KR101962454B1 - Drum Washing Machine and Method Controlling the Microfluidic Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a drum washing machine and a control method thereof.
One aspect of the present invention is a washing machine comprising a cabinet, a tub disposed inside the cabinet and including a first tub, a tub including a second tub joined to a rear portion of the first tub, a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub, And is provided at one side of an inner surface of a second tub facing the drum, and is provided with a condensed water supplied from the inlet and a condensed water supplied from the second tub And at least one flow path for guiding the flow of the condensed water to increase the contact area.
The drum washing machine according to the present invention improves the structure of the tub to increase the efficiency of condensation because the condensed water can be injected efficiently and the structure of the tub and the structure of the drying duct can be improved to prevent accumulation of lint, It is possible to prevent the performance degradation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a drum washing machine,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drum washing machine and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to a drum washing machine improved in structure to improve the condensation structure of a drum washing machine and prevent accumulation of lint.

In general, a drum type washing machine having a drying function is provided with a drying device for drying the laundry by blowing the heat generated by the drying heater into a housing space for accommodating the laundry. By using the drying device alone, After completion of dewatering, the drying function is performed.

Generally, a drying device of a washing machine supplies hot air heated by a heating device to the inside of a drum to heat the laundry, thereby evaporating moisture of the laundry, condensing the evaporated moisture, and discharging the laundry to dry the laundry.

When the laundry is dried using such a drying apparatus, lint (lint, fluff) is generated. Such a lint may be attached to a blowing fan in a drying apparatus or attached to a heater in a blowing fan to cause a component failure, which may deteriorate the performance of the dryer. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the lint from being accumulated in the inside of the drum washing machine.

One aspect of the present invention provides a drum washing machine which improves the structure of the tub to increase condensation efficiency and prevent the lint from flowing into the drying duct from the tub.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a drum washing machine capable of improving the structure of the drying duct to prevent the lint from accumulating in the drying duct.

[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet including a cabinet, a tub disposed inside the cabinet, the tub including a first tub and a second tub coupled to a rear portion of the first tub, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, And a second tub provided on one side of the inner surface of the second tub opposite to the drum, the first tub being provided at one side of the second tub with an inlet for supplying condensed water to one surface of the second tub facing the rear surface of the drum, And at least one flow path for guiding the flow of the condensed water to increase the contact area between the supplied condensed water and the second tub.

The flow path may be inclined to guide the flow of the condensed water to the lower side of the tub.

The flow path may be a rib that is provided in a transverse direction with respect to one surface of the second tub and protrudes from one surface of the second tub.

The flow path may include a first flow path provided in a lateral direction and a second flow path provided in a direction different from the first flow path.

The flow path may include an inclined portion formed obliquely and a protruding portion protruded upward to prevent the condensed water from flowing backward.

The plurality of flow paths may be provided so that the inclined portions of the flow path located on the upper side and the inclined portions of the flow path located on the lower side are inclined in opposite directions.

The second tub may include a plurality of protrusions which include a hole for circulating air inside and have at least one directional property in the periphery of the hole.

The plurality of protrusions may include a first protrusion and a second protrusion provided in a first direction perpendicular to a rotating direction of the tub, and the first protrusion may be located above the second protrusion .

The first protrusion may be inclined in a counterclockwise direction, and the second protrusion may be inclined clockwise.

Wherein the plurality of protrusions include a third protrusion and a fourth protrusion provided in a second direction that is a rotational direction in which the tub rotates, and a minimum distance between the third protrusion and the center of the tub is set to be smaller than a minimum distance between the fourth protrusion and the tub May be less than the minimum distance in the center.

And a nozzle positioned inside the second tub to increase an area in which the condensed water is sprayed inside the tub.

The drying duct may further include a drying duct connected to the drum to supply air to the inside of the drum and to circulate the air by heating the low temperature air generated in the drum.

In order to prevent the lint from accumulating on the blowing fan, a first water pipe for spraying washing water to the blowing fan may be connected to one side of the drying duct.

One side of the first water supply pipe may be branched from a second water supply pipe supplying wash water to the tub.

A first water supply opening / closing valve may be coupled to the first water supply pipe to control the spraying of the washing water to the blowing fan.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet including a cabinet, a tub disposed inside the cabinet for condensing air, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, a drying duct for circulating the condensed air in the tub, And a first water pipe connected to one side of the drying duct for spraying washing water to one side of the duct to prevent accumulation of lint on the inside of the drying duct.

