KR102304188B1 - A laundry treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus including a cleaning unit capable of removing lint from the inside of the compressor by supplying water collected in a water storage tank to a compressor capable of compressing steam.

Description

A laundry treating apparatus

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus for compressing air or moisture.

In general, a clothes treatment apparatus includes a washing machine capable of performing a washing cycle to remove foreign substances from clothes, a dryer performing a drying cycle to remove moisture from clothes, and a refresher performing regeneration to remove dust or germs from clothes. device that contains (The brand name of the refresher is LGE's Trom Styler.)

In recent years, not only the dryer but also the washing machine and the refresher are provided to supply at least one of hot air or steam to the clothes to perform the drying cycle.

1 illustrates a conventional laundry treatment apparatus capable of performing the drying cycle. (See Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2017-0095299)

Referring to FIG. 1A , a conventional clothes treatment apparatus includes a cabinet 100 forming an exterior, a drum 200 rotatably provided inside the cabinet 100 to accommodate clothes, and the drum 200 . ), a driving unit 300 that rotates, a hot air supply unit 420 that communicates with the drum to supply hot air (hot air) to the inside of the drum, and a circulation unit that supports or installs the hot air supply unit 420 ( 500) may be included.

The driving unit 300 may include a belt 340 wound around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 200 to transmit power to the driving unit. The driving unit 300 may rotate the drum 200 by rotating the belt 340 . Accordingly, the clothes accommodated in the drum 200 may be evenly exposed to the hot air.

The circulation unit 500 and the drum 200 may communicate through a drying duct 410 . The drying duct 410 communicates with one side of the drum 200 and includes an exhaust duct 411 provided to discharge moisture from the clothes and air passing through the clothes from the drum 200, and one side of the drum Alternatively, it may include a suction duct 412 communicating with any one of the other side to suck the air passing through the hot air supply unit 420 back to the drum 200 .

The hot air supply unit 420 may include a heat exchanger such as an evaporator 422 and a condenser 423 to dry and heat the air passing through the circulation unit 500 . Of course, although not shown, the hot air supply unit 420 may further include a blowing fan for transferring the air inside the drum 200 to the circulation unit 500 .

The hot air supply unit 420 includes an evaporator 422 for cooling the air that has passed through the exhaust duct 411, a compressor that compresses and heats the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator, and heats the air with the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor. It may include a condenser 423 for generating high-temperature dry hot air and an expansion valve for reducing the temperature by expanding the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser 423 . That is, the hot air supply unit 420 may be configured as a heat pump.

When the hot air supply unit 420 operates, the refrigerant compressed at high temperature and high pressure in the compressor passes through the condenser 423 to discharge heat. Thereafter, the refrigerant flows into the expansion valve and expands to a low temperature and low pressure. Then, the refrigerant flows into the evaporator 422 to absorb heat, and then flows back into the compressor to be compressed. That is, the condenser 423 may emit heat to the surroundings, and the evaporator 422 may absorb the surrounding heat.

When the blower fan is driven in the conventional laundry treatment apparatus, the air inside the drum 200 may be discharged to the circulation unit 500 and may be circulated while flowing back into the drum 200 .

The air introduced into the circulation unit 500 is first exposed to the evaporator 422 to be cooled, and moisture contained in the air may be condensed. Thereafter, the air from which moisture has been removed by passing through the evaporator 422 may be exposed to the condenser 423 and heated to a high temperature. Through this process, the air can be converted into hot dry hot air. The air heated by the condenser 423 may flow back into the drum 200 and contact the clothes to dry the clothes. The air passing through the clothes may pass through the evaporator 422 again to be cooled, and the moisture contained in the air may be condensed and removed.

In this way, the conventional laundry treatment apparatus circulates the refrigerant in the hot air supply unit 420 to perform the drying cycle. The heat pump method has the advantage of better energy efficiency than direct heating of air with a heater using electric energy.

However, the conventional laundry treatment apparatus to which a hot air supply unit including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant provided separately from air is applied has a fundamental problem in that a separate apparatus for storing, receiving, and circulating a refrigerant not in direct contact with clothes is required.

That is, in order to cool or heat the air discharged from the drum even though the refrigerant does not come into contact with the clothes at all, a separate circuit configuration for accommodating or circulating the refrigerant must be installed inside the clothes treatment apparatus. there was

In addition, there is a possibility that the refrigerant may be exposed to the air and the clothes may be contaminated. In particular, when the refrigerant is flammable, there is also a risk that a fire may occur in the laundry treatment apparatus.

Meanwhile, the hot air supply unit including the compressor and the plurality of heat exchanger expansion valves is bulky and has a complicated configuration. Accordingly, the conventional clothes treatment apparatus also has a disadvantage in that it is necessary to additionally secure a separate installation space in addition to the drum for accommodating the clothes in order to install the hot air supply unit.

In addition, since the hot air supply unit has to install two heat exchangers in the circulation unit through which air flows, there is a problem in that the blowing fan is overloaded.

Moreover, the conventional clothes treatment apparatus having a hot air supply unit using the refrigerant has a disadvantage in that the high-temperature air discharged from the drum must be cooled directly through an evaporator. That is, there was a fundamental problem in that the energy of the hot and humid air discharged from the drum could not be utilized at all, so energy loss was induced and energy wasted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of heating by compressing air or moisture discharged from the drum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of heating the air or moisture flowing into the drum by compressing a part of the air or moisture discharged from the drum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of utilizing energy contained in air discharged from a drum.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of circulating a refrigerant provided separately from air or water or omitting a device for storing the refrigerant.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of reducing the number of times that air input to the drum collides with a heat exchanger.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of removing lint from the inside of a compressor capable of heating by compressing air or moisture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treatment apparatus for removing foreign substances such as lint from the inside of the compressor with water condensed from the clothes accommodated in the drum.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention may provide a laundry treatment apparatus to which a compressor capable of compressing steam is applied.

The steam may be supplied from clothing. However, lint inevitably occurs in clothing. This can build up inside the compressor, impeding compression and reducing reliability. Specifically, the steam compressor may affect compression loss and reliability when lint is inserted in the compression process.

In order to eliminate this, the present invention may provide a laundry treatment apparatus that adds a lint removal cycle. Therefore, it may be provided to wash the compressor with water in the storage tank in which the condensed water is collected after the drying cycle.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention may be provided to remove lint when the compressor is stopped. For example, in the present invention, water in the water storage tank can be sprayed toward the discharge side of the steam compressor through a water pump. Lint stuck in the compression unit may be removed.

The laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided to maintain the pressure of the water storage tank at a high pressure during the drying cycle. Accordingly, when the valve is opened after the drying cycle is completed or the lint removal cycle is performed, the water in the water storage tank is sucked into the compression unit to remove lint from the compressor.

The laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided to remove the lint with the water discharged from the water storage tank by rotating the steam compressor in reverse. In this case, the water storage tank may be connected to a flow path independent of the steam compressor, and a filter may be installed in the flow path.

The present invention may provide a clothes treatment apparatus that reversely rotates the steam compressor to circulate the water discharged from the water storage tank back into the compressor to remove lint.

The present invention can provide a laundry treatment apparatus that removes lint by flowing water from a water storage tank toward suction or discharge of a compressor using a water pump.

The present invention can provide a laundry treatment apparatus that connects high-pressure water in a water storage tank to a compressor to dry it and then wash it.

The laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided to remove lint by rotating the compressor in reverse.

In either case, the water in the water storage tank may flow into the compressor by flowing toward the discharge side of the compressor. The water in the water storage tank may be injected into the compressor discharge by flowing in a reverse direction in the existing cycle.

The present invention has the effect of heating by compressing the air or moisture discharged from the drum.

The present invention has the effect of heating the air or moisture flowing into the drum by compressing a part of the air or moisture discharged from the drum.

The present invention has the effect of utilizing the energy contained in the air discharged from the drum.

The present invention has an effect that it is possible to omit a device for circulating a refrigerant provided separately from air or moisture or for storing the refrigerant.

The present invention has an effect that can reduce the number of times the air injected into the drum collides with the heat exchanger.

The present invention has the effect of removing lint from the inside of a compressor that can be heated by compressing air or moisture.

The present invention is effective in removing foreign substances such as lint in the compressor with water condensed from the clothes accommodated in the drum.

