KR101592319B1 - Dryer - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dryer capable of varying capacity in a drum. The dryer includes: a cabinet forming the exterior of the dryer; a drum which is arranged in the cabinet to be able to rotate and includes a space storing a drying target inside thereof; a varying member which is arranged in the drum to move in a linear motion in order to vary the capacity in the drum; and a moving means which is arranged between the rear surface of the drum and the varying member and is formed to move the varying member according to the rotation of the drum.

Description

Dryer {DRYER}

The present invention relates to a dryer capable of varying the volume inside a drum.

Generally, a clothes dryer is a device for drying laundry by blowing hot air generated by a heater into a drum to evaporate moisture contained in the laundry.

The clothes dryer can be divided into an exhaust type clothes dryer and a condensation type clothes dryer depending on the circulation of humid air passing through the drum after the laundry is dried.

Generally, when people are drying, they do not put the laundry to the maximum capacity of the drum. This is not to say that the volume of the dryer drum is effectively used.

Particularly, when the drum is filled with the drum at the maximum capacity and when the drum is filled with half the drum, the energy and time required to dry the unit mass of the wet laundry under the same condition is approximately 5 to 10%. This is because when dry high-temperature air entering the drum inlet passes through the fabric, there is an ineffective flow of air that is not involved in the actual drying. This is referred to as a bypass effect for convenience.

Therefore, a structure for a dryer for reducing such a bypass effect can be considered.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dryer for reducing the flow of ineffective air that is not involved in drying in a drum.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dryer capable of reducing the volume inside the drum to enhance the availability of the space in the space in which the laundry is stored.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a dryer comprising: a cabinet defining an exterior; a drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet, A variable member which is arranged inside the drum so as to be linearly movable so as to vary the volume inside the drum and is disposed between the rear portion of the drum and the deformable member and is configured to move the deformable member as the drum is rotated And a moving means.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the moving means includes a shaft formed with threads and projecting from a rear portion of the drum, a first clutch integrally coupled with the deformable member and having teeth formed on one side thereof, A second clutch which is arranged to be engaged with the teeth of the clutch and which is rotated by the thread as it is rotated and is coupled to the thread so as to be movable forward and backward on the shaft, and a second clutch disposed between the variable member and the second clutch, And a spring for urging the second clutch so that the second clutch engages with the first clutch.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the thread may be formed to move the second clutch from the rear side of the drum to the front side when the drum starts to dry and rotates in the forward direction.

According to another example related to the present invention, the first clutch is configured so that, as the variable member is pressed by the object to be dried, it moves with the variable member into the drum and is detachable from the second clutch .

Here, the variable member may include a concavo-convex portion at least a part of which is protruded or concaved to widen the contact area with the laundry.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the variable member may be formed in a mesh shape including a plurality of holes so that air introduced into the drum is transferred to the laundry.

The variable member may have a shape corresponding to the inner end surface of the drum, and the outer periphery contacting the drum may further include a sealer such that the laundry is not caught by the movement of the variable member.

Here, the sealing member may be made of a Felt material so that the coefficient of friction between the drum and the drying object is reduced.

Further, the sealer member may be formed by mixing with at least one of rubber and sponge.

In addition, the deformable member may include a protrusion at least a part of which protrudes to cover and cover the shaft.

Here, the protrusion may be hollow to allow at least a portion of the shaft to be inserted therein.

The apparatus may further include a control unit for controlling the rotation of the drum, and an operation panel capable of performing a control operation on an object to be dried in the control mode, wherein the object to be dried is a mode in which, So that at least a part of the laundry is discharged to the outside of the drum.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dryer including: a cabinet forming an exterior; a tub disposed inside the cabinet; a rotatably disposed inside the tub; A drum having a cylindrical shape and disposed in the drum and having an area corresponding to a rear portion of the drum so as to vary a volume inside the drum, And a moving means disposed on the rear portion of the tub and configured to move the variable member as the drum is rotated.

The shifting means includes a shaft formed with threads and protruding from the rear portion of the drum, a first clutch integrally coupled to the deformable member and having teeth formed on one side thereof, and a second clutch disposed so as to mesh with the teeth of the first clutch A second clutch that is rotated by the thread as it is rotated and is coupled to the thread so as to be movable back and forth on the shaft; and a second clutch disposed between the deformable member and the second clutch, And the variable member may further include a sealer member for pressing the inner surface of the drum on the outer circumferential surface so as to be rotatable together as the drum rotates.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention configured as described above, the shaft is rotated according to the rotation of the drum, and the variable member is moved to the front surface or the rear surface of the drum to vary the volume inside the drum.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present invention configured as described above, the variable member is rotated in accordance with the rotation of the drum, the variable member is rotated along the fixed shaft and moved to the front or rear surface of the drum, Can vary.