The first water supply pipe may be branched from a second water supply pipe for supplying wash water to the tub.

The first water supply pipe may include a first water supply opening / closing valve connected to an external water supply source and controlling opening and closing of the first water supply pipe.

The drying duct includes a seat portion on the inner side where a blowing fan is positioned, and the first water supply pipe may be coupled to a water supply pipe connection portion provided on one side of the seat portion.

Wherein the tub includes a first tub and a second tub coupled to a rear portion of the first tub, and one side of the second tub is provided with an inlet for supplying condensed water to at least one of the second tub or the drum, A hole provided inside the second tub may be positioned for circulation of the second tub.

At least one flow path for guiding the flow of the condensed water may be provided in a lateral direction on one surface of the second tub to increase a contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the second tub.

At least one flow path for guiding the flow of the condensed water may be provided on one side of the drum to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the drum.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet including a cabinet, a tub including a first tub disposed inside the cabinet, and a second tub joined to a rear portion of the first tub, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, The second tub includes a cylindrical portion provided in a circumferential direction, a rear plate located on a rear surface of the cylindrical portion, an injection port provided at one side of the cylindrical portion, provided at an inlet for supplying condensed water, And a plurality of protrusions positioned to have at least one directional property around the holes to prevent accumulation of lint generated due to rotation of the tub.

And at least one flow path positioned in the lateral direction on the rear wall and guiding the flow of the condensed water to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the injection port and the second tub.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising a tub, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, a heater for heating the air condensed in the tub, and a drying duct for blowing air, Wherein the cooling process is performed so that the drying cycle is performed and the heater is turned off and the blowing fan is periodically turned on and off periodically and at least one of the multi- And a jetting step of jetting water to the blowing fan. The present invention also provides a method of controlling a drum washing machine.

The blowing fan may be periodically turned off after being turned off for at least 5 seconds or more.

The cooling process may be performed when the time at which the drying process has progressed and the time remaining until the end of the drying process exceeds a predetermined time.

The cooling process may be started when the remaining time until the end of the drying cycle is approximately 5 minutes to 10 minutes.

The injection stroke can be controlled to proceed only during the cooling stroke by the first water supply opening / closing valve provided in the drying duct.

The drum washing machine according to the present invention can improve the structure of the tub and efficiently discharge the condensed water, thereby providing a drum washing machine capable of increasing the condensing efficiency. Further, the structure of the tub and the structure of the drying duct can be improved to prevent accumulation of lint, thereby preventing deterioration of performance of the drum washing machine.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is an exploded view of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is an enlarged view of a rear plate of a tub according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is an enlarged view of a tub according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an enlarged view of a tub according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 is an enlarged view of a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view illustrating a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is an enlarged view of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is an enlarged view of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention.
12 is an exploded view of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention.
13 is a view showing a water supply structure of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a view showing a water supply structure of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operational stroke of the drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a flowchart showing an operational stroke of the drum washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

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

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a drum washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, a drum washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 10, a tub 20 disposed inside the cabinet 10, and a tub 20 rotatably disposed inside the tub 20 A drum 25, and a motor 7 for driving the drum 25.

The tub 20 may include a first tub 21 positioned in front of the inside of the cabinet 10 and a second tub 22 coupled to a rear portion of the first tub 21. [ The first tub 21 includes a cylindrical portion provided in the circumferential direction and a front plate located on the front surface of the cylindrical portion. The second tub 22 includes a cylindrical portion 22a provided in the circumferential direction and a rear plate 22b located on the rear surface of the cylindrical portion 22a. The cylindrical portion of the first tub 21 and the cylindrical portion 22a of the second tub 22 are coupled to constitute the tub 20.

The cabinet 10 includes frames, which include a front frame and a rear frame, which are front and back surfaces of the cabinet 10, a side frame that connects the front and rear frames, And a frame.

In the front frame of the cabinet 10, an inlet is formed to allow laundry to be introduced into the drum 25. The input port is opened / closed by a door 2 installed in a front frame of the cabinet 10.

A spring 17 may be provided between the tub 20 and the cabinet 10 to support the tub 20 from above. The spring 17 serves to mitigate vibrations and noise caused by the flow of the tub 20 due to the elastic force.