1 shows a conventional laundry treatment apparatus.
2 is a view showing an embodiment of the hot air supply unit of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention.
3 shows the structure of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention.
4 shows an embodiment of the compressor applied to the present invention.
5 shows the internal structure of the compressor applied to the present invention.
6 shows a structure for separately storing moisture in the compressor applied to the present invention.
7 is a view showing an embodiment of the cleaning unit for removing lint of the compressor of the present invention.
8 shows another embodiment of the cleaning unit.
9 shows another embodiment of the cleaning unit.
Figure 10 shows the last embodiment of the cleaning unit.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, even in different embodiments, the same and similar reference numerals are assigned to the same and similar components, and the description is replaced with the first description. As used herein, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and should not be construed as limiting the technical spirit disclosed herein by the accompanying drawings.

2 shows the structure of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the clothes treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cabinet 100 forming an exterior, a clothes accommodating part 200 provided inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes, and is connected to the clothes accommodating part. A circulation unit 500 for circulating air containing moisture discharged from the clothes accommodated in the clothes accommodating part may be included.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a branch heating unit 600 that extracts and compresses air from the circulation unit 500 and heats the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 using the compressed air. may include Accordingly, in the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the hot air supply unit that heats the air in the drum 200 while circulating the refrigerant with the conventional laundry treatment apparatus may be omitted. That is, in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conventional heat pump system can be replaced with the branch heating unit 600 .

Accordingly, in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the conventional heat pump system can be replaced with the branch heating unit 600, the space in which the heat pump is installed can be saved, and the refrigerant itself is not used. There is no need to store or accommodate, and there is no need to consider leakage of the refrigerant, thereby increasing installation convenience. In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has an advantage in that it is possible to simplify the structure of the circulation unit 500 because it is not necessary to consider the flow path through which the refrigerant moves.

Meanwhile, the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided as a dryer, but as long as the branch heating unit 600 can be applied, it may be provided as a washing machine or a refresher. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on a dryer.

The clothes accommodating part 200 of the clothes treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided as a drum 200 rotatably provided in the cabinet 100 . In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a driving unit 300 for rotating the drum 200 . The driving unit 300 may include a pulley and a belt 340 like a conventional laundry treatment apparatus. However, if the drum 200 can be rotated, the driving unit 300 may be provided in a DD type to directly rotate a rotating shaft coupled to the drum 200 .

In the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the circulation unit 500 may be disposed below the drum 200 like a conventional laundry treatment apparatus. However, as long as it communicates with the drum 200 to supply high-temperature hot air to the drum 200, the circulation unit 500 may be provided on the side or upper portion of the drum. In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided as a circulation type in which the circulation unit 500 communicates with both ends of the drum 200 through the drying duct 410 . However, as long as the drum 200 can supply hot air to the drum 200 , the circulation unit 500 may be provided in an exhaust type rather than a circulation type. Hereinafter, for the sake of explanation, it will be described that the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided in a circulation type.

The circulation unit 500 and the drum 200 may communicate through a drying duct 410 like a conventional laundry treatment apparatus. The drying duct 410 communicates with one side of the drum 200 and includes an exhaust duct 411 provided to discharge moisture from the clothes and air passing through the clothes from the drum 200, and one side of the drum Or it may include a suction duct 412 communicating with any one of the other side to suck air back into the drum 200 . The circulation unit 500 may be provided with a blower fan for moving the air of the drum 200 to the circulation unit 500 or injecting the air from the circulation unit 500 into the drum 200 . .

The circulation unit 500 of the present invention communicates with the discharge duct 411 and receives the air of the drum 200 through the discharge connection duct 510, and the air introduced through the discharge connection duct 510 passes, The air flow unit 520 forming a flow path that can be heated by the branch heating unit 600 , and the suction duct 412 to guide the air passing through the air flow unit 520 to the drum 200 . ) may include a suction connection duct 540 communicating with. In addition, a blower fan 570 is installed in the circulation unit 500 so that air inside the drum 200 may be circulated through the circulation unit 500 . Accordingly, the air of the drum 200 may be introduced into the discharge connection duct 510 , pass through the air flow unit 520 , and may be introduced back into the drum 200 through the suction connection duct 540 .

The branch heating unit 600 may be provided to heat the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 without a separate refrigerant. Specifically, the branch heating unit 600 includes a branch pipe 630 for extracting a portion of the air flowing through the circulation unit 500, and a steam compressor 610 for compressing the air introduced into the branch pipe. , may include a heat supply unit 620 provided inside the circulation unit to heat the air circulating in the circulation unit with the air compressed by the steam compressor.

The air flowing through the circulation unit 500 may evaporate moisture contained in the clothes accommodated in the drum 200 . That is, the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 may include moisture transferred from the clothes. Accordingly, the steam compressor 610 may simultaneously compress not only air but also moisture discharged from the clothes. Therefore, even though the air itself is incompressible, the moisture contained in the air is compressed, so that the air input from the steam compressor 610 can be compressed at high temperature and high pressure. In this case, the air compressed by the high temperature and high pressure in the steam compressor 610 may include high temperature steam.

Meanwhile, the high-temperature and high-pressure air or steam compressed in the steam compressor 610 may be transferred to the heat supply unit 620 through the heat supply pipe 650 . The heat supply pipe 650 may be provided to pass through the heat supply unit 620 . The heat supply unit 620 may be provided as a heat exchanger to dissipate heat of the air passing through the heat supply pipe 650 to the outside.

The heat supply unit 620 may be installed inside the circulation unit 500 . The heat supply unit 620 may be disposed on the air flow unit 520 to heat the air or moisture flowing through the circulation unit 500 . Accordingly, the heat supply unit 620 may exchange heat between the air discharged from the drum 200 and passing through the circulation unit 500 and the air passing through the heat supply pipe 650 .

Meanwhile, high-temperature air or steam flowing through the heat supply pipe 650 may exchange heat with air or moisture passing through the circulation unit 500 . As a result, the air discharged from the drum 200 and introduced into the air flow unit 520 without flowing into the branch pipe 630 may be heated while passing through the circulation unit 500 . Air heated while passing through the heat supply unit 620 may flow back into the drum 200 to dry the clothes. While drying the clothes, the air containing moisture is again discharged from the drum 200 , some flows into the branch pipe 630 , and the rest flows into the air flow unit 520 , and then the heat supply unit 620 . ) can exchange heat with each other. Accordingly, a part of the air in the drum 200 is heated while being continuously circulated, so that the clothes in the drum 200 may be dried.

On the other hand, the air introduced into the steam compressor 610 may be heated to a high temperature as the amount of moisture contained therein increases. Therefore, since the drum 200 is in a low temperature state at the beginning of the drying cycle, moisture contained in the clothes may not easily evaporate. Accordingly, the efficiency of driving the steam compressor 610 at the beginning of the drying cycle may be reduced, and in some cases, the drying cycle itself may not be possible because the air that has passed through the steam compressor 610 is not heated.

To improve this, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a heater H inside the circulation unit 500 that directly heats the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 . The heater (H) may be provided in any configuration as long as it can radiate heat by receiving energy such as a sheath heater.

In order to evaporate moisture from the clothes accommodated in the drum 200 , the heater H may be located inside the drum 200 or disposed in the circulation unit 500 . For example, the heater (H) is disposed in the circulation unit (500), since the high temperature from the air introduced into the drum (200), the clothes are dried faster and the air discharged to the drum (200) can increase the humidity more quickly. The heater H may be disposed on the suction connection duct 540 so that the air passing through the circulation unit 500 can be introduced into the drum 200 without heat loss.

The branch heating unit 600 may further include a branch determination unit 640 for controlling the opening and closing of the branch pipe 630 . The branch determining unit 640 may be provided as a valve for controlling the opening and closing of the branch pipe (630). The branch heating unit 600 may include an opening/closing control unit 651 for controlling the branch determining unit 640 to determine opening and closing of the branch pipe 630 .

The opening/closing control unit 651 detects that the humidity of the air flowing through the branch pipe 630 or the circulation unit 500 is greater than or equal to a reference value, or when receiving a signal that is greater than or equal to the reference value, the branch determination unit 640 is the minute It can be adjusted to open the branch pipe (630). To this end, a humidity sensor may be disposed in the circulation unit 500 , or the opening/closing control unit 651 itself may be provided to sense humidity. The reference value may correspond to the minimum humidity at which the steam compressor 610 compresses air to generate a heating effect.

