KR102568204B1 - Laundry treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention, a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum through heat exchange; and a base cabinet disposed below the drum to provide a space in which various parts are mounted, the base cabinet forming a part of the circulation passage, and a base on which an evaporator, a condenser, and a circulation fan are sequentially disposed toward the rear. Euro part; a drum motor mounting portion disposed at a front side of the base passage portion and to which a drum motor generating a driving force for rotation of the drum is mounted; and a compressor mounting portion disposed behind one side of the base passage portion and having a compressor mounting portion for generating compressed air for heat exchange.

Description

Laundry treatment device {LAUNDRY TREATMENT APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment device having a function of drying clothes or bedding.

The clothes processing device refers to all devices that manage or treat clothes, such as washing, drying, or removing wrinkles, such as clothes or bedding in a home or a laundromat. The clothes handling device includes a washing machine, a dryer, a washing machine and dryer, and the like.

A washing machine is a device for washing clothes or bedding, and a dryer is a device for removing moisture from clothes or bedding to dry them. A washer and dryer is a device that combines washing and drying functions.

Among them, the dryer evaporates moisture contained in the object to be treated by supplying hot air to the object to be treated, such as clothes or bedding put into the drum (or tub). The moisture of the object to be treated is evaporated in the drum, and the air exiting the drum retains the moisture of the object to be treated, and becomes a high temperature and high humidity state. At this time, the type of dryer is classified into a condensation type and an exhaust type according to the method of processing the high temperature and high humidity air.

The condensation type dryer condenses moisture contained in the hot and humid air through heat exchange while circulating the hot and humid air without discharging it to the outside. In contrast, exhaust type dryers directly discharge hot and humid air to the outside. There is a structural difference between the condensation type dryer in that it has a structure for treating condensed water, and the exhaust type dryer has a structure for exhausting air.

The condensation type dryer has a circulation passage through which moisture is removed from the air discharged from the drum, heated, and introduced into the drum. Conventionally, since a circulation fan is disposed in front of the evaporator on a circulation flow path perpendicular to the evaporator, flow resistance is greatly generated, and heat exchange efficiency is low because the flow is not uniformly introduced into the evaporator.

To solve this problem, it is necessary to simplify the circulation passage and to optimize the layout of various parts on the base cabinet.

Meanwhile, when the circulation fan is disposed behind the condenser, the condensed water on the bottom surface of the circulation passage may be scattered by the suction force of the circulation fan. In this case, the condenser may be cooled by the condensed water to lower the efficiency of the condenser, or the condensed water may flow into the circulation fan, adversely affecting driving reliability. Therefore, there is a need for research into a water cover having a new structure capable of limiting the scattering of condensate by the suction force of the circulation fan while providing a space in which the evaporator and the condenser are seated in a spaced apart state from the bottom surface.

In addition, as described above, condensed water may flow into the circulation fan due to the suction force of the circulation fan. If the condensed water is not drained, the driving reliability of the circulation fan is adversely affected. Therefore, a structure for smoothly draining the condensed water flowing into the circulation fan should be provided.

Meanwhile, for convenience of assembly, the circulation fan and the motor driving the circulation fan are installed in the base cabinet as one assembly. As described above, if the circulation passage is simply changed, the installation structure of the circulation fan-motor needs to be appropriately changed in response to the change.

In addition, the circulation fan varies in noise, air volume, and the like generated during rotation according to its shape. Therefore, it is necessary to study the optimal design conditions of the circulating fan so that it can have low noise and high air volume performance.

On the other hand, after moisture is removed in the evaporator, the air heated in the condenser is introduced into the rear opening of the drum by the blowing of the circulation fan. A rear duct connector is provided to guide the air passing through the circulation fan to the rear opening of the drum. do. The rear duct connector should be designed to minimize flow resistance of flowing air and prevent moisture from accumulating.

A first object of the present invention is to simply implement a circulation flow path forming a path to remove moisture from air discharged from a drum and then heat it to flow into the drum.

A second object of the present invention is to optimize the design of the base passage part formed in the base cabinet and the layout of various components in order to implement a simple circulation passage.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a space in which the evaporator and the condenser are seated in a spaced apart from the bottom surface, while limiting the scattering of condensate on the bottom surface of the circulation passage to the rear by the suction force of the circulation fan. It is to provide a water cover of a new structure.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of smoothly draining condensate when condensate flows into the circulation fan in a structure in which a circulation fan is disposed behind a condenser on a circulation flow path.

A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an installation structure of a circulation fan and a motor driving the circulation fan corresponding to the simplified circulation passage.

A sixth object of the present invention is to provide optimal design conditions for a circulation fan to enable the circulation fan to have low noise and high air volume performance.

A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a structure capable of minimizing passage resistance of a rear duct connector that guides air passing through a circulation fan to a rear opening of a drum and preventing moisture from accumulating.

In order to achieve the first object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention has a front and rear opening shape, and includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a front supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a front side of the drum and having an opening communicating with the front opening of the drum; a rear supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a rear side of the drum and having a ventilation hole communicating with an opening at the rear side of the drum; a base cabinet disposed under the drum to form a bottom surface; a first passage forming a path through which the air discharged from the front opening of the drum flows, and extending downward toward one front side of the base cabinet; a second flow path extending linearly from the first flow path toward the rear side of one side of the base cabinet and being heated after moisture is removed through heat exchange while air is flowing; and a third flow path connecting the second flow path and the ventilation hole of the rear supporter and extending upward from one side of the base cabinet.

The ventilation hole of the rear supporter is formed at a position eccentric to one side based on a vertical reference line passing through the center of the rear supporter.

The ventilation hole of the rear supporter may be formed above a horizontal reference line passing through the center of the rear supporter.

A circulation fan is disposed in the third passage to face the second passage, and sucks air passing through the second passage and blows it to the ventilation hole of the rear supporter.

In the third flow passage, a circulation fan accommodating portion having an intake port facing the second flow passage and an exhaust port opening upward perpendicular to the intake port and accommodating the circulation fan is formed, and the circulation fan comprises: It consists of a sirocco fan that blows the air introduced from the front to the side.

A base passage portion forming a part of the first passage, the second passage, and the third passage is formed in the base cabinet.

The laundry treatment apparatus may include a rear cover disposed to cover an evaporator and a condenser mounted on the base flow path part and forming the second flow path together with the base flow path part; and a front cover disposed in front of the rear cover to cover the base passage portion and forming a part of the first passage together with the base passage portion.

A communication hole is formed in a circumferential portion of a lower side of the front supporter, and a front duct connector connecting an opening defined by the base flow path and the front cover to the communication hole is mounted in the front supporter.

A rear duct connector connecting the ventilation hole of the rear supporter and the base passage portion is mounted on the rear supporter.

A first object of the present invention is a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum through heat exchange; and a base cabinet disposed below the drum to provide a space in which various parts are mounted and having a base flow path portion constituting a part of the circulation flow path, wherein an evaporator, a condenser, and a circulation fan are installed at a rear part of the base flow path. , and a portion of the base passage portion may be achieved by a laundry handling device extending backward from a position eccentric to one side from the center of the base cabinet.

In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, an apparatus for treating clothes of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum through heat exchange; and a base cabinet disposed below the drum to provide a space in which various parts are mounted, the base cabinet forming a part of the circulation passage, and a base on which an evaporator, a condenser, and a circulation fan are sequentially disposed toward the rear. Euro part; a drum motor mounting portion disposed at a front side of the base passage portion and to which a drum motor generating a driving force for rotation of the drum is mounted; and a compressor mounting portion disposed behind one side of the base passage portion and mounting a compressor generating compressed air for heat exchange.

The evaporator, the condenser, and the circulation fan are eccentrically positioned toward one side from the center of the base cabinet.

The circulation fan is disposed such that a rotating shaft faces the condenser and the evaporator, and the circulation fan is composed of a sirocco fan that blows air introduced from the front sideward.

A blowing fan may be mounted on a shaft of the drum motor to blow air in a space between the outer cabinet and the drum.

When the drum motor is driven, the drum and the blowing fan are rotated together.

An exhaust fan is mounted on the cabinet to discharge air in a space between the cabinet and the drum to the outside.

A circuit board having a heat radiation fan is mounted on an inner wall of the cabinet, and the heat radiation fan is opposite to the blowing fan with the drum interposed therebetween so that the blowing fan and the heat radiation fan form a circulation flow surrounding the drum. can be placed in

A condensate recovery unit communicating with the base flow path unit is provided between the compressor mounting unit and the base flow path unit so that the condensate generated in the evaporator is recovered.

A communication hole through which the base flow path part communicates with the condensed water recovery part may be formed at a rear end of one side of the condenser.

A bottom surface of the base passage portion in which the evaporator and the condenser are disposed may be formed to be inclined downward toward the rear.

A bottom surface of the base passage portion in which the condenser is disposed may be formed to be inclined downward toward one side of the condenser.

In order to achieve the third object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a drum configured to accommodate clothes and to be rotatable; and a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum through heat exchange. a heat pump system including an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve to heat the air after removing moisture from the air passing through the circulation passage; and a water cover provided with a space in which the evaporator and the condenser are seated and mounted on a bottom surface of the circulation passage to separate the evaporator and the condenser from the bottom surface.

The water cover may include a seating portion on which the evaporator and the condenser are seated; and a support portion extending downwardly from the seating portion and supported on a bottom surface of the circulation passage, wherein a plurality of drain holes for draining condensate generated in the evaporator are formed in the seating portion.

The seating portion may include an evaporator seating portion on which the evaporator is seated; a condenser seating portion on which the condenser is seated; and a connection portion connecting the evaporator seating portion and the condenser seating portion, wherein the plurality of drainage holes are formed at front ends of the evaporator seating portion, the connection portion, and the condenser seating portion.