A second water supply pipe (13) for supplying wash water to the tub (20) is installed at an upper portion of the tub (20). The first water supply pipe (15) is connected to one side of the drying duct (60), which will be described later. One side of the second water supply pipe 13 is connected to an external water supply source (not shown), and the other side of the second water supply pipe 13 is connected to the detergent supply device 12. An inlet (41) for supplying condensed water to the tub (20) is provided above the tub (20). The injection port 41 may be provided with a valve (not shown) for controlling the supply of the condensed water. The injection port 41 may be provided in the cylindrical portion 22a of the second tub 22. [ This is because the drying apparatus is provided on the rear side inside the cabinet 10. The injection port 41 communicates with the nozzle 40 to inject water, which will be described later.

The detergent supply device 12 is connected to the tub 20 via a connection pipe 16. The water supplied through the second water supply pipe (13) is supplied to the inside of the tub (20) together with the detergent via the detergent supply device (12). According to an embodiment of the present invention, the detergent supply device 12 may be connected to the first tub 21 through a connection pipe 16. This is because the detergent supply device 12 is located in front of the inside of the cabinet 10. [

The tub 20 is supported by a damper 6. The damper (6) connects the inner bottom surface of the cabinet (10) and the outer surface of the tub (20). Further, the damper 6 may be positioned on the upper side, left side, and right side of the cabinet 10 in addition to the inner bottom surface thereof to support the tub 20. The damper 6 or the spring 17 can mitigate vibrations and shocks caused by the upward and downward flows of the tub 20 in the upper and lower portions of the tub 20. [

On the rear surface of the drum 25, a driving shaft 11 for transmitting the power of the motor 7 is connected. A plurality of through holes 27 are formed around the drum 25 for circulating the washing water. A plurality of lifters 26 are installed on the inner circumferential surface of the drum 25 to allow the laundry to rise and fall when the drum 25 rotates.

A drive shaft (11) is disposed between the drum (25) and the motor (7). One end of the drive shaft 11 is connected to the rear plate of the drum 25 and the other end of the drive shaft 11 extends to the outside of the rear wall of the tub 20. When the motor 7 drives the drive shaft 11, the drum 25 connected to the drive shaft 11 rotates about the drive shaft 11.

A bearing housing 8 is installed on the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22 so as to rotatably support the drive shaft 11. The bearing housing 8 may be made of aluminum alloy and may be inserted into the rear wall of the second tub 22 when the second tub 22 is injection molded. Bearings 9 are provided between the bearing housing 8 and the drive shaft 11 so that the drive shaft 11 can rotate smoothly.

A drain pump 4 for discharging the water inside the tub 20 to the outside of the cabinet 10 and a drain pump 4 for allowing water in the tub 20 to flow into the drain pump 4, A connecting hose 3 for connecting the tub 20 and the drain pump 4 and a drain hose 5 for guiding the water pumped by the drain pump 4 to the outside of the cabinet 10 are provided.

The condensed water passes through the injection port 41 and is supplied to the tub 20. And may be supplied to the tub 20 through the injection port 41 and the nozzle 40. [ The condensed water supplied to the tub 20 flows down along the inner rear surface of the tub 20 and then discharged to the outside through the drain pump 4 and the drain hose 5 under the tub 20.

A drying device for drying air inside the tub 20 and supplying the air to the inside of the tub 20 is mounted on the tub 20. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the drying apparatus includes a tub 20 for condensing the moisture of air, and a drying duct 60 for heating the condensed air to supply the inside of the drum 25 into the drum 25.

The drying duct (60) can be engaged with the second tub (22). A connecting member 68 may be provided between the second tub 22 and the drying duct 60 to mediate coupling between one end of the drying duct 60 and one end of the second tub 22. [ That is, the connecting member 68 may be positioned between the tub 20 and one end of the drying duct 60 through which air flows from the tub 20 to the drying duct 60.

A blowing fan (not shown) is installed between the drying duct 60 and the tub 20 to form a circulation flow of air so that the air of the tub 20 flows into the drying duct 60 and then flows into the tub 20 64). The drying duct (60) is provided with a heater (70) for heating the air inside the drying duct (60). A connection member 68 for mediating coupling between one end of the drying duct 60 and the tub 20 may be provided between the drying duct 60 and the tub 20. [

A seating part 65 on which the blowing fan 64 is seated can be positioned below the drying duct 60. A support portion 67 for fixing the drying duct 60 to the seating portion 65 may be provided at one side of the seating portion 65. [ A coupling member may be coupled to one side of the support portion 67 and one side of the drying duct 60 to connect the drying duct 60 and the support portion 67.