Through this, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can circulate the air from the drum 200 to the circulation unit 500 while driving the initial blower fan 570 and the heater H. In this process, the circulated air may be heated at a high temperature while being heated by the heater H, and the humidity may be increased as it comes into contact with the clothes of the drum 200 . When the humidity is higher than the reference value, the opening/closing control unit 651 opens the branch determination unit 640, and a portion of the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 flows into the branch pipe 630 to the steam compressor ( 610) can be fully heated. Accordingly, the heated air may pass through the heat supply unit 620 and heat the remaining air flowing through the circulation unit 500 . The air flowing through the circulation unit 500 passing through the heat supply unit 620 may be introduced into the drum 200 to dry clothes in the drum 200 more quickly.

In this process, the heater H may be driven simultaneously with the steam compressor 610 to further heat the air passing through the suction connection duct 540 . Also, when the steam compressor 610 starts to be driven, the heater H may be controlled to stop driving. In addition, the steam compressor 610 and the heater (H) may be controlled to be driven simultaneously only for a predetermined time.

Meanwhile, the air introduced through the branch pipe 630 may be provided to flow into the drum 200 after moving along the steam compressor 610 and the heat supply pipe 650 .

However, the air passing through the heat supply unit 620 may be cooled while exchanging heat with the air passing through the branch unit 500 , and thus may not significantly contribute to drying the clothes of the drum 200 . In addition, while the air passing through the heat supply unit 620 is cooled with the air passing through the branch unit 500 , moisture may be partially condensed. Therefore, it may not be appropriate to put it back into the drum 200 .

Accordingly, the air that has passed through the heat supply unit 620 does not flow into the drum 200 , and may be provided in communication with the condensate water collection unit 534 or the water storage tank 560 provided separately from the drum 200 . . As a result, the air introduced into the branch pipe 630 may be finally discharged to the water storage tank 560 , and condensed water may be collected in the water storage tank 560 .

The condensate collecting unit 534 and the water storage tank 560 may be provided integrally, and the water storage tank 560 may be provided as a case and seated on the condensed water collecting unit 534 may be provided.

The circulation unit 500 may further include a circulation filter 513 provided to remove foreign substances such as lint in the air discharged from the drum 200 . Accordingly, the amount of foreign substances such as lint flowing into the steam compressor 610 can be reduced, and thus the performance of the steam compressor 610 can be maintained. In addition, the heat exchange efficiency of the heat supply unit 620 can be maintained by preventing foreign substances such as lint from being accumulated in the heat supply unit 620 . Furthermore, it is possible to prevent foreign substances such as lint discharged from the drum 200 from flowing back into the drum 200 to re-contaminate clothes.

On the other hand, since a part of the air flowing through the drum 200 and the circulation unit 500 repeatedly flows out to the water storage tank 560 , there is a problem that the pressure inside the drum 200 may be continuously reduced. Furthermore, since the air flowing through the drum 200 and the circulation unit 500 is continuously heated and not cooled, there is a problem in that the temperature inside the cabinet 100 rapidly rises.

In order to prevent this, in one embodiment of the present invention, the laundry treatment apparatus is capable of supplying air outside the cabinet 100 to the drum 200 or the circulation unit 560 or flowing into the cabinet 100 . It may further include an outdoor air inlet 700 .

The outside air inlet 700 includes an outside air supply pipe 710 that passes through the cabinet 100 to guide the air outside the cabinet into the cabinet, and the air introduced into the outside air supply pipe 710 back into the cabinet 100 . ) may include an outdoor air discharge pipe 760 for discharging to the outside, and a communication unit 750 for introducing the air supplied to the outside air supply pipe 710 into the drum or circulation unit.

The outdoor air supply pipe 710 may communicate with the circulation unit 500 through the communication unit 750 . In addition, the outdoor air supply pipe 710 may also communicate with the outdoor air exhaust pipe 760 through the communication part 750 . The communication part 750 may be provided with a branch pipe and a three-way valve for controlling opening and closing of the branch pipe.

When one or more of the pressure, temperature, and humidity of the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 exceeds a specific value, the control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention controls the communication unit 750 to control the cabinet. (100) External air may be introduced into the circulation unit 500 . As a result, the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 may be diluted with the external air to recover the pressure or lower the temperature or humidity.

The outdoor air inlet 700 may further include a supply fan 730 that generates a negative pressure inside the outdoor air supply pipe 710 so that external air can be more effectively introduced into the outdoor air supply pipe 710 .

On the other hand, the outdoor air inlet 700 further includes a heat recovery unit 720 for condensing moisture in the air by further cooling the air flowing through the heat supply pipe 650 with the air flowing in from the outdoor air supply pipe 700 . can do.

The heat recovery unit 720 may be provided as a heat exchanger so that both the outdoor air supply pipe 700 and the heat supply pipe 750 pass therethrough. As a result, the air passing through the heat supply pipe 650 is primarily cooled by the air passing through the circulation unit 500 in the heat supply unit 620 , and while passing through the heat recovery unit 720 , the outside air It may be secondaryly cooled by the air passing through the supply pipe 700 . Therefore, even if the air passing through the heat supply pipe 650 is not sufficiently cooled while passing through the circulation unit 500 or the moisture contained in the air is not sufficiently condensed, it is sufficiently cooled while passing through the heat recovery unit 720 and Contained moisture can also condense to a significant extent.

Accordingly, the low-temperature and low-pressure air is discharged to the condensed water collecting unit 534 or the water storage tank 560, and the inside of the cabinet 100 including the condensed water collecting unit 534 or the water storage tank 560 is prevented from being heated unnecessarily. can be At the same time, a large amount of water evaporated from the clothes may be collected in the condensed water collection unit 534 or the water storage tank 560 .

In addition, the external air heated while passing through the heat recovery unit 720 may be introduced into the circulation unit 500 through the communication unit 750 as necessary. Accordingly, the drying performance of the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 can be improved by lowering the humidity of the air inside the circulation unit 500 or by additionally heating the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 .

Meanwhile, the branch heating unit 600 may further include a pressure reducing unit 660 capable of reducing the pressure of the air or steam passing through the heat recovery unit 720 . The pressure reducing unit 660 may be provided in any configuration as long as it is coupled to the heat supply pipe 650 to reduce the pressure of the flowing fluid. For example, it may be provided as an expansion valve.

The pressure reducing unit 660 may reduce the pressure of the air raised in the steam compressor 610 back to the pressure inside the cabinet 100 . Accordingly, the pressure inside the water storage tank 560 may be maintained in equilibrium with the pressure inside the cabinet 100 .

Accordingly, the water storage tank 560 may be made of a general plastic barrel, and the supply pipe 650 and the water storage tank 560 may be connected in an unsealed state. That is, the communicating water inside the supply pipe 650 may be collected into the water storage tank 560 , and the air inside the supply pipe 650 may be discharged to the outside of the water storage tank 560 .

In addition, even when the water storage tank 560 is drawn out of the cabinet 100 and the collected water is thrown out, safety accidents that may occur due to sudden expansion of moisture or air can be prevented.

Meanwhile, due to the outdoor air inlet 700 , a large amount of outdoor air may be introduced into the drum 200 . Since the drum 200 is not completely sealed, the outside air may be introduced into the cabinet 100 as a result. Accordingly, the cabinet 100 can maintain a low-temperature and low-humidity state due to the external inlet 700 even when air from the inside of the supply pipe 650 is introduced or high-temperature, high-humidity air is introduced from the drum 200 .

Meanwhile, the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may further include a pressure maintaining pipe 800 for equilibrating the air conditions inside and outside the cabinet 100 . In the pressure maintenance pipe 800 , a part of the air flowing through the circulation unit 500 is compressed by the steam compressor 610 and discharged into the cabinet 100 , or due to the outside air inlet 700 . When the pressure inside the cabinet 100 increases, it may be provided to maintain the pressure inside the cabinet 100 .

