the dry air is supplied by the air supply device 30 described above.

In addition, the clothes accommodated in the accommodation space 20 may include dust / lint or smell. The air in the accommodation space 20 may also include dust. Such filth and smell can be transferred to another garment by the air flow in the receiving space 20 and can also cause failure of the parts of the garment processing apparatus. Therefore, in order to remove such foreign matter and odor, the clothes processing apparatus has a filter assembly 35a.

The filter assembly 35a may be installed in the suction port 35. If dust and lint of the accommodation space are introduced into the air supply device 30 through the intake port 35, they may cause failure of the air supply device 30. [ Accordingly, when the filter assembly 35a is installed in the suction port 35, dust and lint can be removed by the filter assembly 35a before entering the air supply device 30. [ The filter assembly 35a is degraded in function after a certain period of time. Therefore, the condition of the filter should be checked from time to time and the cleaning and exchange should be done accordingly. If the filter assembly 35a is formed on the back or top of the receiving space remote from the door 11, it is difficult to check the condition of the filter or to clean and replace the filter. However, since the suction port 35 is formed at the bottom of the accommodation space 20, the filter assembly 35a is disposed at the same position as the suction port 35, that is, at the bottom of the accommodation space 20 do. Thus, when the door 11 is opened, the user can easily access the filter assembly 35a, thereby conveniently checking, replacing and cleaning the condition of the filter assembly 35a. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the suction port 35 is provided at the front portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20, and furthermore at the edge of the front portion, the filter assembly 35a And is disposed substantially adjacent to the door 11 at a front portion of the bottom portion of the accommodation space 20. [ Thus, as soon as the door 11 is opened, the user can immediately access the filter assembly 35a, thereby making maintenance of the filter assembly 35a more convenient.

On the other hand, when the drying air is generated in the air supply device 30, the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 31 to absorb the latent heat of the surrounding air and cool the air. This cooling of the air causes condensation of water in the air, resulting in condensed water. Since the drying air is continuously produced during operation of the clothes processing apparatus, a considerable amount of condensed water is generated in the air supply device 30 even after the operation is completed. If such condensed water does not discharge and remains in the clothes processing apparatus, it may overflow to the outside of the clothes processing apparatus. In addition, the condensed water may be corrupted and mold or odor may be generated. Therefore, in order to effectively discharge the condensed water, the clothes processing apparatus has the container 100. [ Such a container 100 is shown in Figs. 3 and 6-7 and will be described in more detail with reference to these drawings.

Referring to Figures 3 and 6-7, the container 100 is configured to store essentially the condensed water produced. First, the container 100 has a body 110 having a predetermined internal space, and the condensed water is stored in the internal space of the body 110. The body 110 has an inlet 130 communicating with an inner space of the body 110. The inlet 130 may be directly connected to the air supply device 30 using a hose. Accordingly, the condensed water generated in the air supply device 30 can be directly introduced into the container 100 through the hose and the inlet 130. On the other hand, if the container 100 is disposed under the air supply device 30, the generated condensed water can naturally flow into the container 100 by gravity. However, such an arrangement of the container 100 makes it impossible to efficiently use the space of the electrical equipment room as a whole, and can increase the size of the electrical equipment room as well as the entire size of the clothes processing equipment. Therefore, it is preferable that a pump is installed on the hose to pump the generated condensed water to the container 100. By this pump, the container 100 can efficiently supply the space of the electric room, And can be arranged side by side with the air supply device 30 for use.

Nevertheless, in order to prevent condensate from overflowing from the air supply 30, the pump must continue to operate, wasting unnecessary power. Accordingly, the clothes processing apparatus may further include a sump (not shown) disposed between the air supply device 30 and the container 100, and temporarily accommodating the generated condensed water. The sump may be connected to the air supply device 30 and the container 100 using a hose, and a pump may be installed on the hose connecting the sump and the container 100. Accordingly, the condensed water generated in the air supply device 30 is first stored in the sump, and when the condensed water in the sump reaches a certain level or more, the pump is operated to pump the condensed water of the sump to the container 100. That is, the pump can be operated only when the level of the condensed water in the sump is higher than a certain level, so that power can be prevented from being unnecessarily wasted. In order to allow the condensed water to actually flow into the sump without gravity by virtue of gravity, the sump is placed under the air supply device 30, that is, just below the first duct 36 of FIG. 3 and the evaporator 31 therein . The sump can also accommodate not only the air supply device 30 but also the condensed water that can be generated in the accommodation space 20 and the water supply device 40 so that the use of the sump allows the condensate Can be collected in the container 100.