The communicating portion 62a extending from one side of the drying duct 60 engages with the front panel 21a extending from one side of the first tub 21. [ Thus, the air circulates between the tub 20 and the drying duct 60.

3 is an enlarged view of a tub according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, a flow path 30 for guiding the flow of the condensed water supplied from the injection port 40 may be provided on the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22. As shown in FIG. The flow path 30 is provided to be protruded from the second tub 22 and formed in the shape of a rib. The flow path 30 may be provided on the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22 in the lateral direction. The flow path 30 may be inclined to guide the flow of the condensed water to the lower side of the second tub 22. [ The flow path 30 is for enhancing contact contact between the second tub 22 and the condensed water. A rigid reinforcing rib 23 for reinforcing the rigidity of the tub 20 may be provided on the lower side of the flow path 30 in various shapes.

The flow path 30 may include inclined portions 31a and 32a formed to be inclined and prevention tabs 31b and 32b for preventing reverse flow of the condensed water. The protrusions 31b and 32b may protrude upward. At one side of the flow path 30 there are inclined portions 31a and 32a for guiding the flow of the condensed water and at the other side of the inclined portions 31a and 32a there are provided bosses 31b and 32b for the condensed water, Guide in one direction.

A plurality of the flow paths 30 may be provided and the inclined portions 31a of the flow path 31 located on the upper side and the inclined portions 32a of the flow path 32 located on the lower side are inclined in opposite directions . Thereby allowing the condensed water to flow in a gutter shape along the flow path (30). This is the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. This can increase the condensation efficiency because the contact area between the condensed water and the second tub 22 can be increased as compared with the case where the inclined portions 31a and 32a of the flow path 30 are provided in one direction.

When the condensed water flows downward along the flow path 30 to the lower side of the second tub 22, the hot air flowing into the tub 20 through the drum 25 flows into the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22 Through the holes 24 provided in the second tub 22, and then flows into the drying duct 60. The hot air is in contact with the condensate flowing along the flow path 30, and heat exchange occurs between the hot air and the condensed water. As a result, the temperature of the hot air is lowered, and the low temperature air flows into the drying duct 60, and the moisture in the low temperature air is removed in the drying duct 60. The holes 24 communicating with the drying duct 60 are located on the upper side of the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22 so that the low temperature air exchanged with the condensed water can be introduced into the drying duct 60. [

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow path 30 is located on the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22, but when the position of the injection port 41 is located on the front side, The flow path structure can be provided on the rear surface of the drum 25. [

4 is an enlarged view of a tub according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of protrusions 50 may be located in the cylindrical portion 22a provided in the circumferential direction of the second tub 22. As shown in FIG. The protrusion 50 may be located around the hole 24. This is to prevent the drying efficiency from dropping from the tub 20 into the drying duct 60 when the lint generated in the laundry inside the drum 25 flows into the tub 20.

The protrusion 50 may include a first protrusion 51 located at one side with respect to the hole 24 and a second protrusion 52 located at the other side. The first projecting portion 51 and the second projecting portion 52 are provided in a first direction perpendicular to the rotating direction in which the tub rotates. 22 with respect to the cylindrical portion 22a. A plurality of first protrusions 51 and second protrusions 52 may be provided and a gap between each protrusion of the first protrusions 51 and each protrusion of the second protrusions 52 is spaced apart from the protrusions of the second protrusions 52 by a predetermined distance . For example, the distance between each protrusion of each of the first protrusions 51 and each protrusion of the second protrusions 52 may be 20 mm.

The first projecting portion 51 and the second projecting portion 52 may be inclined from the cylindrical portion 22a of the second tub 22. [ The oblique direction of the first projecting portion 51 is the counterclockwise direction w1 and the oblique direction of the second projecting portion 52 is the clockwise direction w2. When the tub 20 rotates in the clockwise direction w2, the first projecting portion 51 serves to prevent the lint from being introduced into the hole 24, and when the tub 20 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction w1 The second projecting portion 52 prevents the lint from entering the hole 24. Since the first projecting portion 51 and the second projecting portion 52 are inclined in opposite directions to each other, it is possible to prevent the lint from being introduced into the hole 24 even when the tub 20 rotates in different directions.

5 is an enlarged view of a tub according to another embodiment of the present invention.

5, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion 500 includes a third protrusion 503 and a fourth protrusion 504 in addition to the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502 can do.