Each of the plurality of drain holes extends along the width direction of the condenser seat portion, and the plurality of drain holes are repeatedly arranged at regular intervals along the width direction and length direction of the condenser seat portion.

The plurality of drainage holes may be alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the condenser seating part.

An upwardly extending rib protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion between the connection portion and the condenser seating portion to restrict condensed water from flowing into the condenser seating portion.

The upwardly extending rib may include a portion inclined toward the front.

The upwardly extending rib may include a first portion vertically extending upwardly with respect to the seating portion; and a second portion extending from an upper end of the first portion in a direction crossing the first portion toward the front of the seating portion.

A downwardly extending rib protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion between the evaporator seating portion and the connecting portion to limit condensed water from rising to the top of the seating portion through the drain hole.

A circulation fan accommodating portion in which a circulation fan for sucking and blowing air passing through the condenser is disposed in the circulation passage, and a bottom surface of the circulation passage to which the water cover is mounted and an intake port of the circulation fan accommodating portion are formed. The surfaces may be connected by a rear wall extending vertically, and a recessed portion may be formed at a rear edge of the water cover so that a side surface of the edge facing the rear wall is spaced apart from the rear wall.

The bottom surface of the circulation passage is formed to be inclined downward toward the rear of the seating part, and the support provided at the bottom of the condenser seating part is longer than the support provided at the bottom of the evaporator seating part so that the seating part remains horizontal.

In order to achieve the fourth object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum via an evaporator and a condenser; a circulation fan positioned between the condenser on the circulation passage and the rear opening of the drum; and a base cabinet disposed below the drum to provide a space in which the evaporator and the condenser are mounted, and including a base flow path part forming a part of the circulation flow path, wherein the base flow path unit accommodates the circulation fan. and a circulation fan accommodating part having a front intake port facing the condenser and an exhaust port opening upward perpendicular to the intake port.

The circulation fan is composed of a sirocco fan, and a condensate drain passage for draining condensate introduced by the suction force of the circulation fan to the condenser is formed on one side of the inner circumferential surface of the circulation fan accommodating portion surrounding the outer circumference of the circulation fan. .

The condensate drain passage may include a side groove formed on the inner circumferential surface to recover condensate scattered by rotation of the circulation fan and flowing down the inner circumferential surface; and a communication hole through which the side groove communicates with a mounting space of the condenser on the base passage part.

The side groove is recessed downward at an inclined portion of the inner circumferential surface and extends forward.

The side groove is formed on one side of the inner circumferential surface toward which a tangential vector at the lowest point of the circulation fan is directed.

The laundry treatment apparatus may include a cover member disposed to cover a rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion and defining the exhaust port together with the circulation fan accommodating portion; and a drive motor mounted on an outer surface of the cover member and having a shaft passing through the cover member coupled to the circulating fan.

The cover member may include a cover base disposed to cover a rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating part; and a sealing portion having a shape bent forward from an outside of the cover base and contacting an extension surface extending outward from an inner circumferential surface of the circulation fan accommodating portion, wherein a fastening member penetrates the cover member to accommodate the circulation fan. When coupled to the portion, the sealing portion may be pressed against the extension surface.

A portion of the cover base may protrude forward from the sealing portion and be accommodated in a rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion.

The circulation fan may include a circular base portion disposed to face the intake port; a plurality of blade units arranged at regular intervals along an edge of the base unit and blowing air introduced into the base sideways when the circulation fan rotates; and a connecting portion disposed to face the base portion and formed in a ring shape to connect the plurality of blade portions.

A chamfer portion may be formed at front edges of the plurality of blades facing the intake port.

The exhaust port may be formed at an upper portion of one side eccentric from the center of the circulation fan.

In order to achieve the fifth object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum via an evaporator and a condenser; a base cabinet disposed below the drum and including a heat exchange part in which the evaporator and the condenser are seated and a circulation fan accommodating part with an intake hole formed at the rear of the condenser to form a part of the circulation passage; a cover member disposed to cover the rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion and forming an exhaust port opening upward together with the circulation fan accommodating portion; a drive motor mounted on an outer surface of the cover member; and a circulation fan coupled to the shaft penetrating the cover member and disposed in the circulation fan accommodating portion.

The laundry treatment device may include a bushing mounted in a shaft coupling part of the circulating fan; and a fastening member passing through the shaft coupling portion of the circulation fan and coupled to the shaft of the drive motor inserted into the bushing.

The bushing is formed of a metal material and is integrally coupled to the shaft coupling portion by double injection, grooves are repeatedly formed along the circumference of the outer circumferential surface of the bushing, and a portion of the shaft coupling portion is accommodated in the groove.

At the front end of the shaft, a cutting portion having at least one cutting surface extending in a longitudinal direction and a non-cutting portion located at the rear of the cutting portion are formed, and the bushing includes a first insertion portion corresponding to the cutting portion and the non-cutting portion. A second insertion portion corresponding to the cutting portion is provided.

The non-cutting part is configured to be caught on the stepped portion of the first insertion part and the second insertion part.

The laundry treatment apparatus may further include a bracket mounted on the cover member to cover the driving motor and fixing the driving motor.

The cover member may include a cover base disposed to cover a rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating part; and a sealing portion having a shape bent forward from an outside of the cover base and contacting an extension surface extending outward from an inner circumferential surface of the circulation fan accommodating portion, wherein a fastening member penetrates the cover member to accommodate the circulation fan. When coupled to the portion, the sealing portion may be pressed against the extension surface.

A portion of the cover base may protrude forward from the sealing portion and be accommodated in a rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion.

The circulation fan may include a circular base portion disposed to face the intake port and coupled to the shaft; a plurality of blade units arranged at regular intervals along an edge of the base unit and blowing the air introduced into the base unit to the side when the circulation fan rotates; and a connecting portion disposed to face the base portion and formed in a ring shape to connect the plurality of blade portions.

A chamfer may be formed at front edges of the plurality of blades facing the inlet.

The exhaust port is formed at an upper portion of one side eccentric from the center of the circulation fan.

In order to achieve the sixth object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a circulation passage forming a path through which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced into the rear opening of the drum via an evaporator and a condenser; and a circulation fan positioned between the condenser on the circulation passage and a rear opening of the drum, wherein the circulation fan includes: a base portion disposed to face the condenser and having a circular circumference; a plurality of blade units arranged at regular intervals along an edge of the base unit and blowing air introduced into the base sideways when the circulation fan rotates; and a connecting portion disposed to face the base portion and formed in a ring shape to connect the plurality of blade portions.

Each of the plurality of blade parts may be formed to extend to a certain thickness.

A thickness of each of the plurality of blade parts may be 1.5 mm.

A distance from the center of the circulation fan to an inner end of each of the plurality of blade units may be 50 mm.

A total of 43 of the plurality of blade units may be provided.

An edge of the base portion may be positioned adjacent to an outer end of each of the plurality of blade parts rather than an inner end.

The connection part may be disposed to cover an outer end of each of the plurality of blade parts.

The connection part may be disposed so as not to overlap with the base part in the thickness direction of the circulation fan.

An angle between an inner end and an outer end of each of the plurality of blade units with respect to the center of the circulation fan may be 7°.

When the inner diameter is the distance from the center of the circulation fan to the inner end of each of the plurality of blade units, the angle formed by the tangent vector of a circle whose radius is the inner diameter at the inner end and the tangent vector at the inner end is It can be 46°.

When the outer diameter is the distance from the center of the circulation fan to the outer end of each of the plurality of blades, the angle formed by the tangent vector of a circle whose radius is the outer diameter at the outer end and the tangent vector at the outer end is It can be 27°.

In order to achieve the seventh object of the present invention, a laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a drum for accommodating clothes; a drum front supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a front side of the drum; a drum rear supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a rear side of the drum and having a vent communicating with an opening at the rear side of the drum; A guide part disposed below the drum and into which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced, a heat exchange part for removing moisture from the air introduced from the guide part and heating the air, and air passing through the heat exchange part is sucked in and blown a base cabinet having a circulation fan accommodating part providing a space in which a circulation fan is mounted; and a rear duct connector connecting an exhaust port of the circulation fan accommodating portion and a ventilation port of the drum rear supporter to guide air blown by the circulation fan to the rear opening of the drum.

The rear duct connector may include: a first opening opened downward at a lower end of the rear duct connector and disposed to face the exhaust port; and a second opening that is opened forward and is disposed to face the ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter.

The rear duct connector may include a base member forming a rear portion of the rear duct connector; and a cover member coupled to the base member to form a front portion of the rear duct connector, defining the first opening together with the base member, and having the second opening formed on the front surface.

The base member may include a first portion extending upward from the first opening; and a second portion positioned above the first portion and corresponding to the second opening, wherein the second portion is wider than the first portion.

On the inner surface of the base member, an inner partition wall obliquely extending upward in the same direction as the one inner wall at or adjacent to one inner wall of the base member corresponding to the upper end of the first portion is provided.

The inner partition wall may be formed to be inclined upward from an inner wall on one side of the base member to an inner wall on the other side.

A drainage hole is formed between a lower end of the inner bulkhead and an inner wall of one side of the rear duct connector to prevent water pooling.

The drainage hole may be formed by spacing a lower end of the inner partition wall from an inner wall of one side of the base member.

The inner partition wall may extend in a branched form from one inner wall of the base member, and the drain hole may be formed to pass through a connection portion between the one inner wall and the inner partition wall.

An upper end of the inner partition wall may be formed to be rounded in a direction opposite to an extension direction of the inner partition wall.

In the base member, a first sealing groove extending along an edge and a second sealing groove surrounding the first sealing groove are formed, and the cover member includes a first sealing projection inserted into the first sealing groove; A second sealing protrusion inserted into the second sealing groove may be provided.