In other words, due to the branch heating unit 600 , the inside of the cabinet 100 may be temporarily subjected to high pressure or high temperature and high humidity. Even in this case, it is possible to prevent the inside of the cabinet 100 from being different from the external state by discharging the air inside the cabinet 100 to the outside through the pressure maintenance pipe 800 .

In addition, due to the outdoor air inlet 700 , the air inside the cabinet 100 may maintain a low temperature, low pressure, and low humidity state. Therefore, even if the pressure maintenance pipe 800 for discharging the air inside the cabinet 100 to the outside is installed, the humidity or temperature change of the indoor environment in which the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention is disposed can be minimized.

On the other hand, when the communication unit 750 blocks the air of the outdoor air supply pipe 710 from flowing into the circulation unit 500 , the control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention controls the outdoor air supply pipe 710 . The supply fan 730 may be controlled to discharge air to the outdoor air exhaust pipe 760 .

For example, when the steam compressor 610 is driven, the control unit connects the outside air supply pipe 710 and the outside air discharge pipe 760 to continuously supply cabinet external air to the heat recovery unit 720 . can Accordingly, the air flowing through the heat supply unit 650 can be cooled faster.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of an actual structure to which the structure of the laundry treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 2 is applied. The circulation unit 500 may be provided in the form of a base disposed below the drum 200 , and the branch heating unit 600 and the outdoor air inlet unit 700 may be installed.

The circulation unit 500 may be provided such that one end communicates with the discharge duct 411 and the other end communicates with the suction duct 412 .

The circulation unit 500 includes an exhaust connection duct 510 provided to communicate with the exhaust duct 411, and an air flow unit that provides a space through which air introduced from the exhaust connection duct 510 passes and is heated ( 520), the air passing through the air flow unit 520 is sucked, and the suction connection duct 540 communicates with the suction duct 412, and the air flow unit 520 and the partition wall 550 are divided into It may include a device mounting unit 530 in which various devices such as the driving unit 300 and the drain pump 535 are installed and supported.

Due to the partition wall 550 , the air inside the drum 200 does not flow out to the device mounting part 530 , and it can be prevented from collided with other devices. Accordingly, the air resistance of the circulation unit 500 may be reduced.

A device that needs to be in direct contact with the air discharged from the drum 200 is installed in the air flow unit 520, and the device mounting unit 530 is a device that does not need to be in direct contact with the dry air. can be installed.

The air flow unit 520 forms a flow path through which the air discharged from the drum 200 flows, and is provided as a housing in which the evaporator 422 and the condenser 423 can be installed, and the device mounting unit 530 . ) and a partition wall 550 .

The discharge connection duct 510 provided at one end of the air flow unit 520 is provided to be coupled to the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface of the discharge duct 411 , and the air discharged from the discharge duct 411 is discharged from the air flow unit. A through hole 511 may be provided to be introduced into the 520 .

The discharge connection duct 510 may be provided so as to increase in area from the through hole 511 to the air flow part 520 . This is to slow the speed of the air introduced from the exhaust duct 411 so that the amount of heat exchange of the air in the air flow unit 520 increases.

On the other hand, the other end of the air flow unit 520 may be provided with a plurality of collection ribs 521 for collecting the air passing through the air flow unit 520 to the suction connection duct (540). The collection ribs 521 may serve to completely guide hot dry air or hot air through the condenser 423 to the suction duct 412 while lowering the flow resistance.

The device mounting unit 530 includes a blowing fan mounting unit 531 that may be provided to be installed and supported or partially accommodated by the blowing fan 570, and a driving unit mounting unit 532 in which the driving unit 300 may be seated and supported. ), a compressor mounting unit 533 in which the steam compressor can be supported, and a condensed water collecting unit 534 in which water condensed in the heat supply unit 620 and the heat recovery unit 720 can be collected. . The drain pump 430 may be coupled to the upper surface of the condensate collecting unit 534 , and the aforementioned water storage tank may be installed.

Since the blower fan 570 must provide power for flowing air to the air flow unit 520 , the blower fan mounting unit 531 communicates with the suction duct 412 and the air flow unit 520 , respectively. may be provided to do so.

The blower fan mounting part 531 may be provided such that one surface is penetrated to face the ends of the plurality of collection ribs 521 , and the other surface facing the suction duct 412 is penetrated to suck the hot air. It can be supplied to the duct (412). Meanwhile, a shaft support part 531A on which a driving rotation shaft is supported may be provided at a place where the blower fan mounting part 531 and the driving part mounting part 532 face each other.

A pulley support part 532A by which the other end of the driving rotation shaft is supported may be provided at a place in the driving part mounting part 532 facing the compressor mounting part 533 .

On the other hand, the heat supply unit 620 and the heat recovery unit 700 may be provided by combining a plurality of heat exchange plates made of a metal material and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant flows, and the direction in which the air flows and the heat exchange plate are parallel to each other. can be provided. Meanwhile, a partition wall parallel to the ground may be installed in the air moving unit 520 to separate the heat supply unit 620 and the heat recovery unit 700 . Accordingly, the air discharged to the drum 200 may be prevented from coming into contact with the heat supply unit 620 but contact with the heat recovery unit 700 .

Some of the high-temperature and high-humidity air discharged from the drum 200 may be cooled while passing through the heat supply unit 620 and the heat recovery unit 720 . In this process, the moisture contained in the air may be condensed and collected in the condensed water collection unit 534 along the heat supply pipe 650 . A drain pump 535 for discharging the water collected in the condensed water collection unit 534 may be installed in the circulation unit 500, and a water storage tank 560 (refer to FIG. 2) for separately collecting the water may be installed. may be

Meanwhile, the branch pipe 620 may be provided to communicate with the air moving unit 520 upstream from the heat supply unit 620 . Accordingly, the humid air discharged from the drum 200 may be guided to the steam compressor 610 before heating.

The air guided to the steam compressor 610 is compressed and heated to a high temperature, discharged to the heat supply pipe 650 , passed through the heat supply unit 620 , and then introduced into the heat recovery unit 700 to collect the condensed water. You can move towards (534). Air that has not flowed into the branch pipe 620 may be heated by the heat supply unit 620 and introduced into the drum 200 through the suction connection duct 540 (II direction).

The outdoor air introduced from the outdoor air supply pipe 710 may move to the communication unit 750 after cooling the heat supply pipe 650 passing through the heat recovery unit 720 .

The outdoor air inlet 700 may further include an outdoor air absorption pipe 770 that communicates with the communication unit 750 and the circulation unit 500 . Depending on whether the communication part 750 is opened or closed, the outside air may be discharged to the outside of the cabinet 100 , and is introduced into the drum 200 through the air moving part 520 along the outside air absorption pipe 770 . can be Accordingly, the air introduced into the steam compressor 610 and lost can be compensated.

The blower fan 570 may be installed in a place in communication with the air moving unit 520 among the circulation unit 500 to circulate the air of the drum 200 .

The blowing fan 570 may be provided to be coupled to the driving unit 300 to receive power. Accordingly, when the driving motor 310 operates, the drum 200 may rotate, and at the same time, the blowing fan 570 may be provided to circulate the air in the drum 200 .

After the air inside the drum 200 passes through the exhaust duct 411 in the I direction, the blowing fan 570 passes through the circulation unit 500 and the hot air supply unit 400 to the suction duct in the II direction. (412) can be introduced.

The heater H is installed upstream or downstream of the blowing fan 570 to heat the air passing through the suction connection duct 540 .

On the other hand, the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided with a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor that detects the temperature of the air that has passed through the drum 200 . For example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor may be provided in the suction duct 412 . Through the humidity sensor or temperature sensor, the control unit of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention can control the branch determining unit 640, the steam compressor 610, the outdoor air inlet 700, or the heater H at an appropriate time point. have.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention does not require a separate refrigerant because it compresses and heats the air or moisture discharged from the drum. That is, by compressing a part of the air or moisture discharged from the drum, the air or moisture introduced into the drum can be heated, and the air introduced into the drum 200 can be heated.

As a result, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention does not use a separate refrigerant other than the air circulating in the drum 200 or air inside and outside the cabinet 100 when drying the clothes on the drum 200 . may not be

In addition, according to the present invention, a device for circulating a refrigerant provided separately from air or water or storing the refrigerant may be omitted. Since a separate refrigerant circuit configuration for circulating the refrigerant is not required, it is possible to maximize the convenience of installation and repair by reducing the manufacturing cost and simplifying the structure. In addition, there is no need to worry about the loss of refrigerant, so safety can be secured.