In addition, by varying the volume of the inside of the drum, it is possible to reduce the amount of air bypassed in the drum, thereby improving the thermal efficiency of the dryer and saving energy.

1 is a schematic view showing the appearance of a dryer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the drying efficiency with respect to the time when the amount of the object to be dried is high and the time when the object to be dried is small.
FIGS. 3A to 3C are conceptual diagrams showing the amount of laundry to be dried in the drum and the flow of air in accordance with the volume change of the inside of the drum.
4 is a schematic view showing the inside of the dryer in which the deformable member and the moving means are disposed.
5A and 5B are conceptual views showing cross sections in different directions showing the rotating direction of the variable member and the moving direction in the drum when the drum rotates in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention.
6A and 6B are conceptual views showing cross sections in different directions showing the rotational direction of the variable member and the moving direction in the drum when the drum rotates in a direction different from that of FIGS. 5A and 5B.
7A to 7D are conceptual diagrams showing a state in which the laundry is taken out of the drum using the movement of the variable member.
8A and 8B are conceptual views showing cross sections in different directions showing the rotating direction of the variable member and the moving direction in the drum when the drum rotates in the dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 9A and 9B are conceptual views showing cross sections in different directions showing the rotational direction of the deformable member and the moving direction in the drum when the drum rotates in the directions different from FIGS. 8A and 8B.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the same or similar reference numerals are given to different embodiments in the same or similar configurations. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

1 is a schematic view showing the appearance of a dryer according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the dryer 100 includes a cabinet 110 forming an outer appearance, and a drum 140 rotatably installed in the cabinet and having a plurality of lifters protruded from the inner circumferential surface thereof. In the front surface of the cabinet, a charging port 140 for charging clothes, which are objects to be dried, into the cabinet is formed.

The input port 140 is opened and closed by a door 130 and a control panel 120 having various operation buttons and a display device for operating the dryer is positioned above the input port 140. A drawer 150 is provided at one side of the control panel 120 and a liquid or the like to be sprayed onto the drum may be stored inside the drawer 150.

In addition, the dryer may further include a control unit (not shown). The control unit can control the rotation of the drum 140 when receiving control operation for the dry withdrawal mode from the control panel 120. [

In the drying mode, after the drying is completed, the variable member is moved through the rotation of the drum so that at least a part of the laundry is discharged to the outside of the drum. This will be described in detail later.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the drying efficiency with respect to the time when the amount of the object to be dried is high and the time when the object to be dried is small.

Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that when a relatively full filling of the drum (FULL LOAD) and a filling (HALF LOAD) of only about half of the drum internal volume enter the drying process with the rotation of the drum, Efficiency. In the case of FULL LOAD, most of the dry air flow is connected to the evaporation and the evaporation efficiency is high over the whole time zone area until the completion of drying, in case of HALF LOAD.

3A to 3C are conceptual diagrams showing the amount of the article to be dried 99 in the drum 140 and the flow of air in accordance with the volume change inside the drum 140. FIG.

3A is a conceptual view showing a case where the laundry 99 is relatively filled in the drum 140 and FIG. 3B is a view showing a case when the laundry 99 in the drum 140 is relatively less filled FIG. 3C is a conceptual diagram illustrating a situation in which the volume inside the drum 140 is reduced in the case of FIG. 3B. FIG.

3A, when the laundry 99 is relatively filled in the drum 140, most of the air drawn into the drum 140 for drying the laundry 99 reaches the laundry 99 ). That is, the amount of air flowing out of the drum 140 is reduced without participating in drying in the air drawn into the drum 140.

Referring to FIG. 3B, the laundry 99 is filled in the drum 140 with a volume of about half the volume of the drum 140. In this case, a part of the hot air for drying, which is introduced into the drum 140, is discharged to the outside of the drum 140 without participating in drying. This air can be referred to as bypass air (b). The greater the amount of bypass air, the lower the drying efficiency of the dryer.

3C, when the laundry 99 is not filled in the drum 140 as shown in FIG. 3B, the volume of the drum 140 is reduced by moving the deformable member 160 inside the drum 140 Can be reduced.

As a result, the effect that the laundry 99 in the drum 140 is filled up can be obtained and the bypass phenomenon of the air is reduced. The rear portion of the deformable member 160 can be viewed as a part of the flow path through which hot air is supplied.