In addition, the container 100 has an outlet 120 formed in the body 110. A stopper 120a is installed in the discharge port 120 to prevent condensed water from leaking out of the discharge port 120. The discharge port 120 may be formed in any part of the body 110. However, condensate begins to fill up from the bottom of the container 100. Therefore, if the discharge port 120 is located at the lower portion of the body 110, the possibility of the condensed water leaking from the discharge port 120 is increased even if the stopper 120a is installed. Therefore, it is preferable that the discharge port 120 is installed at the upper end of the body 110 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which is most effective in preventing the leakage of the condensed water. Further, the container 100 is detachably installed in the clothes processing apparatus. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a door 13 is provided in front of the electric field chamber, and the user can open the door 13 and take out the container 100 from the electric room. A drawer for receiving the container 100 may be provided in front of the electric room 130 in place of the door 13. The user may take out the drawer from the electric room and take out the container 100 directly have. Accordingly, when the condensed water is filled in the container 100 at a predetermined level or higher, the user can take the container 100 out of the electric room and discard the condensed water through the outlet 120.

Meanwhile, because the container 100 stores the condensed water for a relatively long time, contaminants such as mold and water on the inside of the container 100 due to the corruption of the condensed water, more precisely on the inner surface of the body 110, Lt; / RTI > Even if the condensate in the container 100 is discarded, the contaminants will remain on the inner surface of the body 110, causing contamination of the container 100. Therefore, the container 100 needs to be periodically cleaned in order to remove the generated contaminants and further prevent further contamination. In order to clean the container 100, a predetermined cleaning tool T may be used, as shown in FIGS. The cleaning tool T may consist of a long, flexible rod and a brush attached to the end of the rod. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning tool T can touch both side surfaces 110a, 110c and the lower end surface 110b of the inner surface of the body 110. However, as shown by a dotted line, It is hard to reach the upper end surface 110d of the inner surface of the body 110. [ Accordingly, contaminants present on the top surface 110d are difficult to remove

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the container 100 has an inclined portion 140 formed on the body 110. The inclined portion 140 can basically eliminate a yarn area to which the cleaning tool T can not touch. For this reason, the inclined portion 140 is disposed adjacent to the discharge port 120 into which at least the cleaning tool T is inserted so that the cleaning tool T can be directly accessed, Lt; / RTI > The cleaning tool T can not be accessed to the upper surface 110d of the inner surface of the body 110 when the outlet 120 is disposed at the upper end of the body 110 as described above and illustrated The inclined portion 140 is also provided at the upper end of the body 120 adjacent to the discharge port 120 and is formed to cover the entire upper end portion so as to completely remove the yarn region. 7, the cleaning tool T may touch the entire upper end surface 110d of the inner surface of the body 11 due to the formation of the inclined portion 140. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the inside of the container 100 can be cleaned completely and easily.

7, a handle 150 may be added to the body 110, and the user can easily take out the container 100 from the clothes processing apparatus using the handle 150 have. Further, due to the formation of the inclined portion 140, a clearance is formed above the inclined portion 140 in the body 110, as compared with the rectangular body in FIG. Thus, the handle 150 can be installed on the slope 140, as shown, so that the handle 150 is provided to the user without increasing the overall size of the container 100 .

1 is a front view showing a clothes processing apparatus according to the present invention;

2 is a perspective view showing a structure of a clothes processing apparatus;

3 is a perspective view showing the structure of air and moisture supply devices;

4 is a sectional view showing a structure of a clothes processing apparatus;

5 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of another example of a clothes processing apparatus;

6 is a sectional view of the container of the garment processing apparatus; And

7 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the container of the clothes processing apparatus.

Claims (9)

cabinet; A receiving space provided in the cabinet, the receiving space receiving the garment to be processed; An air supply device for generating dry air and supplying the dry air to circulate in the accommodation space; A water supply device for supplying a predetermined amount of water into the accommodation space; And A container including a body configured to store condensed water generated in the air supply device, a discharge port for discharging condensed water generated in the air supply device from the body, and an inclined portion formed in the body adjacent to the discharge port; The inclined portion continuously extending from the discharge port, And the extended line of the slant part does not interfere with the discharge port. The method according to claim 1, And the outlet is provided at an upper end of the body. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the inclined portion is formed on the entire upper end of the body. delete The method according to claim 1, Wherein the container is detachably installed in the clothes processing apparatus. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the container further comprises a handle for a user provided on the body. The method according to claim 6, And the handle is provided on the inclined portion. The method according to claim 1, Further comprising: a sump for temporarily accommodating the condensed water discharged from the air supply device. 9. The method of claim 8, Wherein the container further comprises an inlet for introducing condensed water in the sump into the interior of the sump.

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