A front surface of the rear duct connector defining the second opening may come into surface contact with a rear surface defining a ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter.

A sealing portion made of an elastic material surrounding the second opening may be provided on a front surface of the rear duct connector, and the sealing portion may be configured to be in close contact with a rear surface of the drum rear supporter to cover the ventilation hole.

The heat exchange part and the circulation fan accommodating part are disposed at a position eccentric to one side from the center of the base cabinet, and the ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter is eccentric to one side based on a vertical reference line passing through the center of the drum rear supporter is formed in

The ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter may be formed above a horizontal reference line passing through the center of the drum rear supporter.

The effects of the present invention obtained through the above solutions are as follows.

First, the first flow path guides the air discharged from the drum to the front of one side of the base cabinet, the second flow path extends toward the rear of one side of the base cabinet, and the third flow path extends upward from one side of the base cabinet, thereby simplifying it. A circulation flow path may be implemented.

Here, since the ventilation hole of the rear supporter is formed on one side of the rear supporter corresponding to one side of the base cabinet, a structure in which the third flow path extends upward from one side of the base cabinet may be realized.

In addition, since a circulation fan that sucks air from the front and blows it upward is disposed at the rear of the second flow passage extending in a straight line, a uniform flow can be formed in the second and third passages. Accordingly, a decrease in heat exchange efficiency in the second passage can be prevented, and passage resistance in the third passage can be reduced.

Second, the base cabinet is provided with a base flow path part that forms a part of the circulation flow path and in which an evaporator, a condenser, and a circulation fan are sequentially arranged rearward, and a drum motor mounting unit and a compressor mounting unit are provided at the front and rear of one side of the base flow path unit. Accordingly, the design of the base flow path formed in the base cabinet and the layout of various parts can be optimized.

Third, through a structure in which a downward extension rib protrudes between the evaporator seating part and the connection part of the water cover, and an upward extension rib protrudes between the connection part and the condenser seating part, the condensate water on the bottom surface of the circulation passage is generated by the suction force of the circulation fan. may be restricted from scattering backwards.

In addition, a plurality of drain holes formed in the condenser mounting portion are arranged alternately toward the rear, so that even if condensed water flows in between the drain holes, it falls again by the drain holes formed in the rear. Accordingly, the drainage performance of the condensed water in the condenser mounting portion may be improved.

Fourth, a condensate drain passage for draining the condensate introduced by the suction force of the circulation fan to the condenser is formed on one side of the inner circumferential surface of the circulation fan accommodating part surrounding the outer circumference of the circulation fan, so that even if the condensate flows into the circulation fan, the condensed water flows to the front. It can drain smoothly to the condenser side.

Fifth, the cover member is disposed to cover the rear side opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion in which the circulation fan is accommodated, forms an exhaust port opening upward together with the circulation fan accommodating portion, and a drive motor is mounted on the outer surface of the cover member, thereby inhaling from the front. A flow path structure through which the air is blown upward may be implemented.

Sixth, the inner diameter of the circulation fan is 45 mm or more and 55 mm or less, the total number of plurality of blade parts is 36 or more and 43 or less, the occupation angle of the blade part is 7 ° or more and 10 ° or less, the suction angle of the blade part is 42 ° or more and 46 ° or less, Since the discharge angle of the blade unit is formed to be greater than or equal to 18° and less than or equal to 27°, performance of the circulating fan with low noise and high airflow can be realized.

Seventh, the width of the rear duct connector is widened at a portion communicating with the ventilation hole of the rear supporter to generate vortices. As the internal partition wall guides the flow of air in that portion, flow resistance can be minimized.

In addition, a drain hole is formed between the lower end of the inner partition wall and the inner wall of one side of the rear duct connector, so that moisture can be prevented from accumulating.

1 is a perspective view showing a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the circulation of air through the drum and circulation passage shown in FIG. 1;
3 is a conceptual view showing the structure of the front of the drum shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the base cabinet shown in FIG. 1 and main components mounted on the base cabinet;
5 is a view showing the main components shown in FIG. 4 separated from the base cabinet;
6 is a plan view of the base cabinet shown in FIG. 5;
Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4;
8 is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 7;
Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 4;
10 is a front view of the rear cover shown in FIG. 5;
11 is an enlarged view of part D of FIG. 4;
12 is an enlarged view of part E of FIG. 7;
Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in Fig. 11;
14 is a view showing a portion where the front base cover shown in FIG. 4 is disposed from another direction;
15 is an enlarged view of part H of FIG. 14;
Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line JJ in Fig. 14;
17 is a rear view of the circulation fan accommodating part shown in FIG. 5;
18 is a perspective view of the circulation fan accommodating part shown in FIG. 5 as viewed from the rear;
19 is a perspective view of the circulation fan accommodating part shown in FIG. 4 as viewed from the front;
FIG. 20 is a view showing a state in which the cover member is mounted to cover the rear opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion shown in FIG. 18;
21 is a plan view of the cover member shown in FIG. 20;
22 is a view showing a state in which the drive motor and the cover bracket are mounted on the cover member shown in FIG. 20;
Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line KK in Fig. 22;
24 is an enlarged view of part L of FIG. 23;
25 is a perspective view of the circulation fan shown in FIG. 18 viewed from the front;
Fig. 26 is a front view of the circulation fan shown in Fig. 25;
27 is a conceptual diagram for explaining blade design conditions of a circulation fan;
28 is an enlarged view of part M of FIG. 23;
29 is a perspective view showing the bushing shown in FIG. 28;
30 is a conceptual view showing a state in which a water cover is mounted on the base cabinet shown in FIG. 6;
31 is a plan view of the water cover shown in FIG. 30;
32 is a front view of the water cover shown in FIG. 31;
33 is a right side view of the water cover shown in FIG. 31;
34 is a perspective view of the water cover shown in FIG. 31;
35 is a cross-sectional view taken along line NN of FIG. 30, (a) is a view for explaining problems with the structure before design change, and (b) is a view showing that the problem is solved using the design-changed water cover of FIG. 34 drawings to illustrate.
36 is a right side view showing a modified example of the water cover shown in FIG. 33;
37 is a right side view showing another modified example of the water cover shown in FIG. 33;
38 is a conceptual view showing the structure of the rear of the drum shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 39 is a conceptual view showing main parts of the rear of the drum shown in FIG. 38 separated;
40 is a conceptual view showing the rear duct connector shown in FIG. 38 mounted on a circulating fan mounting part;
41 is a conceptual view showing a state in which the rear duct connector shown in FIG. 38 is coupled to a rear supporter;
Fig. 42 is a sectional view taken along line PP in Fig. 41;
43 is an enlarged view of a portion Q of FIG. 42;
44 is a view showing the inside of the base member shown in FIG. 39;
45 is a view showing the inside of the cover member shown in FIG. 39;
46 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the effect of the internal barrier rib shown in FIG. 39;

Hereinafter, a laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In addition, a structure applied to one embodiment may be equally applied to another embodiment as long as there is no structural or functional contradiction between different embodiments.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

In describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are included. It should be understood to include water or substitutes.

1 is a perspective view showing a laundry treatment apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cabinet 1010 forms the exterior of the laundry handling device 1000 . The cabinet 1010 includes a plurality of sub-cabinets constituting at least one of a front surface, a rear surface, left and right sides, an upper surface, and a lower surface of the laundry handling apparatus 1000 . The sub cabinet may be made of a metal plate or a synthetic resin material.

A sub cabinet constituting a base of the laundry handling apparatus 1000 may be named a base cabinet 1310 . The base cabinet 1310 is made of a synthetic resin material and provides a space in which various parts are mounted. The base cabinet 1310 itself may form the bottom surface of the laundry handling apparatus 1000, or a base plate formed of a metal material may be mounted under the base cabinet 1310 and placed on the bottom surface.

A clothing entrance 1011 is formed on the front of the cabinet 1010 . The clothes input port 1011 communicates with the front side opening of the drum 1030, and is configured to input an object to be treated, such as clothes or bedding, into the drum 1030.

The door 1020 is formed to open and close the clothing entrance 1011 . The door 1020 may be rotatably connected to the cabinet 1010 by a hinge 1021 . The door 1020 may include a light transmitting part. Accordingly, even when the door 1020 is closed, the inside of the drum 1030 may be visually exposed through the light transmitting unit.

The drum 1030 is rotatably installed inside the cabinet 1010 . The drum 1030 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape open to the front and rear, and the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 communicates with the clothes input port 1011, so that the object to be treated is inside the drum 1030. It is designed to accommodate this.

A circulation passage 1200 is connected to the front opening 1030' and the rear opening 1030" of the drum 1030, so that air is formed by the inside of the drum 1030 and the circulation passage 1200, thereby forming a closed loop. The humid air discharged through the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 passes through the evaporator 1110 on the circulation passage 1200, removes moisture, and passes through the condenser 1130 to be heated. The high-temperature dry air is introduced into the drum 1030 through the rear opening 1030" of the drum 1030 to dry the object to be treated.

The drum 1030 is rotatably supported by the front supporter 1040 and the rear supporter 1050 . The front supporter 1040 and the rear supporter 1050 are respectively disposed in front and rear of the drum 1030 to rotatably support the drum 1030 .

Rollers 1060 may be respectively installed on the front supporter 1040 and the rear supporter 1050 . The roller 1060 is disposed directly below the drum 1030 and comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 1030 . The roller 1060 is rotatably formed, and assists rotation of the drum 1030 while rotating in a direction opposite to that of the drum 1030 . An outer circumferential surface of the roller 1060 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum 1030 may be formed of an elastic material (eg, rubber).