4 is a schematic view showing the interior of the dryer in which the deformable member 160 and the moving means 200 are disposed.

Referring to the drawings, a dryer, which is one example embodiment of the present invention, includes a cabinet 160, a drum 140, a deformable member 160, and a moving means 200.

The cabinet 160 forms the appearance of the dryer.

The drum 140 is rotatably disposed inside the cabinet 160. The drum 140 has a space for accommodating the laundry 99 therein.

The deformable member 160 is disposed inside the drum 140. The variable member 160 is disposed in the drum 140 so as to be linearly movable along the longitudinal direction of the drum 140 so that the volume of the interior of the drum 140 is variable.

The moving means 200 is disposed between the rear portion of the drum 140 and the deformable member 160. The moving means 200 is formed to move the deformable member 160 in response to the rotation of the drum 140.

Specifically, the moving means 200 may include a shaft 210, a first clutch 220, a second clutch 230, and a spring 240.

The shaft 210 may protrude from the rear side of the drum 140 toward the door side of the drum 140. The shaft 210 is threaded so that when the second clutch 230 rotates in one direction, it can advance.

The first clutch 220 is integrally coupled to the variable member 160. [ At one end, teeth that can be engaged with the second clutch 230 are formed.

The second clutch (230) is arranged to mesh with the teeth of the first clutch (220). As the second clutch 230 is rotated, it is rotated by the thread and is coupled to the thread so as to be movable back and forth on the shaft 210.

A spring (240) is disposed between the variable member (160) and the second clutch (230). One side is supported by the variable member 160 and the other side is formed by pressing the second clutch 230 so as to engage the second clutch 230 with the first clutch 220. [

Hereinafter, the operation of the moving means 200 will be described in detail.

The thread is projected from the rear surface of the drum 140. However, the threads are rotated together with the rotation of the drum 140. This is because the first clutch 220 and the second clutch 230 must be rotated in the longitudinal direction of the thread according to the rotation of the drum 140.

The first clutch 220 is formed integrally with the deformable member 160. The second clutch (230) is formed by meshing with the first clutch (220). The second clutch (230) is coupled to the thread. Accordingly, when the second clutch 230 rotates or the thread rotates, the second clutch 230 is advanced or retracted in the longitudinal direction of the shaft.

The spring 240 serves to press the second clutch 230 to engage with the first clutch 220.

When the drum 140 rotates, the threads rotate together. The second clutch (230) engaged with the thread rotates relative to each other. The first clutch 220 engaged with the second clutch 230 is advanced or reversed in accordance with the relative rotation of the second clutch 230. [ The variable member 160 integrally formed with the first clutch 220 is moved forward or backward.

The variable member 160 may include a concavo-convex portion 162 at least partially protruding or concavely formed to widen the contact area with the laundry 99 inside the drum 140. The variable member 160 effectively pushes the laundry 99 through the concave and convex portions 162 and the volume inside the drum 140 can be reduced.

The deformable member 160 may include a protrusion at least a portion of which protrudes to cover and cover the shaft 210. The protrusions serve to prevent the shaft 210 from contacting the laundry 99. The protruding portion serves to prevent the laundry 99 from being twisted when dried.

The protrusion is hollow so that at least a part of the shaft 210 can be inserted therein.

5A and 5B are views showing a state in which the drum 140 rotates in different directions in which the rotating direction of the deformable member 160 and the moving direction inside the drum 140 are shown in the dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention, Fig.

5A and 5B, the rotation direction of the drum 140 rotates in the clockwise direction with respect to the drawing. As the second clutch 230 moves to the front according to the rotation of the thread, the variable member 160 can be seen to rotate counterclockwise.

In other words, when the drum 140 starts drying and rotates in one direction (or forward direction), the second clutch 230 may be formed to move from the rear surface of the drum 140 to the front side.

The deformable member 160 may have a mesh shape including a plurality of holes so that air flowing into the drum 140 may be transmitted to the laundry 99. [ Air can be supplied from the rear surface of the drum 140 through the plurality of holes to the laundry 99 through the variable member 160.

6A and 6B are views for explaining the rotation direction of the deformable member 160 and the direction of movement in the drum 140 when the drum 140 rotates in a direction different from that shown in FIGS. Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the drum 140 is rotated in the opposite direction. This allows the drum 140 to rotate in the opposite direction when drying is complete.