Furthermore, since the air discharged from the drum 200 is directly heated without cooling, energy loss can be minimized. That is, there is an effect of utilizing the energy contained in the air discharged from the drum 200 . Energy applied to the heater H or the heat supply unit 620 may be utilized to the maximum.

On the other hand, the present invention is not provided with an evaporator, it is possible to reduce the number and intensity of the air injected into the drum collides with the heat exchanger. Accordingly, the load of the blowing fan 570 can be reduced.

4 shows a steam compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The steam compressor 610 may be applied to the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The steam compressor 610 may be provided to compress and heat air, water, or moisture rather than a refrigerant.

The present invention steam compressor 610 includes a case 6100 forming an exterior, a driving unit 6200 coupled to the case 6100 to rotate a rotating shaft 6300, and the rotating shaft 6300 coupled to moisture or air It may include a compression unit 6400 provided to compress the.

The case 6100 is coupled to an accommodating body 6120 providing a space accommodating at least one of the driving unit 6200 and the compression unit 6400, and one end of the accommodating body 6120 to shield the space. It may include a accommodating cover 6110 provided.

The case 6100 may be provided to accommodate all of the driving unit 6200 and the compression unit 6400 , or may be provided to accommodate only the driving unit 6200 .

The driving unit 6200 includes a driving stator 6210 coupled to the receiving body 6120 to generate a rotating magnetic field, and a driving rotor 6220 provided to rotate by the rotating magnetic field to rotate the rotating shaft 6300. may include

The compression unit 6400 includes a main frame 6410 coupled to the receiving body 6120 to allow the rotation shaft 6300 to pass through, and a compression space coupled to the main frame 6410 to compress the refrigerant. A fixed scroll (6420) provided, and a revolving scroll (6430) accommodated in the main frame (6410) and the fixed scroll (6420) and coupled to the rotation shaft (6300) to compress at least one of the air and moisture (6430) may include.

The main frame 6410 may be accommodated and coupled to the case 6100, but may be coupled to a free end of the receiving body 6120 body and exposed to the outside.

In addition, since the compression unit 6400 pressurizes air or steam (moisture), not the refrigerant, it may not be necessary to pressurize the refrigerant at a high pressure, such as when compressing the refrigerant. Accordingly, the compression unit 6400 may be exposed to the outside without being accommodated in the case 6100 .

In addition, when the compression unit 6400 is accommodated in the case 6100, the compressed moisture must pass through the case 6100 to be discharged to the outside. In this case, the moisture may be partially condensed while in contact with the case 6100 and remain in the case 6100 or may short-circuit and short-circuit the driving unit 6200 . Therefore, it may be preferable that the compression unit 6400 is not accommodated in the case 6100 and is exposed to the outside, and the flow path passing through the compression unit 6400 and the space accommodated in the case 6100 are completely It may be provided separately.

As a result, the compression unit 6400 and the case 6100 may be disposed outside and separated from the space in which the driving unit is accommodated. Accordingly, the overall volume of the case 6100 may be reduced, and thus the space occupied by the steam compressor 610 may be minimized.

In addition, the compression unit 6400 may be provided to compress more moisture or air by further expanding the volume irrespective of the diameter of the case 6100 .

The case 100 may further include a coupling part 6130 for coupling the main frame 6410 and the receiving body 6120 to each other. The coupling part 6130 may be provided with a bolt.

The main frame 6410 includes a main head plate 6411 coupled to the receiving body 6120 and a main side plate 6412 extending from the main head plate 6411 to accommodate the orbiting scroll 6430, and the main head plate. It may include a main shaft bearing part 6413 penetrating through 6411 to rotatably accommodate the rotation shaft 6300 .

A main bearing 6470 for supporting the rotation shaft 6300 to rotate may be installed on an inner circumferential surface of the main shaft portion 6413 .

The main mirror plate 6411 may be provided with a diameter larger than the diameter of the receiving body 6120 , and a screw groove 6411a coupled to the coupling part 6130 may be installed.

The fixed scroll 6420 is a fixed head plate 6421 forming a compression space of the air or moisture, and extends from the fixed head plate 6421 to accommodate the orbiting scroll 6420 and is coupled to the main side plate 6412 A fixed side plate 6422 may be included.

The fixed side plate 6422 may further include a fixed coupling bar 6422a capable of further expanding an area in contact with the main side plate 6412 . A diameter of the fixed coupling bar 6422a may be larger than a diameter of the fixed side plate 6422 . The fixed coupling bar 6422a and the main side plate 6412 may be coupled by welding or the like.

The fixed head plate 6421 may further include a fixed wrap 6423 protruding toward the main frame to move and compress the air or moisture. The fixing wrap 6423 may be provided to extend in a tornado shape along the circumferential direction of the fixing head plate 6421 .

The fixed head plate 6421 may be provided with a discharge hole 6424 provided to discharge the compressed moisture or air through the inner end or central portion of the fixing wrap 6423 .

The fixing side plate 6422 may be provided with an inlet hole 6425 on the outer peripheral surface so that the moisture or air can be introduced along the fixing wrap 6423 .

On the other hand, the orbiting scroll 6430 includes a turning mirror plate 6431 coupled to the rotation shaft 6300 and provided for orbital motion, and a pivot shaft portion 6432 provided on the orbiting mirror plate 6431 and coupled to the rotation shaft 6300 . ) and the orbital wrap 6433 provided to engage the fixed wrap 6423 in the turning mirror plate 6431 to compress the moisture or air.

The rotation shaft 6300 may include a shaft body 6310 coupled to the rotor 6220 to rotate together, and an eccentric part 6320 extending from the shaft body and accommodated in the pivot shaft part 6432. . The eccentric portion 6320 may be provided thicker on one side than the shaft body 6310, or may be provided to be eccentric. Therefore, the eccentric portion 6320 may be provided to rotate larger than the rotation radius of the shaft body (6310).

Meanwhile, the orbiting scroll 6430 may further include a compensation coupling part 6460 provided to compensate for the eccentricity of the eccentric part 6320 . The compensation coupling part 6460 may support the eccentric part 6320 to rotate separately from the pivot shaft part 6432 while coupling the eccentric part 6320 and the pivot shaft part 6432 .

Accordingly, when the shaft body 6310 rotates, the eccentric portion 6320 may press the orbiting scroll 6430 in a radial direction of the orbiting scroll 6430 . By the force applied by the eccentric part 6320 , the orbiting wrap 6433 may be engaged with the fixed wrap 6423 to compress the moisture or air.

Since the eccentric portion 6320 does not share a center of gravity with the shaft body 6310, vibration may occur when the rotation shaft 6300 rotates. Accordingly, the steam compressor 610 according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a balancer 6500 capable of compensating for the eccentricity of the eccentric portion 6320 and preventing vibration generation.

The balancer 6500 is a main balancer coupled to the shaft body 6310 or the rotor 6220 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the eccentric portion 6320 is eccentric from the shaft body 6310 to the rotation shaft 6300 . (6520).

Meanwhile, the balancer 6500 may further include an auxiliary balancer capable of preventing vibration or eccentricity that may occur due to the main balancer 6520 . The auxiliary balancer is a first auxiliary balancer 6510 coupled to the rotor 6220 to be spaced apart from the main balancer 6520, and a second auxiliary balancer 6530 coupled to the opposite side of the eccentric part 6320. It may include more than one.

The first auxiliary balancer 6510 may be provided eccentrically in the opposite direction to the main balancer 6520, and the second auxiliary balancer 6530 may be provided eccentrically in the opposite direction to the eccentric part 6320. have.

The volume or weight of the first auxiliary balancer 6510 may be smaller than the volume or weight of the main balancer 6520 . The main balancer 6520 may be provided between the main frame 6430 and the driving unit 6200 , and the first auxiliary balancer 6510 may be provided between the driving unit 200 and the case 100 . .

The second auxiliary balancer 6530 may be disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the pivot shaft portion 6432 .