Heat pump cycle devices 1100 are disposed below the drum 1030 . Here, the lower side of the drum 1030 refers to a space between the lower part of the drum 1030 and the base cabinet 1310 . The heat pump cycle devices 1100 refer to devices that configure a cycle to sequentially evaporate-compress-condensate-expand the refrigerant. When the heat pump cycle devices 1100 are operated, the air is heated and dried while sequentially exchanging heat with the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 .

An evaporator 1110 and a condenser 1130 for heat exchange with air flowing along the circulation passage 1200 are disposed on the circulation passage 1200 . In the base cabinet 1310, a base passage part 1310' constituting a part of the circulation passage 1200 is formed.

A heat exchange unit 1312 in which an evaporator 1110 and a condenser 1130 for heat exchange are disposed in the base flow path unit 1310'. A guide part 1311 for guiding the inflow of air into the heat exchange part 1312 is provided in front of the heat exchange part 1312, and the air passing through the heat exchange part 1312 is sucked in and blown at the rear of the heat exchange part 1312. A circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 in which a circulation fan 1710 is accommodated is provided. That is, the base passage part 1310' includes a guide part 1311, a heat exchange part 1312, and a circulation fan accommodating part 1313, which are sequentially provided from the front to the rear.

After the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 are installed in the base flow path portion 1310', the base cover 1320 is disposed to cover the upwardly opened portion of the base flow path portion 1310'. In addition, after the circulation fan is installed in the circulation fan accommodating portion, the cover member 1330 is disposed to cover the rearward opening of the circulation fan accommodating portion. As a result, a flow path extending from the opening 1311' of the guide portion 1311 to the exhaust port 1313" of the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 is completed. The flow path connects the outlet duct 1210 and the inlet duct 1220. In terms of connection, it may be named as a connection duct (1230, see FIG. 2).

The front duct connector 1210 is configured to connect the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 and the guide portion 1311, and the rear duct connector 1220 is configured to connect the rear side opening 1030" of the drum 1030 and the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313. The front duct connector 1210 may be named an outlet duct in that it forms a flow path through which the air inside the drum 1030 is discharged. The rear duct connector ( 1220 may be named an inlet duct in that it forms a flow path through which air is introduced into the drum 1030.

Air humidified after drying the object to be treated inside the drum 1030 is introduced into the heat exchange unit 1312 through the front duct connector 1220 and the guide unit 1311 of the base flow path unit 1310'. Moisture is removed from the heat exchange unit 1312 and the heated air is introduced into the drum 1030 through the rear duct connector 1220 by the circulation fan 1710 .

Meanwhile, the flow path defined by the front duct connector 1210 and the guide portion 1311 around the heat exchange unit 1312 may be referred to as a first flow path, and the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 and the rear duct connector ( 1220) may be referred to as a third flow path. Here, the flow path limited by the heat exchange unit 1312 may be referred to as a second flow path. That is, the air inside the drum 1030 is discharged through the first passage, and after moisture is removed from the second passage, it is reheated and introduced back into the drum 1030 through the third passage.

The first passage forms a path through which air discharged from the front side opening 1030' of the drum is introduced, and extends downward toward the front side of the base cabinet 1310. The second passage extends toward the rear of one side of the base cabinet 1310 in a straight line shape. The third flow path extends upward from one side of the base cabinet 1310 and connects the second flow path with the ventilation hole 1050' formed in the rear supporter 1050.

That is, the second flow path and the third flow path are disposed on one side of the base cabinet 1310 . Therefore, a more simplified circulation passage 1200 can be implemented compared to the existing circulation passage in which the direction of the base cabinet 1310 is changed from one side to the other side.

The third flow path is provided with a circulation fan 1710 disposed to face the second flow path, sucking in air passing through the second flow path, and blowing air to the vent of the rear supporter 1050 . In the third flow passage, an intake port 1313' opening forward facing the second flow passage and an exhaust port 1313" opening upward perpendicular to the intake port 1313' are provided, and a circulation fan 1710 ) A circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 accommodating is formed.

As such, a circulation fan 1710 sucking air from the front and blowing it upward is disposed at the rear of the second flow passage extending in a straight line, so that a uniform flow can be formed in the second and third passages. there is. Accordingly, a decrease in heat exchange efficiency in the second passage can be prevented, and flow passage resistance in the third passage can be reduced.

The base cabinet 1310 is formed with a base flow path part forming a part of the first flow path, the second flow path, and the third flow path. This will be described later.

When the air flowing along the circulation passage 1200 exchanges heat with the evaporator 1110, condensed water is generated. More specifically, when the temperature of the air is lowered by heat exchange in the evaporator 1110, the amount of saturated water vapor that the air can contain is reduced. Since the air recovered through the front duct connector 1210 contains moisture exceeding the amount of saturated water vapor, condensation water is inevitably generated.

A water pump 1440 (see FIG. 4 ) is provided inside the laundry treatment device 1000 . The water pump 1440 may be installed in the base cabinet 1310. The water pump 1440 moves the condensed water to the water container 1410, and the condensed water is collected in the water container 1410.

The water container 1410 is disposed on the upper left or upper right side of the drum 1030. In other words, the water container 1410 is disposed in an empty space on the upper left or upper right between the upper part of the drum 1030 and the cabinet 1010 . In FIG. 1 , the water container 1410 is shown as being disposed on the upper left side of the drum 1030 .

The water bottle cover 1420 is disposed at an upper left or upper right side of the front portion of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 to correspond to the position of the water bottle 1410 . The water bottle cover 1420 is formed to be gripped by hand and is exposed to the front of the laundry treatment device 1000 . When the water bottle cover 1420 is pulled to empty the condensed water collected in the water bottle 1410, the water bottle 1410 is withdrawn from the water bottle support frame 1430 together with the water bottle cover 1420.

The water bottle support frame 1430 is formed to support the water bottle 1410 inside the cabinet 1010 . The water bottle support frame 1430 extends along the insertion/extraction direction of the water bottle 1410 to guide insertion and withdrawal of the water bottle 1410 .

An input/output panel 1500 is provided on the front or upper surface of the clothes handling device 1000 . In FIG. 1 , the input/output panel 1500 is shown as disposed next to the water bottle cover 1420 . The input/output panel 1500 may include an input unit 1510 for receiving a selection of a laundry treatment course from a user and an output unit 1520 for visually displaying an operating state of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 .

The input unit 1510 may be formed as a jog dial, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The output unit 1520 may be formed to visually display an operating state of the laundry treatment device 1000 . The clothes handling device 1000 may have a separate configuration for an audible display in addition to a visual display.

The controller 1600 controls the operation of the laundry treatment device 1000 based on a user's input applied through the input unit 1510 . The controller 1600 may include a circuit board and elements mounted on the circuit board. When the user selects a laundry treatment course through the input unit 1510, the controller 1600 controls the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 according to a preset algorithm.

A circuit board constituting the control unit 1600 and elements mounted on the circuit board may be disposed on the upper left side or upper right side of the drum 1030. In FIG. 1 , it is shown that the circuit board is installed on the sidewall of the cabinet 1010 corresponding to the upper right side of the drum 1030 opposite the water container 1410 . Considering that condensed water is collected in the water container 1410, that air containing moisture flows through the circulation passage 1200, and that electrical products such as circuit boards and elements are vulnerable to water, circuit boards and elements It is preferable to be spaced as far away from the water container 1410 or the circulation passage 1200 as possible.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the circulation of air through the drum 1030 and the circulation passage 1200 shown in FIG. 1 . In FIG. 2 , the left side corresponds to the front (F) of the drum 1030, and the right side corresponds to the rear side (R) of the drum 1030.

In order to dry the object to be treated put into the drum 1030, high-temperature dry air is supplied to the inside of the drum 1030, the air that dried the clothes is recovered, moisture is removed and heated, and then the drum 1030 The process of resupply must be repeated. In order to repeat this process in the condensation dryer, air must continuously circulate through the drum 1030. Circulation of air is performed through the drum 1030 and the circulation passage 1200 .

The circulation passage 1200 is formed by an inlet duct 1220, an outlet duct 1210, and a connection duct 1230 disposed between the inlet duct 1220 and the outlet duct 1210. Each of the inlet duct 1220, the outlet duct 1210, and the connection duct 1230 may be formed by combining a plurality of members.

Based on the flow of air, the drum 1030, the outlet duct 1210, the connection duct 1230, and the inlet duct 1220 are sequentially connected, and the inlet duct 1220 is connected to the drum 1030 again to waste oil. (closed flow path) is formed.

The front supporter 1040 has an opening 1040' corresponding to the front opening 1030' of the drum for inputting the object to be treated, and a communication hole 1040 communicating with the outlet duct 1210 at the lower circumference. ") is formed.

The outlet duct 1210 extends downward from the front supporter 1040 to the connection duct 1230 . Air that has dried the object to be treated in the drum 1030 is returned to the connection duct 1230 through the outlet duct 1210 .

Among the heat pump cycle devices 1100, an evaporator 1110 and a condenser 1130 are installed inside the connection duct 1230. A circulation fan 1710 for supplying hot dry air to the inlet duct 1220 is also installed inside the connection duct 1230.

An evaporator 1110 is disposed upstream of the condenser 1130 based on air flow, and a circulation fan 1710 is disposed downstream of the condenser 1130 . The circulation fan 1710 generates wind in a direction in which air is sucked from the condenser 1130 and supplied to the inlet duct 1220 .

The inlet duct 1220 extends upward from the connection duct 1230, is disposed to cover the rear surface of the rear supporter 1050, and communicates with the ventilation hole 1050' formed in the rear supporter 1050. The rear surface of the rear supporter 1050 refers to a surface facing the rear of the laundry handling device 1000 . The hot dry air is supplied into the drum 1030 through the vent 1050'.