The third protrusion 503 and the fourth protrusion 504 have different directions from the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502. For example, when the first projection 501 and the second projection 502 are provided in a direction perpendicular to the rotating direction in which the tub 20 rotates, the third projection 503 and the fourth projection 504 are arranged in a direction In the same direction as the rotating direction in which the rotor 20 rotates. When the direction perpendicular to the rotating direction in which the tub 20 rotates is defined as the first direction and the rotating direction in which the tub 20 rotates is defined as the second direction, the first protrusion 501 and the second protrusion 502 Is positioned in the first direction, and the third projection 503 and the fourth projection 504 are positioned in the second direction.

The third projection 503 is located on the inner side of the tub 20 than the fourth projection 504 with respect to the hole 240. That is, the minimum distance d1 between the third protrusion 503 and the center of the tub 20 is less than the minimum distance d2 between the fourth protrusion 504 and the center of the tub 20.

In the case where the third projection 503 and the fourth projection 504 are included in addition to the first projection 501 and the second projection 502, since the projection 500 is provided in the periphery 4 direction of the hole 24 It is possible to prevent the lint from being introduced into the drying duct 60 through the hole 240 and accumulating the lint on the drying duct 60. Thus, the drying efficiency can be prevented from being lowered.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a nozzle 40 for spraying condensed water may be provided inside the tub 20. The nozzle 40 may be injection molded integrally with the second tub 22. [ Further, the second tub 22 may be provided with a separate member coupled thereto. In the case shown in the drawing, the nozzle 40 is joined to the second tub 22 as a separate member.

The nozzle 40 is provided with a coupling portion 42 for coupling with the second tub 22 and the head 43 of the nozzle 40 is extended from the coupling portion 42. The coupling portion 42 of the nozzle 40 is provided to communicate with the injection port 41 for supplying the condensed water. The jet port 44 of the nozzle 40, which is provided at the end of the head 43 of the nozzle 40 and through which condensed water is jetted, is elongated. This is to increase the contact area between the tub 20 and the condensed water sprayed from the nozzle 40.

According to the drawings, the shape of the head 43 of the nozzle 40 may be triangular. The shape of the condensed water is not limited in order to allow the condensed water to be sprayed wider toward the lower side, and it may be shaped like a fan to increase the dispersion area of the condensed water in addition to the triangular shape.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the nozzle 40 is provided on the rear plate 22b of the second tub 22, the condensed water may be periodically injected from the nozzle 40 at predetermined time intervals.

8 is a view illustrating a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drying duct 60 includes an upper plate 61 and a lower plate 62. A heater (70) is provided inside the drying duct (60). The upper and lower plates 61 and 62 of the drying duct 60 are respectively provided with mounting holes 61a and 62c for mounting a blowing fan 64 thereon.

In addition, a seating portion 65, which is recessed inside, may be provided for seating the ventilation fan 64. The seating portion 65 is coupled to the lower side of the lower plate 62. That is, between the connecting member 67 and the lower plate 62. A water supply pipe connection part 66 for spraying the washing water to the air blowing fan 64 and the drying duct 60 is located at one side of the seating part 65. The water supply pipe connection portion 66 may be provided protruding from the seating portion 65. An upper cover 63 is coupled to an upper portion of the upper plate 61 to prevent the blowing fan 64 from projecting to the outside.

A heater 70 is positioned inside the drying duct 60 and a fixing unit 80 for fixing the heater 70 to the drying duct 60 may be coupled. This will be described later.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is an exploded view of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.

9 and 10, a fixing unit 80 for fixing the heater 70 positioned inside the drying duct 60 is coupled to one side of the drying duct 60.

The heater 70 is formed with a predetermined diameter and a predetermined length. The heater 70 can be made in a zigzag manner. The heater 70 includes a terminal portion 73 to which a current flowing through the electric wire is connected, a sealing member 72 that is installed at a predetermined distance from the terminal portion 73 to prevent leakage of air, And a heat generating portion 71 which is provided on the lower surface of the base plate. The heat generating portion 71 is formed by bending a plurality of times with a predetermined diameter and length.