Meanwhile, the compression unit 6400 may further include an Oldham ring 6440 for preventing the orbiting scroll 6430 from rotating even when the rotating shaft 6300 rotates. The Oldham ring 6440 may be provided to prevent the orbiting scroll 6430 from rotating together with the rotating shaft 6300 even when the orbiting scroll 6430 is pressed by the rotating shaft 6300 . The Oldham ring 6440 may be coupled to the orbiting scroll 6430 and the main frame 6410 between the orbiting scroll 6430 and the main frame 6410 to reciprocate linearly, respectively.

When the driving unit 6200 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 6300, the orbiting scroll 6430 rotates due to the eccentric part 6530 so that the orbiting wrap 6433 and the fixed wrap 6423 are sequentially engaged. all. Two or more compression spaces are generated inside and outside the orbiting wrap 6433 and the fixed wrap 6423, and air or moisture can be sucked in from the inlet hole 6425 by a pressure change. (A direction)

At this time, when the orbiting wrap 6433 and the fixing wrap 6423 are repeatedly engaged, the air or moisture introduced into the inlet hole is compressed along the inner and outer surfaces of the fixing wrap 6423 to the discharge hole 6424. can be emitted. (B direction)

Meanwhile, the compression unit 6400 may have any configuration as long as it can compress steam or air other than a scroll type compressor.

5 shows the state of the compression unit 6400 .

Referring to FIG. 5( a ), when moisture or air is introduced into the inlet hole 6425 , it can move inside the fixed side plate 6421 while moving inward along the fixed wrap 6423 .

The orbiting lap 6433 (black line) of the orbiting scroll 6430 may alternately contact the inside and the outside of the fixed wrap 6423 according to the rotation of the rotation shaft 6300 . In this process, the moisture or air is divided into the inner and outer sides of the orbital wrap 6433 and moves in the direction of the discharge hole 6424 while moving, and from the inlet hole 6425 to the discharge hole 6424 . As the volume decreases as it moves, the moisture or air can be compressed and heated to a high temperature and high pressure.

Accordingly, the air or moisture that has moved to the innermost angle of the fixing wrap 6423 may be discharged through the discharge hole 6424 . As a result, moisture or air introduced at low temperature and low pressure may be compressed and discharged at high temperature and high pressure.

Referring to FIG. 5( b ), the fixed scroll 6420 and the orbiting scroll 6430 are made of metal such as steel, so that the heat transfer rate is high. Accordingly, when moisture or air comes into contact with the fixed scroll 6420 or the orbiting scroll 6430 , the moisture or air may be cooled.

When the steam compressor 610 is driven or has just started driving, the air or moisture introduced into the inlet hole 6425 may be cooled more. In particular, since the vicinity of the inlet hole 6425 is before the air or moisture is compressed, it may be at a lower temperature than the discharge hole 6424 , so that the introduced air or moisture may be cooled more.

Accordingly, the air or moisture is condensed in the inlet hole 6425 to be converted into liquid water w, and the water w is not compressed by the fixed wrap 6423 and the orbital wrap 6433. can In severe cases, the water w may block the flow paths of the fixed wrap 6423 and the orbital wrap 6433 to disable the operation of the steam compressor 610 .

In particular, since the water w is most likely to be condensed in the inlet hole 6425 , it may prevent the air or moisture from entering the inside of the compressor 610 . Therefore, there is a fear that the steam compressor 610 may not exhibit the intended performance.

To improve this, the steam compressor 610 of the embodiment of the present invention may further include a collection unit 6426 provided inside the compression unit 6400 to collect water condensed from the air or moisture.

The collecting unit 6426 may be provided such that one surface inside the compression unit 6400 is depressed to collect condensed water. That is, the collecting unit 6426 does not prevent the air or moisture introduced into the inlet hole 6425 from being condensed, but rather collects condensed water separately to prevent the condensed water from blocking the flow path. can be

The collection part 6426 may be provided with one surface of the fixed scroll 6420 depressed. The collection part 6426 may be provided with a portion between the fixing wraps 6423 of the fixed end plate 6421 depressed, or a portion facing the inlet hole 6425 may be provided with a depression.

In addition, the collecting part 6426 may be provided in which the fixed side plate 6422 is recessed.

The collection part 6426 may be provided in which a portion corresponding to the direction of gravity of the compression part 6400 is depressed. Accordingly, when the water introduced from the inlet hole 6425 is condensed, it may be naturally collected in the collecting unit 6426 . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the inlet hole 6425 and the flow path from being blocked by the condensed water.

Since the amount of water condensed in the inlet hole 6425 is the greatest, the collecting part 6426 may be provided adjacent to the inlet hole 6425 .

6 shows an embodiment of the collecting unit 6426.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the collecting part 6426 may be provided by being depressed in the fixed scroll 6420 . The collection part 6426 may be provided in which the fixed side plate 6422 is recessed. Accordingly, the collection unit 6426 may not at all prevent the air or moisture from moving along the fixing wrap 6423 .

Specifically, the collection part 6426 may include an extended collection groove 6426a provided by recessing the fixing side plate 6422 in the direction opposite to the extending direction of the fixing lap 6423 in the inlet hole 6425. can Accordingly, the water w condensed in the inlet hole 6425 may move along the fixed side plate 6422 or the fixed wrap 6423 and be collected into the extended collection groove 6426a.

The fixing wrap 6423 forms a flow path through which the air or moisture moves together with the orbiting wrap 6433 from a portion facing the inlet hole 6425 to the discharge hole. Accordingly, it can be seen that the extended collection groove 6426a is provided to extend in the direction opposite to the flow path from the inlet hole 6425 .

Accordingly, even if the air or moisture is condensed inside the compression unit 6400 , it is possible to prevent the inlet hole 6425 or the fixing wrap 6423 and the orbiting wrap 6433 from being blocked. In addition, since the non-condensed air or moisture is in a gaseous state, it can overcome gravity and move to the discharge hole 6424 along the fixing wrap 6423 . In this case, the rotation shaft 6300 may be provided parallel to or inclined to the ground. The extended collection groove 6426a may be disposed from the fixed head plate 6421 toward the ground.

Meanwhile, since the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention uses a method of heating the air circulating in the drum 200 with the steam compressor 610, the branch heating unit 600 includes lint discharged from the clothes. Foreign substances such as those may be introduced. Foreign substances such as lint may block the flow path of the branch heating unit 600 or interfere with the operation of the steam compressor 610, and may negatively affect reliability, such as compression loss of the steam compressor 610. have.

In addition, when the drying cycle is repeated, the lint is accumulated in the steam compressor 610 or the like, so it is necessary to remove the lint after the drying cycle is completed or periodically.

Accordingly, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a lint removal system (cleaner) capable of removing lint from the branch heating unit 600 periodically or after completion of the drying cycle. Specifically, the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may further include a cleaning unit 900 capable of supplying the water collected in the water storage tank 560 to the branch heating unit 600 to clean the inside of the branch heating unit 600 . have.

In all embodiments described below, when the drying cycle is performed in the laundry treatment apparatus in common, the branch heating unit 600 sucks a portion of the air from the drum 200 , compresses and heats it, and flows into the drum 200 . Air can be heated. In this process, foreign substances such as lint introduced from the drum may accumulate in the branch heating unit 600, and the air or moisture passing through the branch heating unit 600 is condensed through the heat recovery unit 720. may be introduced into the water storage tank 560 .

Air may be discharged from the water storage tank 560 into the cabinet, or may remain in the water storage tank 560 as it is. However, the water may be collected in the water storage tank 560 .

When the drying cycle is terminated or a command to start a cleaning cycle capable of driving a separate cleaning unit 900 is input, the cleaning unit 900 connects the water storage tank 560 and the steam compressor 610 to a water supply pipe ( 910) may be opened to supply water in the water storage tank 560 to the branch heating unit 600 . In particular, since the steam compressor 610 is vulnerable to foreign substances, the cleaning unit 900 can focus on supplying water to the steam compressor 610 .

In this process, if the controller detects that the amount of water collected in the water storage tank 560 is insufficient, a signal indicating that the cleaning unit 900 cannot be operated yet may be notified through the display unit.

The water storage tank 560 may be provided to be withdrawn to the outside of the cabinet or may be provided to be exposed so that water can be charged separately.

On the other hand, the water that has been washed with the steam compressor 610 is filtered through a filter and introduced back into the water storage tank 560, or through a lint discharge pipe 920 to the water storage tank 560 and a waste water collection container 930 provided separately. can be emitted.