Since the drum 1030 and the connecting duct 1230 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, the inlet duct 1220 is directed toward the rear of the drum 1030 from the connecting duct 1230 disposed under the drum 1030. extended upwards. The inlet duct 1220 may also extend in the vertical direction like the outlet duct 1210, but the length of the inlet duct 1220 extending in the vertical direction is longer than that of the outlet duct 1210 due to the connection structure.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the front structure of the drum 1030 shown in FIG. 1 .

A drum support ring 1041 corresponding to the front opening 1030' of the drum 1030 protrudes from the rear surface of the front supporter 1040 facing the drum 1030. The drum support ring 1041 is inserted into the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 to rotatably support the drum 1030.

At least two or more rollers 1060 are rotatably mounted on the front supporter 1040 . The roller 1060 rotatably supports the drum 1030 at the bottom of the drum 1030 .

In order to prevent air from leaking through the gap between the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 and the drum support ring 1041, a sealing pad (not shown) is provided between the drum 1030 and the front supporter 1040. It may be arranged to cover the connection portion. The sealing pad is formed to surround the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 and the drum support ring 1041. The sealing pad may be formed of a felt material.

An opening 1040' corresponding to the front opening 1030' of the drum 1030 is formed in the front supporter 1040, and a communication hole 1040" is formed in the lower circumference. The air discharged through the front side opening 1030' flows into the communication hole 1040".

A front duct connector 1210 is mounted on the front supporter 1040 to guide the air introduced through the communication hole 1040" to the lower part of the drum 1030. The front duct connector 1210 connects to the communication hole 1040" The opening 1311' formed in the base cabinet 1310 and the opening defined by the base flow path 1310' and the front cover 1321 are connected.

The front duct connector 1210 extends downward from the communication hole 1040". In this drawing, it is shown that the front duct connector 1210 includes a filter guide 1211 and a duct connector 1212. This drawing Unlike, the front duct connector 1210 may be formed as a single member.

The filter guide 1211 is mounted on the front supporter 1040 and inserted into the communication hole 1040". The filter guide 1211 may be mounted on the circumference of the front supporter 1040. The filter guide 1211 A filter unit 1240 is detachably coupled to the inside, and is configured to filter lint in the air discharged through the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030.

The filter unit 1240 may include a plurality of filters. In this figure, it is shown that the inner filter 1242 is inserted into the outer filter 1241, and the outer filter 1241 is inserted into the filter guide 1211 and disposed to pass through the communication hole 1040″. The number of mesh holes per unit area of the outer filter 1241 and the inner filter 1242 may be different from each other. can

The duct connector 1212 is mounted on the front supporter 1040 and connected to the filter guide 1211. The duct connector 1212 may be mounted on the front of the front supporter 1040. A lower end of filter guide 1211 may be received within duct connector 1212 .

The duct connector 1212 extends downward and is connected to the opening 1311' formed in the base cabinet 1310 (the opening defined by the base flow path portion 1310' and the front cover 1321). One side of the duct connector 1212 may obliquely extend downward toward an opening 1311 ′ formed on one side of the base cabinet 1310 .

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the base cabinet 1310 shown in FIG. 1 and main parts mounted on the base cabinet 1310, and FIG. 5 is a view showing the main parts shown in FIG. 4 separated from the base cabinet 1310. 6 is a plan view of the base cabinet 1310 shown in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6 , a base cabinet 1310 providing a space in which various components including heat pump cycle devices 1100 are mounted is disposed below the drum 1030 . A bottom surface of the base cabinet 1310 may form a bottom surface of the laundry handling apparatus 1000 .

A drum motor mounting part 1314, a compressor mounting part 1315, a base flow path part 1310', and a condensate recovery part 1316 are formed in the base cabinet 1310. The drum motor mounting part 1314 and the compressor mounting part 1315 are disposed on one side of the base passage part 1310'. In this embodiment, it is shown that the drum motor mounting part 1314 and the compressor mounting part 1315 are respectively disposed on the left front and rear sides of the base passage part 1310'.

A drum motor 1800 generating a driving force for rotation of the drum 1030 is mounted on the drum motor mount 1314 . A belt (not shown) for transmitting driving force of the drum motor 1800 to the drum 1030 may be connected to the drum motor 1800 . The belt is arranged to surround the outer circumference of the drum 1030.

A pulley 1810 and a spring (not shown) may be used to adjust the tension applied to the belt.

Pulley 1810 may be configured to apply a certain tension to the belt. The pulley 1810 is rotatably configured to the drum motor mount 1314 or a bracket (not shown) mounted on the drum motor mount 1314 .

In order to adjust the tension of the belt, the drum motor 1800 may be rotated around one axis within a certain angular range and then returned to its initial position by the elastic force of the spring. To this end, the drum motor 1800 is configured to be rotatable around one axis on the drum motor mounting portion 1314, and springs may be connected to the drum motor mounting portion 1314 and the drum motor 1800, respectively.

A blowing fan 1820 may be mounted on the shaft of the drum motor 1800 . In this embodiment, it is shown that a belt is connected to a shaft provided on one side of the drum motor 1800, and a blowing fan 1820 is mounted on a shaft provided on the other side of the drum motor 1800. Shafts provided on both sides of the drum motor 1800 are rotated in the same direction and at the same speed.

When two shafts are provided in one driving motor 1730, many advantages are obtained in terms of improving power consumption of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000. Basically, compared to the case where the driving motor 1730 for rotating the drum 1030 and the driving motor 1730 for rotating the blowing fan 1820 are respectively provided, power consumption is reduced by half.

In particular, the time at which rotation of the blowing fan 1820 is required is the same as the time at which the drum 1030 rotates. This is because hot dry air is supplied to the drum 1030 while the drum 1030 rotates, and hot and humid air may leak from the drum 1030 . Accordingly, a state in which rotation of either one of the drum 1030 and the blowing fan 1820 is unnecessary does not occur.

In this embodiment, it is shown that the blowing fan 1820 is composed of an axial flow fan and is configured to blow air toward the front of the cabinet 1010 . However, the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the blowing fan 1820 may be configured as a sirocco fan.

The blowing fan 1820 is rotated according to the driving of the drum motor 1800 to blow air in an internal space between the cabinet 1010 and the drum 1030 . Therefore, the air leaking minutely through the gap between the drum 1030 and the front supporter 1040 and the gap between the drum 1030 and the rear supporter 1050 flows through the internal space by the blowing fan 1820. do. Accordingly, the occurrence of condensation caused by air stasis can be reduced.

Meanwhile, a heat dissipation fan may be mounted on the circuit board constituting the control unit. The heat dissipation fan, together with the blowing fan 1820, circulates air in the internal space between the cabinet 1010 and the drum 1030 while dissipating heat from the elements mounted on the circuit board, forming a circulation flow. The heat dissipation fan is located above the base flow path portion 1310' and may be configured to blow air downward, that is, toward the base flow path portion 1310'.

The heat dissipation fan may be disposed on the opposite side of the blowing fan 1820 based on the center of the drum 1030 to form a circulation flow surrounding the drum 1030 together with the blowing fan 1820 . For example, a blowing fan 1820 may be disposed on the lower left side of the drum 1030 and a heat dissipation fan may be disposed on the upper right side of the drum 1030 .

An exhaust fan 1730 is installed in the cabinet 1010 to discharge air in a space between the cabinet 1010 and the drum 1030 to the outside. That is, the air leaked from the drum 1030 is exhausted to the outside while continuously flowing by the blowing fan 1820 and the heat dissipating fan (not shown). The exhaust fan 1730 may be located behind the heat dissipation fan. In this embodiment, it is shown that the exhaust fan 1730 is installed on the rear wall of the cabinet 1010 located behind the heat dissipation fan.

A compressor 1120 for generating compressed air for heat exchange is mounted on the compressor mount 1315. Although the compressor 1120 is one component constituting the heat pump cycle devices 1100, it does not directly exchange heat with air, so it does not need to be installed in the base flow path part 1310'. Rather, if the compressor 1120 is installed in the base flow path portion 1310', air flow may be hindered. Therefore, the compressor 1120 is preferably installed outside the base flow path portion 1310'.

The refrigerant evaporates (liquid phase -> gas phase) while absorbing heat in the evaporator 1110, and becomes a low-temperature, low-pressure gas state and is sucked into the compressor 1120. A gas-liquid separator 1140 is installed upstream of the compressor 1120 based on the flow of the refrigerant. The gas-liquid separator 1140 separates the refrigerant flowing into the compressor 1120 into a gas phase and a liquid phase so that only the refrigerant in the gas phase flows into the compressor 1120 . According to this, problems in which the liquid refrigerant flows into the compressor 1120 to cause malfunction or decrease in efficiency can be prevented.

Fixing ribs 1315' for fixing the compressor 1120 are provided in at least three locations on the compressor mounting portion 1315. To reduce vibration, the fixing rib 1315' may pass through the compressor mounting portion 1315 and extend toward the rear surface. The fixing rib 1315' extending toward the rear surface is configured not to touch the bottom surface.

A support rib 1315" for supporting the compressor 1120 may be provided in the compressor mounting portion 1315. The support rib 1315" is the center of a virtual polygon formed by connecting a plurality of fixing ribs 1315'. It may be composed of a combination of a portion radially extending from and a portion forming a concentric circle with respect to the center.

A compressor cooling fan 1720 may be installed adjacent to the compressor 1120 . The compressor cooling fan 1720 is configured to blow air toward the compressor 1120 or suck air around the compressor 1120 and blow it. The temperature of the compressor 1120 may be lowered by the compressor cooling fan 1720, and as a result, compression efficiency may be improved. In this embodiment, it is shown that the compressor cooling fan 1720 is installed on the rear wall of the cabinet 1010 located behind the compressor 1120.