The fixing unit 80 is provided with a duct coupling portion 82 coupled to the drying duct 60 and a heater coupling portion 81 coupled to the terminal portion 73 of the heater 70. The heater coupling portion 81 is provided with a terminal coupling groove 83 corresponding to the shape of the terminal portion 73. According to the drawings of the present invention, since two terminal portions 73 are provided, two terminal coupling grooves 83 are also provided, and the heater coupling portion 81 may have a "3" The duct coupling portion 82 extends from the heater coupling portion 81. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the duct coupling portion 82 may be coupled to the drying duct 60 by the fastening member 85, but is not limited thereto. The duct coupling portion 82 is coupled to the upper plate 61 of the drying duct 60 but is not limited thereto and may be coupled to the lower plate 62. The heater coupling portion 81 may be provided so as to surround the terminal portion 73. The heater engagement portion 81 may be provided so as to surround at least half of the diameter of the terminal portion 73. [ This is to prevent the terminal portion 73 from being detached from the fixed unit 80.

The fixing unit 80 is coupled to the outside of the insertion grooves 61b and 62b provided in the upper plate 61 and the lower plate 62 to fix the heater 70 in the drying duct 60. [ The insertion grooves 61b and 62b are provided so as to correspond to the shape of the terminal portion 73 of the heater 70. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since two terminal portions 73 are provided, the insertion grooves 61b and 62b are each formed to include two grooves. The terminal portion 73 is engaged with the insertion grooves 61b and 62b and the sealing member 72 is positioned behind the insertion grooves 61b and 62b. And the fixing unit 80 is coupled to the terminal portion 73 on the outside of the drying duct 60.

The fixed unit 80 may be made of an insulating material. That is, the fixing unit 80 can not be used to prevent the heat of the heater 70 from being transferred to overheat. A material having high heat resistance can be used to withstand the heat generated by the heater 70. According to one embodiment of the present invention, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which satisfies the above conditions, can be used as the fixing unit 80.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the heater 70 is fixed to the outside of the drying duct 60, when the lint is introduced into the drying duct 60, the lint is accumulated, It is possible to prevent an accident that may occur due to fire.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12 is an exploded view of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a plurality of fixing units 180 for fixing the heater 70 may be provided. The first fixing unit 181 may be coupled to the terminal unit 73 and the second fixing unit 185 may be connected to the terminal unit 73. The first fixing unit 181 may include a first fixing unit 181 and a second fixing unit 185, Lt; / RTI > Thus, the second fixing unit 185 is located at the outermost position.

In this case, since the terminal portions 172 are fitted to both sides of the drying duct 60, the fixing force of the heater 70 to the drying duct 60 is increased. In addition, since the heater coupling portions 183 and 186 do not need to be engaged with more than half of the diameter of the terminal portion 73 in order to fix the terminal portion 73 on both sides, it is easy to design.

13 is a view showing a water supply structure of a drying duct according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 13, the detergent supply device 12 is connected to the tub 20 via a connection pipe 16. The water supplied through the second water supply pipe (13) is supplied to the inside of the tub (20) together with the detergent through the detergent supply device (12). The second water supply pipe (13) can be connected to the second water supply opening / closing valve (14) for regulating water supply. The washing water is supplied to the inside of the drying duct 60 through the water supply pipe connecting portion 66 provided at one side of the drying duct 60. As the washing water is injected into the drying duct 60, the accumulated lint can be washed away inside the drying duct 60. On the upper side of the cabinet 20, a support panel 18 for supporting can be located.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first water supply pipe 15 coupled to the water supply pipe connection portion 66 of the drying duct 60 to supply the washing water is connected to the second water supply pipe 13 connected to the detergent supply device 12, . In this case, when the washing water is supplied to the drum 25 through the tub 20, the washing water is also supplied to the drying duct 60. Therefore, since the lint inside the drying duct 60 is washed away from time to time, the performance of the drum washing machine 1 can be prevented from being deteriorated due to accumulation of lint.

FIG. 14 is a view showing a water supply structure of a drying duct according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operation stroke of a drum washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

14, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first water supply pipe 150 coupled to the water supply pipe connection portion 66 of the drying duct 60 may be coupled to a separate external water supply source (not shown) have. In addition, a first water supply opening / closing valve 151 for adjusting the amount of washing water supplied to the first water supply pipe 150 may be combined. In this case, the amount of the washing water supplied to the drying duct (60) and the water supply timing can be adjusted independently of the washing water supplied to the drum (25). This will be described later.

A brief description of washing, rinsing, dewatering, drying, and cooling processes of the drum washing machine in which the first water supply pipe shown in FIG. 15 is coupled to a separate external water supply source (not shown) As follows.