The cleaning unit 900 is provided to close any one of the water supply pipe 910 and the lint discharge pipe 920 in order to control the supply of water from the water storage tank 560 to the steam compressor 610 . It may include a cleaning valve 960 that is.

In addition, the cleaning unit 900 may include a separate supply pump 940 to more effectively supply the water of the water storage tank 560 to the steam compressor 610 .

Accordingly, although the steam compressor 610 is provided to compress the air or moisture discharged from the drum 200, it is possible to prevent the compression performance from being reduced by foreign substances or lint.

7 illustrates an embodiment of a laundry treatment apparatus to which the cleaning unit is applied. In order to avoid overlapping descriptions, the following description will focus on differences from the structure of the laundry treatment apparatus of FIG. 2 .

The cleaning unit 900 of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention may be provided to remove lint from the inside of the steam compressor 610 by supplying the water condensed in the water storage tank 560 to the steam compressor 610 .

The cleaning unit 900 may include the water supply pipe connecting the water storage tank 560 and the steam compressor 610 . The water supply pipe may be provided to share the heat supply pipe 650 . That is, the water supply pipe may be provided integrally with the heat supply pipe 650 .

Specifically, the water supply pipe may be classified as a function of the heat supply pipe 650 .

For example, when air or moisture moves from the steam compressor 610 to the water storage tank 560, the flow path may be called the heat supply pipe 650, and the steam compressor 610 in the water storage tank 560. It can be called a water supply pipe when water moves through the

Accordingly, the water in the water storage tank 560 may flow into the steam compressor 610 along the heat supply pipe 650 to the steam compressor 610 to sweep away the lint inside the steam compressor 610 .

Specifically, when the water is introduced into the discharge hole 6424 of the steam compressor 610, the water may move in a direction opposite to the direction in which the air or moisture is compressed, and the outlet hole 6425 or the water Water and lint may be discharged together through one or more of the discharge units 6427 . The water and lint may wash the entire branch heating unit 600 while moving while counter-currently flowing through the branch pipe 630 .

Since the branch pipe 630 communicates with the air moving unit 520 , there is a risk that water and lint passing through the branch pipe 630 may flow into the air moving unit 520 . Accordingly, the cleaning unit 900 may further include a recovery pipe 970 connecting the water storage tank 560 from the branch determination unit 640 .

The branch determining unit 640 may be controlled to close the recovery pipe 970 and communicate the branch pipe 630 and the air moving unit 520 during the drying cycle. On the other hand, when the drying cycle is finished or the washing cycle of the branch heating unit 600 is performed, the branch determining unit 640 communicates with the branch pipe 630 and the recovery pipe 970, It may be controlled so that the branch pipe 630 and the air moving part 520 do not communicate with each other. The branch determination unit 640 may be provided as a three-way valve or a four-way valve.

On the other hand, the recovery pipe 970 may be provided so that the distal end communicates with the water storage tank 560 . Accordingly, the water washing the branch heating unit 600 may be collected again into the water storage tank 560 .

The cleaning unit 900 may further include a circulation filter 960 provided between the recovery pipe 970 and the water storage tank 560 to remove foreign substances such as lint from the water flowing through the recovery pipe 970 . have. The circulation filter 960 may block the re-introduction of foreign substances into the branch heating unit 600 . The circulation filter 960 is detachably provided in the recovery pipe 970 and may be replaced or cleaned and then reinstalled.

The branch heating unit 600 may omit a pressure reducing device for reducing the pressure of the heat supply pipe 650 . That is, the heat supply pipe 650 may deliver air or moisture to the water storage tank 560 as it is at the pressure increased by the steam compressor 610 . In addition, the heat supply pipe 650 may be provided connected to the water storage tank 560 , and the water storage tank 560 may be provided to be sealed except for a portion communicating with the heat supply pipe 650 . Accordingly, the pressure inside the water storage tank 560 may be provided to maintain equilibrium with the pressure of the heat supply pipe 650 .

As a result, when the steam compressor 610 operates during the drying cycle, air and moisture may move to the water storage tank 560 through the heat supply pipe 650 according to the pressure of the steam compressor 610 . After that, when the drying cycle is terminated or the operation of the steam compressor 610 is terminated, the internal pressure of the water storage tank 560 is high and the pressure applied by the steam compressor 610 disappears, so that the inside of the water storage tank 560 is Water may flow back into the heat supply pipe 650 . Accordingly, lint inside the steam compressor 610 may be automatically removed.

In addition, even if there is no separate pump for supplying the water from the water storage tank 560 to the branch heating unit 600 , the water in the water storage tank flows into the branch heating unit 600 , and the branch heating unit 600 inside can be cleaned

Of course, the water storage tank 560 may not be completely sealed, and may be provided to partially discharge the air inside the water storage tank 560 to the outside of the water storage tank 560 . In this case, the steam compressor 610 may be controlled to be driven in the opposite direction to form a negative pressure.

For example, the rotation shaft 6300 may rotate in the opposite direction. Accordingly, water from the water storage tank 560 may flow into the steam compressor 610 to clean the branch heating unit 600 . That is, the steam compressor 610 may serve as a pump for discharging water from the water storage tank 560 .

In addition, the cleaning unit 900 may further include a separate pump for discharging the water from the water storage tank 560 to the steam compressor 610 , unlike the illustration.

As a result, the cleaning unit 900 flows back water into the steam compressor 610 when the drying cycle is terminated or the operation of the steam compressor 610 is terminated to remove foreign substances such as lint of the branch heating unit 600 . may be provided to do so. The above process may be performed automatically when the drying cycle is completed or the operation of the steam compressor 610 is terminated.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the present invention cleaning unit (900).

Hereinafter, in order to avoid overlapping description, a structure different from the above-described structure will be mainly described.

The cleaning unit 900 may be provided with the water supply pipe 910 and the heat supply pipe 650 separately. That is, the water supply pipe 910 may be provided separately from the heat supply pipe 650 .

The water supply pipe 910 may be provided to be spaced apart from the heat supply pipe 650 in the water storage tank 560 and connected to the steam compressor 610 . One end of the water supply pipe 910 may be coupled to the water storage tank 560 , and the other end of the water supply pipe 910 may be coupled to the discharge hole 6424 of the steam compressor 610 .

The cleaning unit 900 may further include a cleaning valve 980 provided to open and close the water supply pipe 910 . The cleaning valve 980 may be controlled by the controller to open only when the branch heating unit 600 needs to be cleaned.

When water is accommodated in the water storage tank 560 or higher, the cleaning valve 980 may be opened. Accordingly, a sufficient amount of water may be introduced into the branch heating unit 600 to improve the cleaning performance of the branch heating unit 600 .

Also, the cleaning valve 980 may be controlled to open the water supply pipe 910 at a specific time. Accordingly, even during the cleaning cycle, the water can be introduced into the steam compressor 610 at a point in time when the cleaning efficiency is the highest.

Even if the cleaning unit 900, the pressure of the water storage tank 560 is relatively high, or the water storage tank 560 is provided at a position higher than the steam compressor 610, the water in the water storage tank 560 can be stored without any problem. have.

Meanwhile, the cleaning unit 900 may further include a lint discharge pipe 920 for guiding the water supplied to the steam compressor 610 back to the water storage tank 560 . The lint discharge pipe 920 may also be provided independently of the branch pipe 630 .

The cleaning unit 900 may prevent unnecessary water or lint from flowing back into the branch heating unit 600 due to the water supply pipe 910 and the lint discharge pipe 920 . When water flows into the cleaning unit 900 , the branch determining unit 640 may close the branch pipe 630 to induce the water to be discharged to the lint discharge pipe 920 .

A circulation filter 960 through which lint discharged from the steam compressor 610 can be filtered may be provided between the lint discharge pipe 920 and the water storage tank 560 . The circulation filter 960 may be detachably provided on the lint discharge pipe 920 .

Also, the circulation filter 960 may be detachably provided on the heat supply pipe 650 to remove lint from the air or moisture passing through the heat supply pipe.

As a result, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention controls the cleaning valve 980 and the branch determining unit 640 to drive the branch heating unit 600 or to operate the branch heating unit 600 inside the branch heating unit 600 . Foreign substances such as lint can be removed.