The base passage part 1310' forms a part of the circulation passage 1200. Based on the flow of air, the base passage part 1310' is partitioned into a guide part 1311, a heat exchange part 1312, and a circulation fan accommodating part 1313. An evaporator 1110 and a condenser 1130 are disposed in the heat exchange unit 1312 , and a circulation fan 1710 is disposed in the circulation fan accommodating unit 1313 to face the condenser 1130 .

The guide portion 1311 corresponds to a portion into which air discharged from the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 is introduced. An upwardly open opening is formed in the guide portion 1311, and the opening communicates with the front duct connector 1210. The air flowing downward through the front duct connector 1210 is redirected toward the rear of the base cabinet 1310 in the guide part 1311 and introduced into the heat exchange part 1312 .

The heat exchange unit 1312 corresponds to a portion where an evaporator 1110 that removes moisture from air introduced from the guide unit 1311 and a condenser 1130 that heats the air from which the moisture has been removed are installed. The heat exchange unit 1312 may extend in a straight line from the front of the base cabinet 1310 toward the rear.

The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 1120 becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure state and flows into the condenser 1130 . In the condenser 1130, the refrigerant is liquefied while releasing heat. The liquefied high-pressure refrigerant is depressurized in an expander (not shown). Low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator 1110.

The circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 corresponds to a portion accommodating the circulation fan 1710 for sucking in air passing through the heat exchanging portion 1312 and blowing the air. The circulation fan 1710 is disposed so that its rotating shaft faces the condenser 1130 and the evaporator 1110, and is composed of a sirocco fan that blows air from the front, that is, heated air past the condenser 1130, to the side.

The high-temperature dry air that has passed through the condenser 1130 is supplied to the drum 1030 through the rear duct connector 1220 through the accommodating portion of the blowing fan 1820. The high-temperature dry air supplied to the drum 1030 evaporates the moisture of the object to be treated and becomes high-temperature and high-humidity air. The high-temperature and high-humidity air is recovered through the front duct connector 1210 and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the evaporator 1110 to become low-temperature air. At this time, as the temperature of the air decreases, the amount of saturated water vapor in the air decreases, and the moisture contained in the air is condensed. Subsequently, the low-temperature dry air exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the condenser 1130 to become high-temperature dry air and is supplied to the drum 1030 again.

The evaporator 1110, the condenser 1130, and the circulation fan 1710 mounted on the base flow path 1310' are eccentrically positioned to one side from the center of the base cabinet 1310. That is, in the base passage part 1310 ′, the passage after the guide part 1311 extends backward from a position eccentric to one side from the center of the base cabinet 1310 .

A condensate recovery unit 1316 is provided between the base flow path unit 1310' and the compressor mounting unit 1315. The condensate recovery unit 1316 communicates with the base flow path unit 1310' to form a space in which condensate generated in the evaporator 1110 is recovered. In this embodiment, it is shown that the condensed water recovery unit 1316 is configured to communicate with the heat exchange unit 1312.

A water pump 1440 is installed in the condensate recovery unit 1316. The water pump 1440 is configured to transport the condensed water collected in the condensed water recovery unit 1316 to the water container 1410 . The condensed water transported to the water container 1410 may be transported by the water pump 1440 and used for cleaning the evaporator 1110 .

The condensate recovery unit 1316 may protrude from one surface of the base cabinet 1310 in the form of a partition wall, or may be formed recessed from one surface of the base cabinet 1310 as in the present embodiment.

A communication hole 1316 ′ communicating between the heat exchange unit 1312 and the condensate recovery unit 1316 may be formed at the rear end of one side of the condenser 1130 . Condensate generated in the evaporator 1110 falls to the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 and flows into the condensate recovery unit 1316 through the communication hole 1316'. The heat exchanger 1312 may be inclined toward the communication hole 1316' so that the condensed water can be moved to the communication hole 1313a" by gravity.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part B of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , a water cover 1900 is mounted on the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 . The water cover 1900 provides a space in which the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 are seated in a spaced apart state from the bottom surface. A detailed structure of the water cover 1900 will be described later.

The bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 is inclined downward toward the rear. In addition, the bottom surface of the base passage portion 1310' on which the condenser 1130 is disposed is inclined downward towards one side of the condenser 1130 where the communication hole 1316' is formed. Due to this inclined structure, the condensed water that has fallen to the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 where the evaporator 1110 is disposed flows toward the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 where the condenser 1130 is disposed, and then the communication hole 1316' ) It may flow into the condensate recovery unit 1316 through.

A U trap is provided under the evaporator 1110. The U trap includes a trap groove 1312' formed on the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 where the evaporator 1110 is disposed, and a trap film 1930 extending downward from the water cover 1900 and inserted into the trap groove 1312'. ) is composed of

The trap groove 1312' has a recessed shape in the surrounding bottom surface. The trap groove 1312' extends in the width direction from one side of the heat exchanger 1312 of the evaporator 1110 to the other side.

The trap film 1930 extends in the width direction from one side of the water cover 1900 to the other side, and is formed to cross the base flow path portion 1310'.

The end of the trap film 1930 is inserted into the trap groove 1312' and positioned lower than the surrounding bottom surface. However, the end of the trap film 1930 is configured not to touch the bottom surface of the trap groove 1312'. Accordingly, a 'U'-shaped space is formed in the trap groove 1312' by the end of the trap film 1930.

Condensed water generated in the evaporator 1110 falls to the floor and flows backward by the above-described inclined structure. Here, some of the moving condensed water flows into the trap groove 1312' and fills the trap groove 1312' with the condensed water.

An end of the trap film 1930 extending into the trap groove 1312' is submerged in the condensed water collected in the trap groove 1312'. Therefore, the space between the lower part of the evaporator 1110 and the bottom surface of the base flow path part 1310' is completely blocked by the condensed water collected in the trap film 1930 and the trap groove 1312'.

Air leakage to the lower part of the evaporator 1110 can be prevented by such a U trap. That is, the U trap seals the passage formed at the bottom of the evaporator 1110 so that most of the air flowing into the heat exchanger 1312 through the guide part 1311 can participate in heat exchange with the evaporator 1110. Accordingly, condensation efficiency of air passing through the evaporator 1110 may be improved.

FIG. 10 is a front view of the rear cover 1070 shown in FIG. 5 , and FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of portion D of FIG. 4 .

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11 , a base cover 1320 is mounted on the base cabinet 1310 to cover the base passage part 1310'. The base cover 1320 may include a front base cover 1321 and a rear base cover 1322.

The rear base cover 1322 is disposed to cover the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 mounted on the base flow path portion 1310', and the front base cover 1321 covers the base flow path from the front of the rear base cover 1322. It is arranged to cover the portion 1310'.

The front base cover 1321 forms an opening 1311' that opens upward together with the base flow path portion 1310'. The opening 1311' communicates with the front duct connector 1210 extending downward to guide the air discharged from the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 downward.

As the front base cover 1321 and the rear base cover 1322 are coupled to the base flow path portion 1310', the air movement path from the opening 1311' to the exhaust port 1313" is completed. The movement path is connected It may be named a duct (1230, see FIG. 2).

The rear base cover 1322 is formed with an inlet hole 1322' through which the condensed water of the condensate recovery unit 1316 flows, and a nozzle part 1322" for spraying the condensed water introduced through the inlet hole 1322'. The nozzle part 1322" opens toward the front of the base flow path part 1310'.

The front base cover 1321 is disposed to face the nozzle unit 1322" and has a guide unit 1321' formed inclined toward the evaporator 1110. The guide unit 1321' is formed with a nozzle unit 1322" ) The condensed water injected from the evaporator 1110 is changed to a direction. The guide part 1321' may be inclined toward the upper end of the front side of the evaporator 1110.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of part E of FIG. 7 .

Referring to FIG. 12 , a harness fixing part 1322a may be provided in the rear base cover 1322 to neatly arrange the wires 1001 . In this embodiment, it is shown that the harness fixing part 1322a protrudes from one side of the rear base cover 1322.

A plurality of harness fixing parts 1322a are provided and spaced apart along one side surface. When one of the plurality of harness fixing parts 1322a supports the wiring 1001 from below, the plurality of harness fixing parts 1322a are staggered up and down along one side so that the other one covers the wiring 1001 from above. can be placed.

One surface of the harness fixing part 1322a may be formed in a concave-convex shape. Specifically, the upper surface of the harness fixing part 1322a supporting the wiring 1001 from below may be formed in a concave-convex shape, and the lower surface of the harness fixing part 1322a disposed to cover the wiring 1001 is concave-convex. can be formed When the harness fixing part 1322a has the above shape, a part of the wire 1001 is accommodated in the relatively recessed portion, so that the lateral flow of the wire 1001 can be restricted.

In addition, a structure for fixing the pipe 1002 constituting the heat pump system may be formed by coupling the base passage part 1310' and the rear base cover 1322. The fixed pipe 1002 may be a pipe connecting the compressor 1120 and the condenser 1130, or a pipe connecting the evaporator 1110 and the compressor 1120.

Looking at the structure for fixing the pipe 1002 in detail, a semicircular pipe accommodating portion 1310" is formed on one side of the base flow path portion 1310', and a semicircular pipe cover portion 1322b is formed on the rear base cover 1322. ) is formed. together form a circular opening.

A part of the pipe 1002 constituting the heat pump system is seated in the pipe accommodating portion 1310", covered by the pipe cover portion 1322b, and its position is fixed. That is, the pipe accommodating portion 1310" and the pipe The cover portion 1322b is configured to cover a portion of the pipe 1002.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line G-G in Fig. 11;

Referring to FIG. 13 , the rear base cover 1322 may be coupled to the base passage part 1310' with screws and hooks. Since the coupling structure through the screw is obvious to those skilled in the art, description thereof will be omitted.

A hook 1322c having elasticity may be provided on the rear base cover 1322 . A plurality of hooks 1322c may be provided on both side surfaces of the rear base cover 1322 . In this embodiment, the hook 1322c formed in a 'U' shape to be elastically deformed inward is shown.