After the washing operation is started after the laundry is loaded into the drum, the washing water supplied through the water supply pipe is supplied to the tub and the drum together with the detergent through the detergent supply device (S600).

When the supply of the washing water is completed, the drum is rotated by a motor installed on the outer rear surface of the tub to rotate the drum (S600).

When the washing cycle (S600) ends, washing water is supplied to the tub to start the rinsing cycle (S610). After the rinsing cycle (S610), the dewatering cycle (S620) is performed.

After the dewatering step (S620) is finished, a drying step is performed (S630).

It is determined whether the remaining time t1 until the end of the drying cycle is shorter than the set time T1 in operation S640. If the time t1 remaining until the end of the drying cycle is less than the set time T1, the cooling cycle starts (S650). The cooling stroke is a stroke in which the heater is turned off and the blowing fan is periodically turned on and off. This is to prevent the user from being exposed to the high temperature air which is excessively discharged from the door when the door is opened after the drying stroke of the drum washing machine is terminated. The cooling stroke can be started when the time t1 remaining until the end of the drying cycle is approximately 5 minutes to 10 minutes.

The blower fan can be turned on after being off for at least 5 seconds. This is to ensure a time for the blowing fan to completely turn off. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the blowing fan may be set to be on for 20 seconds and off for 10 seconds during the cooling stroke.

When the cooling operation is started (S650), an injection stroke for spraying the washing water from the first water supply pipe into the drying duct proceeds (S660). The jetting stroke may proceed for at least one of a drying stroke or a cooling stroke.

It is possible to prevent the lint from accumulating in the drying duct due to the progress of the injection stroke. Particularly, when the spraying stroke is advanced during the cooling stroke, since the blowing fan is periodically turned off, it is possible to prevent the lint from entering the drying duct from the tub and being caught in the blowing fan. In addition, since the jetting process is carried out, the lint in the drying duct can be washed down.

16 is a flowchart showing an operational stroke of the drum washing machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 16, the injection stroke may be performed after the dewatering stroke proceeds (S730). In this case, since the injection stroke is performed (S730) and the drying stroke is started (S740), the lint generated in the dewatering stroke process can be prevented from accumulating.

In addition, a cooling stroke in which the heater is turned off and the blowing fan is periodically turned on / off is started (S760), and the injection stroke is performed separately (S770). Therefore, since the lint accumulated in the drying duct during the drying stroke is washed in the spraying step (S770) during the cooling stroke, the possibility that the lint is accumulated in the drying duct is reduced.

The foregoing has shown and described specific embodiments. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the technical idea of the present invention described in the following claims .

1: drum washing machine 15: first water supply pipe
20: a tub 24, 204, 240: a hole
30, 300: flow path 40: nozzle
50, 500: projecting portion 60: drying duct
61: upper plate 62: lower plate
63: upper cover 64: blowing fan
70: heater 71:
72: sealing member 73: terminal portion
80: Fixing unit 81: Heater coupling part
82: Duct coupling portion

Claims (29)