Meanwhile, the water storage tank 560 may be disposed above the steam compressor 610 . In this case, when the cleaning valve 980 is opened, the water in the water storage tank 560 may be automatically introduced into the steam compressor 610 . In this case, the heat supply pipe 650 may be provided with a pressure reducing device.

However, when the water storage tank 560 is disposed below or at the same height as the steam compressor 610 , the water in the water storage tank 560 is transferred to the steam compressor 610 only by opening the cleaning valve 980 . It can be difficult to get in. In this case, the pressure reducing device may be omitted in the heat supply pipe 650 . The pressure inside the water storage tank 560 may be maintained at the high pressure pressure pressurized by the steam compressor 610 to be used as power for discharging the water from the water storage tank 560 . Accordingly, a separate pump for discharging water from the water storage tank 560 may be omitted.

Of course, by driving the steam compressor 610 to form a negative pressure, it may be provided to discharge the water from the water storage tank 560 .

In addition, a separate pump may be additionally installed in the water supply pipe 910 . The pump may be controlled to be driven when the branch heating unit 600 is cleaned.

Figure 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention cleaning unit (900).

Hereinafter, in order to avoid overlapping description, a structure different from the above-described structure will be mainly described.

The cleaning unit 900 may further include a wastewater collection container 930 that is provided separately from the water storage tank 560 and collects the water and lint discharged from the lint discharge pipe.

The water storage tank 560 may be provided to collect only water from the moisture or air that has passed through the branch heating unit 600 . In addition, the wastewater collection container 930 may be provided to collect only the water that has been washed with the branch heating unit 600 . It is possible to prevent the reuse of the water that has been washed with the branch heating unit 600 from contamination of the water storage tank 560 in advance.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the contaminated water from re-introducing into the branch heating unit (600).

In addition, the structure of the cabinet 100 can be simply designed by omitting the configuration of the circulation filter.

As described above, the water storage tank 560 is located above the steam compressor 610, the steam compressor 610 forms a negative pressure, or a pump is provided so that the water in the water storage tank 560 is transferred to the steam compressor. 610 may be introduced. In addition, the pressure compressed in the steam compressor 610 is provided to act on the water storage tank 560 as it is, and when the pressure of the steam compressor 610 is released, the water in the water storage tank 560 flows back, so that the steam compressor 610 may be introduced.

On the other hand, the cleaning unit 900 is provided in any one of the water supply pipe 910 and the lint discharge pipe 920 to determine whether to supply water discharged from the water storage tank 560 It may include a cleaning valve 980. have.

When the drying cycle is performed, when air or moisture in the branch heating unit 600 moves to the water storage tank 560, the cleaning valve 980 is controlled to close the water supply pipe 910 or the lint discharge pipe 920. can be

When the drying cycle is completed or there is a need to remove foreign substances such as lint from the branch heating unit 600, the cleaning valve 980 is controlled to open the water supply pipe 910 or the lint discharge pipe 920 can be

The cleaning unit 900 may further include a water level sensor for detecting the water level in the water storage tank 560 or the wastewater collection container 930 . Accordingly, the cleaning valve 980 may be opened when the water level of the water storage tank 560 is higher than a predetermined water level. Furthermore, when the water level of the wastewater collection container 930 is higher than the reference water level, the control panel 100 may notify the user to empty the wastewater collection container 930 .

The wastewater collection container 930 may be provided to be withdrawn from the cabinet 100 to the outside.

Figure 10 shows another embodiment of the present invention cleaner.

In order to avoid overlapping descriptions, the following description will focus on parts different from the above-described embodiments.

The cleaning unit 900 may further include a supply pump 940 coupled to the water supply pipe 910 to guide the water in the water storage tank 560 to the steam compressor.

The supply pump 940 may be provided to provide power for the water collected in the water storage tank 560 to be introduced into the steam compressor 610 . In particular, when a pressure reducing device 660 is installed in the heat supply unit 650 so that the pressure of the water storage tank 560 is lower than the pressure of the steam compressor 610 , the supply pump 940 is connected to the water storage tank 560 and It may be controlled to compensate the pressure difference between the steam compressor 610 or supply the water at a pressure greater than the pressure provided by the steam compressor 610 .

Accordingly, the cleaning unit 900 can effectively clean foreign substances such as lint attached to the branch heating unit 600 by providing strong water pressure to the steam compressor 610 through the supply pump 940 .

On the other hand, the supply pump 940 is provided below the steam compressor 610, so that when the supply pump 940 does not work, the water in the water storage tank 560 is arbitrarily introduced into the steam compressor 610. can be prevented That is, only when the cleaning unit 900 operates, the supply pump 940 may be disposed below the steam compressor 610 so that water can be introduced into the steam compressor 610 . In this case, the cleaning valve 960 for opening and closing the flow path of the cleaning unit 900 may be omitted, and the structure of the cleaning unit 900 may be simplified.

The present invention may be modified and implemented in various forms, but the scope of the rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, if the modified embodiment includes the elements of the claims of the present invention, it should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present invention.

100 Cabinet 200 Drum 300 Drive
400 Drying duct 500 Base 600 Branch heating part
700 Outside air inlet 800 Pressure maintenance pipe 900 Cleaning unit

Claims (15)

cabinet;
a drum provided inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes;
a circulation unit connected to the drum to circulate air containing moisture discharged from the clothes;
A branch pipe for extracting a portion of the air flowing through the circulation unit, a steam compressor for compressing the air introduced into the branch pipe, and a circulation unit provided inside the circulation unit to circulate the circulation unit with the air compressed by the steam compressor a branch heating unit including a heat supply unit for heating the air;
a heat recovery unit that sucks air outside the cabinet and cools the air that has passed through the steam compressor and the heat supply unit;
a water storage tank that is connected to the branch heating unit and collects water condensed from the air that has passed through the heat recovery unit;
and a cleaning unit capable of supplying the water collected in the water storage tank to the steam compressor to remove lint from the inside of the steam compressor. According to claim 1,
the cleaner
and a water supply pipe connecting the water storage tank and the steam compressor. 3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a heat supply pipe communicating the heat supply unit, the heat recovery unit, and the water storage tank to move the air or water supplied from the steam compressor,
and the water supply pipe is provided integrally with the heat supply pipe. 4. The method of claim 3,
the cleaner
a recovery pipe connecting the branch pipe and the water storage tank;
and a branch determining unit for controlling the opening and closing of the recovery pipe. 5. The method of claim 4,
the cleaner
and a circulation filter coupled to the recovery pipe to collect lint discharged from the steam compressor. 3. The method of claim 2,
Further comprising a heat supply pipe communicating the heat supply unit, the heat recovery unit, and the water storage tank to move the air or water supplied from the steam compressor,
The water supply pipe
The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that it is provided separately from the heat supply pipe. 7. The method of claim 6,
the cleaner
and a lint discharge pipe connecting the steam compressor and the water storage tank to guide water and lint discharged from the steam compressor back to the water storage tank. 8. The method of claim 7,
the cleaner
and a circulation filter coupled to the lint discharge pipe to collect the lint discharged from the steam compressor. 8. The method of claim 7
and a cleaning valve provided in any one of the water supply pipe and the lint discharge pipe to determine whether to supply water discharged from the water storage tank. 7. The method of claim 6,
the cleaner
A lint discharge pipe connected to the steam compressor to guide the water and lint discharged from the steam compressor, and a wastewater collection container provided separately from the water storage tank to collect the water and lint discharged from the lint discharge pipe A clothing treatment device characterized by a. 11. The method of claim 10,
and a cleaning valve provided in any one of the water supply pipe and the lint discharge pipe to determine whether to supply water discharged from the water storage tank. 11. The method of claim 10,
and a supply pump coupled to the water supply pipe to guide the water in the water storage tank to the steam compressor. 13. The method of claim 12,
and the supply pump is provided below the steam compressor. 13. The method of claim 12,
and a cleaning valve provided on the water supply pipe to determine whether to supply water discharged from the water storage tank. 13. The method of claim 12,
a pressure reducing device provided between the heat recovery part and the water storage tank of the heat supply pipe to reduce the pressure of the heat supply pipe;
and the supply pump is provided to provide a pressure corresponding to or greater than the pressure reduced in the pressure reducing device.

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