The first clutch 220 and the second clutch 230 are separated from each other when the variable member 160 is advanced to the front side of the drum 140 and presses the laundry 99, 140 are rotated, the variable member 160 may not move forward any more.

6B, when the sum of the forces F1, F2, F3, and F4 of the object to be dried 99 pushing the deformable member 160 is larger than the sum of forces of the spring 240 and the second clutch 230 The first clutch 220 and the second clutch 230 are separated from each other when the pressing force of the first clutch 220 and the second clutch 220 is greater than the force of the first clutch 220 and the second clutch 230, respectively.

Accordingly, even if the thread rotates, the first clutch 220 does not rotate even if the second clutch 230 rotates. Therefore, the deformable member 160 is stopped.

The first clutch 220 moves to the inside of the drum 140 together with the deformable member 160 as the deformable member 160 is pressed by the material to be dried 99, 230).

The deformable member 160 may have a shape corresponding to the inner end surface of the drum 140. The seal member 164 may further include an outer circumferential surface on which the deformable member 160 contacts the drum 140 so that the laundry 99 is not caught by the movement of the deformable member 160.

The sealer member 164 may be made of a Felt material so that the coefficient of friction between the drum 140 and the material to be dried 99 is reduced. Further, the sealer member 164 may be mixed with at least one of rubber and sponge.

7A to 7D are conceptual diagrams showing a state in which the laundry 99 is taken out of the drum 140 by using the movement of the variable member 160. FIG.

As described above, the dryer, which is one embodiment of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, can select the drying mode through the control panel 120 (see FIG. 1).

Referring to FIG. 7A, the drying of the drying object 99 is completed in the dryer, and the user can place a basket for storing the drying object 99 in front of the dryer door. Then, after the dryer door 130 (see Fig. 1) is opened, the drying object withdrawal mode can be selected. And can be configured not to operate even if the dry-draw mode is selected in the opened state of the door.

Referring to FIG. 7B, part of the laundry 99 is discharged to the outside of the drum 140.

This is because the drum 140 rotates in the normal direction according to the selection of the laundry loading mode and the variable member 160 is moved toward the front side of the drum 140 through the above-described operation. Accordingly, the articles to be dried 99 in the drum 140 are discharged to the outside of the drum 140.

7C, when the deformable member 160 is pressed to a certain extent or the deformable member 160 protrudes to the front side of the drum 140, the drum 140 rotates in the reverse direction . So that the deformable member 160 is pulled back to the rear side of the drum 140. The laundry 99 that has not been discharged due to the movement of the deformable member 160 may remain in the drum 140. Thereby, the dryable material withdrawal mode is completed.

Referring to FIG. 7D, the laundry 99 remaining in the drum 140 can be collected by the user. The depth of the drum 140 is large so that the user can use the deformable member 160 to remove the laundry 99 from the inside of the drum 140, Can be withdrawn. The unloaded object 99 can be moved toward the front side of the drum 140.

8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the drum 340 rotates in a different direction in which the rotating direction of the deformable member 360 and the moving direction in the drum 340 are shown in a dryer according to another embodiment of the present invention, Fig.

1), which is one example embodiment of the present invention, includes a cabinet 110 (see FIG. 1), a tub 342, a drum 340, a deformable member 360 and a moving means 400 ).

In the description of the present embodiment, the configurations that are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG. 4 will not be described in detail, but the differences will be mainly described.

Referring to Figs. 8A and 8B, the cabinet forms an outer appearance, and the tub 342 is disposed inside the cabinet. The drum 340 is rotatably disposed inside the tub 342 and has a space for accommodating the laundry to be dried, and forms a cylindrical shape.

The variable member 360 is disposed in the drum 340 and has an area corresponding to the rear portion of the drum 340 so as to vary the volume of the drum 340, Respectively.

The moving means 400 is disposed at the rear portion of the tub 342, not between the drum 340 and the deformable member 360. [ And a moving unit 400 configured to move the deformable member 360 as the drum 340 rotates.

The moving means 400 includes a shaft 410, a first clutch 420, a second clutch 430, a spring 440 and a sealer member 450.

At this time, the shaft 410 protrudes from the rear portion of the tub 342, not the rear surface of the drum 340. Therefore, even when the drum 340 is rotated, the shaft 410 is not rotated together.

The sealer member 450 may be configured to press the deformable member 360 from the drum 340. The seal member 450 presses the deformable member 360 so that the deformable member 360 rotates together with the drum 340 when the drum 340 rotates.