An insertion groove 1312a into which a part of the hook 1322c is inserted is formed in the base passage portion 1310'. Insertion groove is formed extending in the vertical direction.

The hook 1322c is elastically deformed inwardly and inserted into the insertion groove 1312a to a predetermined depth. When the hook 1322c is elastically deformed outward by restoring force, the protrusion 1322c' formed on the hook 1322c is caught in the insertion groove 1312a. Thus, the hook 1322c is fixed in a fastened state to the insertion groove 1312a.

FIG. 14 is a view showing the portion where the front base cover 1321 shown in FIG. 4 is disposed from another direction, FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of portion H in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a view taken along line J-J in FIG. This is a cross-section taken along

Referring to FIGS. 14 to 16 , the front base cover 1321 may be screwed and hooked to the base flow path 1310'. Since the coupling structure through the screw is obvious to those skilled in the art, description thereof will be omitted.

A hook 1321c having elasticity may be provided on the front base cover 1321 . The hooks 1321c may be provided on both sides of the front base cover 1321, respectively. In this embodiment, the hook 1321c formed in a 'U' shape to be elastically deformed inward is shown.

An insertion groove 1311a into which a part of the hook 1321c is inserted is formed in the base passage portion 1310'. Insertion groove (1311a) is formed extending in the vertical direction.

The hook 1321c is elastically deformed inwardly and inserted into the insertion groove 1311a to a predetermined depth. When the hook 1321c is elastically deformed outward by restoring force, the protrusion 1321c' formed on the hook 1321c is caught in the insertion groove 1311a. Accordingly, the hook 1321c is fixed in a fastened state to the insertion groove 1311a.

In addition, the front base cover 1321 is coupled to the rear base cover 1322. The coupling may be performed by hook coupling. In this embodiment, the hook 1322d protrudes from the rear base cover 1322 toward the front, and the hook 1321a is formed in the front base cover 1321 to insert and hook the hook 1322d. It is showing.

17 is a rear view of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 shown in FIG. 5 as viewed from the rear, and FIG. It is a perspective view of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 viewed from the front.

17 to 19, a circulation fan 1710 is disposed between the condenser 1130 on the circulation passage 1200 and the rear opening 1030" of the drum 1030. To this end, a base cabinet 1310 ) is provided with a circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 in the base flow path portion 1310'.

The circulation fan accommodating part 1313 is located behind the heat exchanging part 1312 and provides a space for accommodating the circulation fan 1710 . That is, the circulation fan 1710 is disposed at the rear of the condenser 1130 to suck air heated in the condenser 1130 and blow it.

The circulation fan accommodating part 1313 includes a front intake port 1313' facing the condenser 1130 and an exhaust port 1313" opening upward perpendicular to the intake port 1313'. Exhaust port ( 1313") is formed on an upper portion of one side eccentric from the center of the circulation fan 1710.

Condensate on the bottom surface of the heat exchanger 1312 may be scattered by the strong suction force of the circulation fan 1710 . In this case, condensed water may flow into the circulation fan 1710. If the inflow condensate is not drained, driving reliability of the circulation fan 1710 is adversely affected. Therefore, a structure in which condensate introduced into the circulation fan 1710 can be smoothly drained should be provided.

A condensate drain path is provided on one side of the inner circumferential surface 1313b of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 surrounding the outer circumference of the circulation fan 1710 so that the condensate introduced by the suction force of the circulation fan 1710 can be drained toward the condenser 1130. (1313a) is formed. The condensate drainage passage 1313a communicates with the heat exchange unit 1312.

The condensate drainage passage 1313a includes a side groove 1313a' and a communication hole 1313a".

The side groove 1313a' is formed on the inner circumferential surface 1313b of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313. The side groove 1313a' is recessed downward at an inclined portion of the inner circumferential surface 1313b of the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 and extends forward. The side grooves 1313a' may form a space in which a certain amount of condensed water can be collected.

The circulation fan 1710 is composed of a sirocco fan that blows air introduced from the front sideward. Therefore, the condensed water introduced by the suction force is also discharged to the side. In addition, condensed water that has fallen on the inner circumferential surface 1313b of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 is scattered sideways when the circulation fan 1710 is driven.

Considering this, the side groove 1313a' is formed on one side of the inner circumferential surface toward which the tangential vector is directed from the lowest point of the circulation fan 1710. Referring to FIG. 18 when the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 is viewed from the rear, the circulation fan 1710 is configured to rotate clockwise (counterclockwise when viewed from the front), The direction of the tangent vector at the lowest point is to the left. That is, when the circulation fan 1710 is driven, the condensed water moves to the left. Considering this, the side groove 1313a' is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the left side.

At the lowest point of the circulation fan 1710, the blades of the circulation fan 1710 are disposed to face left.

The side groove 1313a' is formed on a portion inclined to the left from the bottom of the inner circumferential surface. That is, both sides of the side groove 1313a' are inclined in the same direction. Accordingly, the side groove 1313a' collects the condensate that is scattered by the rotation of the circulation fan 1710 and flows down the inclined portion of the left side of the inner circumferential surface.

The communication hole 1313a″ is formed at the front end of the side groove 1313a′, that is, at the partition wall that divides the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 and the heat exchange part 1312. The communication hole 1313a″ is formed in the side groove 1313a'. ) and the heat exchange unit 1312, specifically configured to communicate with the space in which the condenser 1130 is mounted. Accordingly, the condensed water collected in the side grooves 1313a' is drained toward the condenser 1130 through the communication hole 1313a". The condensed water drained toward the condenser 1130 is returned to the condensate recovery unit 1316.

FIG. 20 is a view showing a state in which the cover member 1330 is mounted to cover the rear side opening 1030″ of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 shown in FIG. 18, and FIG. 21 is a view showing the cover member shown in FIG. 20 1330 is a plan view.

20 and 21, the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 is formed to be open to the rear side, so that the circulation fan 1710 is received inside through the rear side opening 1030″. Cover member 1330 ) is coupled to the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 to cover the rear side opening 1030″, and is disposed to cover the circulation fan 1710. Due to the above arrangement, the cover member 1330 is disposed to face the intake port 1313' with the circulation fan 1710 interposed therebetween. The cover member 1330 may be screwed or hooked to the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 .

The cover member 1330 defines the exhaust port 1313" together with the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313. The exhaust port 1313" opens upward and is connected to the rear duct connector 1220. An inclined portion 1331 inclined in the same direction corresponding to the inclined inner surface of the rear duct connector 1220 is provided on one surface of the cover member 1330 defining the exhaust port 1313" together with the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313. Air discharged through the exhaust port 1313″ by the inclined portion 1331 can be naturally introduced into the rear duct connector 1220.

22 is a view showing a state in which the drive motor 1730 and the cover bracket 1340 are mounted on the cover member 1330 shown in FIG. 20, and FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line K-K in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23 , a driving motor 1730 is mounted on the outer surface of the cover member 1330 . The shaft 1730' of the drive motor 1730 passes through the cover member 1330 and is coupled to the circulation fan 1710.

The cover bracket 1340 is mounted on the cover member 1330 to cover the driving motor 1730, and fixes the driving motor 1730 to the outer surface of the cover member 1330. The cover bracket 1340 may be screwed or hooked to the cover member 1330 .

The driving motor 1730 is electrically connected to a power supply unit (not shown). To this end, a connector 1740 for electrical connection with the power supply unit may be connected to the drive motor 1730 . The connector 1740 is exposed to the outside and is configured to be connectable to the counterpart connector 1740 connected to the power supply unit. In this embodiment, it is shown that the connector 1740 is exposed between the cover member 1330 and the cover bracket 1340.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged view of part L of FIG. 23 .

Referring to FIG. 24, the cover member 1330 has a coupling structure for sealing the rear side opening 1030" of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313. To this end, the cover member 1330 has a cover base 1330' ) and a sealing part 1330 ".

The cover base 1330' is disposed to cover the rear side opening 1030" of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313. A part of the cover base 1330' protrudes forward from the sealing part 1330", so that circulation occurs. It can be accommodated in the rear side opening 1030" of the fan accommodating part 1313.

Along the circumference of the cover base 1330', a sealing portion 1330" is provided in surface contact with one surface of the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313. The sealing portion 1330" is provided on the outside of the cover base 1330'. It has a forward bent shape. The sealing portion 1330″ is disposed to cover an extension surface extending outward from the inner circumferential surface 1313b of the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313.

When the cover member 1330 is coupled to the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313, the sealing portion 1330" is pressed against the extension surface. For example, the fastening member penetrates the cover member 1330 to the circulation fan accommodating portion ( 1313), the sealing portion 1330" is pressed against the extension surface and comes into surface contact. Accordingly, leakage of the condensed water flowing into the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 through the gap between the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 and the cover member 1330 may be restricted.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the circulation fan 1710 shown in FIG. 18 viewed from the front, and FIG. 26 is a front view of the circulation fan 1710 shown in FIG. 25 .

Referring to FIGS. 25 and 26 , the circulation fan 1710 is composed of a sirocco fan that blows air introduced from the front sideward. The circulation fan 1710 is made of a synthetic resin material. The circulation fan 1710 includes a base part 1711, a plurality of blade parts 1712, and a connecting ring part 1713.

The base part 1711 is formed in a circular shape and is disposed to face the condenser 1130 . At the center of the base part 1711, a shaft coupling part 1711a into which the shaft 1730' of the driving motor 1730 is inserted is provided.

A plurality of blade parts 1712 are arranged at regular intervals along the edge of the base part 1711 . The plurality of blade parts 1712 blow air introduced into the base part 1711 to the side when the circulation fan 1710 rotates.