cabinet;
A tub disposed inside the cabinet and including a first tub and a second tub coupled to a rear portion of the first tub;
A drum rotatably disposed inside the tub;
An injection port provided at one side of the second tub for supplying condensed water to one surface of the second tub facing the rear surface of the drum;
And at least one flow path provided on one surface of the inner surface of the second tub facing the drum for guiding the flow of condensed water to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the second tub ,
The second tub includes a cylindrical portion provided in a circumferential direction and a rear plate located on a rear surface of the cylindrical portion,
Wherein the flow path includes a rib which is provided in a transverse direction with respect to the rear plate and protrudes from the rear plate toward the rear surface of the drum,
Wherein the flow path includes an inclined portion formed to be inclined and a protruding portion protruding upward from one side of the inclined portion to prevent backflow of the condensed water. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flow path is inclined to guide the flow of the condensed water to a lower side of the tub. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the flow path includes a first flow path provided in a lateral direction and a second flow path provided in a direction different from the first flow path. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plurality of flow paths are provided so that the inclined portions of the flow path located on the upper side and the inclined portions of the flow path located on the lower side are inclined in opposite directions to each other. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the second tub includes a plurality of protrusions disposed in the periphery of the hole so as to have at least one directionality, and a hole for circulating air inside. 8. The method of claim 7,
The plurality of protrusions include a first protrusion and a second protrusion provided in a first direction perpendicular to the rotating direction of the tub, and the first protrusion is located above the second protrusion Drum washing machine. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the first protrusion is inclined in a counterclockwise direction, and the second protrusion is inclined clockwise. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the plurality of protrusions include a third protrusion and a fourth protrusion provided in a second direction which is a rotation direction in which the tub rotates and a minimum distance between a center of the third protrusion and the tub is smaller than a minimum distance between the fourth protrusion and the tub And the center distance is smaller than the minimum distance in the center. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a nozzle located inside the second tub to increase an area of the tub where the condensed water is sprayed. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a drying duct connected to the drum for heating air to be supplied to the inside of the drum and heating the low-temperature air generated in the drum to circulate the air, wherein a blowing fan is located inside the drum, and the drum is connected to the drum. washer. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein a first water pipe for spraying washing water to the blowing fan is connected to one side of the drying duct to prevent accumulation of lint on the blowing fan. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein one side of the first water pipe is branched from a second water pipe for supplying washing water to the tub. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the first water supply pipe is coupled to an opening / closing valve for controlling spraying of the washing water sprayed to the blowing fan. cabinet;
A tub disposed inside the cabinet for condensing air;
A drum rotatably disposed inside the tub;
A drying duct for heating and circulating the condensed air in the tub;
A connecting member provided at one end of the tub to allow air to flow from the tub into the drying duct; And
And a first water supply pipe connected to one side of the drying duct for spraying washing water to one side of the drying duct to prevent accumulation of lint inside the drying duct,
Wherein the drying duct includes a seating part positioned between the drying duct and the connection member such that a blowing fan is positioned inside,
Wherein the first water supply pipe is coupled to a water supply pipe protruding from one side of the seating part to spray wash water to the blowing fan. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the first water supply pipe is branched from a second water supply pipe for supplying wash water to the tub. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the first water supply pipe is connected to an external water supply source and includes a first water supply opening / closing valve for controlling opening and closing of the first water supply pipe. delete 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the tub includes a first tub and a second tub coupled to a rear portion of the first tub, and one side of the second tub is provided with an inlet for supplying condensed water to at least one of the second tub or the drum, And a hole provided inside the second tub for circulation of the drum. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein at least one flow path for guiding the flow of the condensed water is provided in a lateral direction on one surface of the second tub to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the second tub. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein at least one passage for guiding the flow of the condensed water is provided in a lateral direction on one surface of the drum to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the drum. cabinet;
A tub including a first tub disposed inside the cabinet and a second tub coupled to a rear portion of the first tub;
And a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub,
The second tub
A cylindrical portion provided in a circumferential direction;
A rear plate positioned on a rear surface of the cylindrical portion;
An inlet provided at one side of the cylindrical portion and supplying condensed water;
A hole provided on the other side of the cylindrical portion for circulating air;
And a plurality of protrusions positioned to have at least one directional property around the hole to prevent accumulation of lint caused by rotation of the tub,
Wherein the plurality of protrusions include a first protrusion and a second protrusion provided in a first direction perpendicular to a rotating direction in which the tub rotates,
Wherein the first protrusion is inclined in a counterclockwise direction, and the second protrusion is inclined clockwise. 24. The method of claim 23,
Further comprising at least one flow path located in the lateral direction of the rear plate for guiding the flow of condensed water to increase the contact area between the condensed water supplied from the inlet and the second tub. A drum rotatably disposed in the tub, a heater for heating the air condensed in the tub, a blowing fan for circulating the air, a seating part in which the blowing fan is located, And a drying duct having a connecting member positioned between the tub and the seat so that air is circulated from the tub, the method comprising:
Proceed with the drying process;
And a cooling step of turning off the heater and periodically turning on and off the blowing fan periodically;
And a jetting step of jetting water to the blowing fan in at least one of the cooling stroke and the drying stroke,
Wherein the seat portion located on the upper side of the connecting member includes a water pipe connecting portion protruding from one side of the seat portion to spray water to the blowing fan. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the fan is periodically turned on after being turned off for at least 5 seconds. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the cooling step measures a time at which the drying step is performed and proceeds when a time remaining until the end of the drying step exceeds a predetermined time. 28. The method of claim 27,
Wherein the cooling process starts when the remaining time until the end of the drying cycle is 5 minutes to 10 minutes. 26. The method of claim 25,
Wherein the jetting stroke is controlled to proceed only during the cooling stroke by a first water supply opening / closing valve provided in the drying duct.

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