Accordingly, when the drum 340 rotates, the deformable member 360 is rotated. When the deformable member 360 rotates, the first clutch 420 rotates. Then, the second clutch 430 engaged with the first clutch 420 is rotated. The second clutch 430 is moved to the front or rear of the shaft 410 in the longitudinal direction along the threads formed on the shaft 410.

9A and 9B are views showing a state in which the rotational direction of the deformable member 360 and the moving direction in the drum 340 are different from each other when the drum 340 rotates in a direction different from that shown in FIGS. Fig.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, when the deformable member 360 moves to the front side of the drum 340 through the rotation as shown in FIG. 8A, the laundry is pressed against the deformable member 360.

The spring 440 presses the second clutch 430 toward the first clutch 420 and the spring 440 presses the second clutch 430 toward the first clutch 420 so that F1 + F2 + F3 + F4, The first clutch 420 and the second clutch 430 are separated from each other.

The rotating force of the first clutch 420 is not transmitted to the second clutch 430 through the separation. Therefore, even when the drum 340 rotates, the deformable member 360 is no longer moved toward the front portion of the drum 340.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.

Claims (14)

A cabinet forming an appearance;
A drum rotatably disposed inside the cabinet and having a space for accommodating the laundry,
A variable member disposed inside the drum, the variable member being disposed so as to be linearly movable so as to vary the volume inside the drum; And
And moving means disposed between the rear portion of the drum and the deformable member and configured to move the deformable member as the drum rotates,
Wherein,
A shaft which is threaded and protrudes from an inner space of the drum at a rear portion of the drum, and is integrally coupled to the drum;
A first clutch that is integrally coupled to the variable member and has teeth on one side;
A second clutch that is arranged to mesh with the teeth of the first clutch and is coupled to the threads so as to be rotated by the threads as they are rotated so as to be movable back and forth on the shaft; And
And a spring which is disposed between the deformable member and the second clutch and presses the second clutch so that the second clutch engages with the first clutch. delete The method according to claim 1,
The thread,
Wherein the second clutch is configured to move the second clutch from the rear side of the drum to the front side when the drum starts to dry and rotates in the forward direction. The method of claim 3,
The first clutch
Wherein the movable member is moved to the inside of the drum together with the deformable member so as to be detachable from the second clutch as the deformable member is pressed by the object to be dried. 5. The method of claim 4,
The variable-
And a concavo-convex portion at least a part of which is protruded or concaved to widen the contact area with the object to be dried. 6. The method of claim 5,
The variable-
And a plurality of holes are formed in a mesh shape so that air flowing into the drum is transferred to the laundry. The method according to claim 1,
The variable-
And has a shape corresponding to an inner end surface of the drum,
Further comprising a sealer member on an outer circumferential surface of the drum to contact the drum so that the laundry is not caught by the movement of the deformable member. 8. The method of claim 7,
The sealer member
And a friction coefficient between the drum and the object to be dried is reduced. 9. The method of claim 8,
The sealer member
Rubber, and sponge. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > 11. < / RTI > The method according to claim 1,
The variable-
And a protrusion at least partially protruding to cover and cover the shaft. 11. The method of claim 10,
The protrusion
Wherein at least a portion of the shaft is hollow to be insertable therein. The method according to claim 1,
A control unit for controlling rotation of the drum; And
Further comprising an operation panel capable of performing a control operation on an object to be dried withdrawal mode,
In the drying mode,
And after the drying is completed, the variable member is moved through the rotation of the drum to discharge at least a part of the laundry to the outside of the drum. A cabinet forming an appearance;
A tub disposed within the cabinet;
A tubular drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, the drum having a space for accommodating the laundry;
A variable member disposed inside the drum, the variable member being formed in an area corresponding to a rear portion of the drum so as to vary a volume inside the drum and being arranged to be linearly movable within the drum; And
And moving means disposed at a rear portion of the tub and configured to move the deformable member as the drum rotates,
Wherein,
A shaft which is threaded and protrudes from an inner space of the drum at a rear portion of the tub, and is fixed to the tub;
A first clutch that is integrally coupled to the variable member and has teeth on one side;
A second clutch that is arranged to mesh with the teeth of the first clutch and is coupled to the threads so as to be rotated by the threads as they are rotated so as to be movable back and forth on the shaft; And
And a spring that is disposed between the variable member and the second clutch and that presses the second clutch such that the second clutch engages with the first clutch,
The variable-
Further comprising a sealer member for pressing the inner surface of the drum on an outer circumferential surface so as to be rotatable together as the drum rotates.
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