The blade part 1712 is disposed in a form protruding from the inside of the base part 1711 to the outside. That is, one end of the blade part 1712 is located inside the base part 1711, and the other end of the blade part 1712 is located outside the base part 1711. The one end may be referred to as an inner end of the blade unit 1712, and the other end may be referred to as an outer end of the blade unit 1712.

The circular edge of the base portion 1711 may be located closer to the outer end than the inner end of each of the plurality of blade parts 1712 . In other words, the length from the rim of the base part 1711 to the inner end of the blade part 1712 may be longer than the length from the rim of the base part 1711 to the outer end of the blade part 1712 .

The distance from the center of the circulation fan 1710 to the inner end of each of the plurality of blade units 1712 is defined as the inner diameter of the circulation fan 1710, and the distance from the center of the circulation fan 1710 to the inner end of each of the plurality of blade units 1712 The distance to the outer end is defined as the outer diameter of the circulation fan 1710.

The blade portion 1712 has a bent shape at least at one point. The one point may be located in the base part 1711.

The blade unit 1712 may be inclined in the direction of rotation of the circulation fan 1710 . In other words, the blade unit 1712 may be disposed inclined in a direction in which a tangent vector of a circle drawn by the circulation fan 1710 faces.

Each of the plurality of blade parts 1712 may be formed such that the thickness gradually decreases toward the inner and outer ends. Alternatively, each of the plurality of blade parts 1712 may be formed to extend to a certain thickness. For example, the blade unit 1712 may be extended while maintaining a thickness of 1.5 mm.

Referring to FIG. 23, a chamfer portion 1712' may be formed at front edges of the plurality of blade portions 1712 facing the intake port 1313'. That is, since the rearward inclined chamfer 1712' is located right behind the intake port 1313', interference with the intake port 1313' can be prevented even if the circulating fan 1710 moves forward minutely during operation. .

The connecting ring part 1713 is disposed to face the base part 1711 and is formed in a ring shape connecting the plurality of blade parts 1712 to each other. The connecting ring part 1713 may be disposed to cover the outer ends of each of the plurality of blade parts 1712 . The connection ring part 1713 may be disposed so as not to overlap with the base part 1711 in the thickness direction of the circulation fan 1710 .

27 is a conceptual diagram for explaining blade design conditions of the circulation fan 1710.

Referring to FIG. 27 , it is preferable that the inner diameter of the circulation fan 1710 is greater than or equal to 45 mm and less than or equal to 55 mm. When the inner diameter of the circulation fan 1710 is less than 45 mm, the air volume decreases, and when the inner diameter of the circulation fan 1710 exceeds 55 mm, an excessive load is applied to the drive motor 1730. In this embodiment, the inner diameter of the circulation fan 1710 is set to 50 mm.

The total number of the plurality of blade parts 1712 is preferably 36 or more and 43 or less. When the total number of the plurality of blade units 1712 is less than 36 or exceeds 43, the air volume decreases. In this embodiment, a total of 43 blade units 1712 are provided.

An angle formed by an imaginary line connecting the center of the circulation fan 1710 and the inner edge of the blade unit 1712 and a virtual line connecting the center of the circulation fan 1710 and the outer edge of the blade unit 1712 is the occupation angle. (Occupation Angle). It is preferable that the occupation angle is 7° or more and 10° or less. When the occupancy angle is less than 7°, the air volume decreases, and when the occupancy angle exceeds 10°, an excessive load is applied to the driving motor 1730 and noise is generated in the circulating fan 1710. In this embodiment, the occupancy angle is set to 7°.

At the inner end of the blade unit 1712, a tangent vector of a circle having an inner diameter (distance from the center of the circulation fan 1710 to the inner end of the blade unit 1712) as a radius and a tangent vector of the inner end are formed. The angle between them is defined as the suction angle. The suction angle is preferably 42° or more and 46° or less. When the intake angle is less than 42°, the intake air volume decreases, and when the intake angle exceeds 46°, an excessive load is applied to the drive motor 1730 and noise is generated in the circulating fan 1710. In this embodiment, the suction angle is set to 46°.

At the outer end of the blade unit 1712, a tangent vector of a circle whose radius is the outer diameter (the distance from the center of the circulation fan 1710 to the outer end of the blade unit 1712), and the tangent vector at the outer end The angle between them is defined as the discharge angle. The discharge angle is preferably 18° or more and 27° or less. When the discharge angle is less than 18°, the resistance received by the blade unit 1712 increases and the efficiency of the circulation fan 1710 decreases. When the discharge angle exceeds 27°, the discharge air volume decreases. In this embodiment, the suction angle is set to 27°.

FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of part M of FIG. 23, and FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing the bushing 1714 shown in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 28 and 29 , the circulation fan 1710 includes a shaft coupling portion 1711a to which a shaft 1730' of a drive motor 1730 is coupled. The shaft coupling portion 1711a may be formed at the center of the base portion 1711 and protrude along the thickness direction of the circulation fan 1710 .

A bushing 1714 for firm coupling with the shaft 1730' of the drive motor 1730 is mounted in the shaft coupling portion 1711a. The bushing 1714 is formed of a metal material and integrally coupled to the shaft coupling part 1711a made of synthetic resin by double injection.

Grooves 1714a are repeatedly formed on the outer circumferential surface of the bushing 1714 along the circumference, and in the process of melting and solidifying the shaft coupling portion 1711a by double injection, a portion of the shaft coupling portion 1711a is formed along the groove 1714a. ) is accepted.

A first insertion portion 1714' and a second insertion portion 1714" having different shapes are provided inside the bushing 1714. In this embodiment, the first insertion portion 1714' has a non-circular shape. With a cross section, the second insert 1714″ is configured to have a circular cross section. The first insertion portion 1714' may have a shape in which a portion of the second insertion portion 1714" is filled. Therefore, there is a step difference between the first insertion portion 1714' and the second insertion portion 1714". part is formed.

At the front end of the shaft 1730' of the drive motor 1730, a cutting part 1730'a corresponding to the first insertion part 1714' and a non-cutting part 1730 corresponding to the second insertion part 1714" 'b) is formed The cutting part 1730'a constitutes the front end of the shaft 1730', and the non-cutting part 1730'b is located behind the cutting part 1730'a.

At least one cutting surface extends in the longitudinal direction of the cutting portion 1730'a. In this embodiment, it is shown that two cutting surfaces parallel to each other are formed extending along the longitudinal direction of the cutting portion 1730'a.

The cutting part 1730'a is inserted into the first insertion part 1714', and the non-cutting part 1730'b is inserted into the second insertion part 1714". During the insertion process, the non-cutting part 1730 'b) may be caught on the stepped portions of the first insertion part 1714' and the second insertion part 1714".

Since the cutting portion 1730'a of the shaft 1730' has a non-circular cross section and the first insertion portion 1714' has a shape corresponding to the cutting portion 1730'a, the drive motor 1730 The driving force of is transmitted to the circulation fan 1710 through the cutting part 1730'a and the first insertion part 1714'. That is, slip does not occur in the cutting portion 1730'a and the first insertion portion 1714'. Accordingly, the cutting portion 1730'a must have a sufficient length to transmit the driving force of the driving motor 1730. In this embodiment, the cutting portion 1730'a is formed to be 15.5 mm, and the total length of the cutting portion 1730'a and the non-cutting portion 1730'b inserted into the bushing 1714 is 22.5 mm. do.

The fastening member 1740 passes through the shaft coupling portion 1711a of the circulation fan 1710 and is coupled to the shaft 1730' of the driving motor 1730 inserted into the bushing 1714. The fastening member 1740 is screwed to the cutting part 1730'a. The fastening member 1740 may completely penetrate the cutting portion 1730'a.

FIG. 30 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the water cover 1900 is mounted on the base cabinet 1310 shown in FIG. 6 .

Referring to FIG. 30 , the circulation passage 1200 has a path through which air discharged from the front opening 1030' of the drum 1030 is introduced into the rear opening 1030" of the drum 1030 through heat exchange. The base cabinet 1310 is disposed below the drum 1030 to provide a space in which various parts are mounted, and forms a part of the circulation passage 1200.

The base passage part 1310' is divided into a guide part 1311, a heat exchange part 1312, and a circulation fan accommodating part 1313. The guide part 1311 corresponds to a part into which air discharged from the front side opening 1030' of the drum 1030 is introduced, and the heat exchange part 1312 removes moisture from the air introduced from the guide part 1311. Corresponds to the part where the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 for heating the air from which moisture has been removed are installed, and the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 is a circulation fan 1710 for sucking and blowing air passing through the heat exchange part 1312. ) corresponds to the accepted part.

A water cover 1900 is mounted on the bottom surface of the heat exchanging part 1312 of the base passage part 1310'. The water cover 1900 provides a space in which the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 are seated, and is configured to separate the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 from the bottom surface. That is, the water cover 1900 allows condensed water generated in the evaporator 1110 and falling to the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 to contact the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 . In addition, the water cover 1900 is configured to restrict condensed water on the bottom surface of the heat exchanger 1312 from scattering and contacting the condenser 1130 to a certain level by the suction force of the circulation fan 1710 .

Hereinafter, a detailed structure of the water cover 1900 will be described.

31 is a plan view of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. 30, FIG. 32 is a front view of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. 31, and FIG. 33 is a right side view of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. am.

31 to 33, the water cover 1900 includes a seating portion 1910 and a support portion 1920.

The seating portion 1910 provides a space in which the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130 are seated. The seating portion 1910 is formed flat, and a fixing rib 1910' is provided on an upper surface to define installation positions of the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130, respectively. The fixing rib 1910' is formed in a 'L' or 'T' shape, and is configured to be caught on the corner of each of the evaporator 1110 and the condenser 1130.

A plurality of drainage holes 1911', 1912', and 1913' for draining condensed water generated in the evaporator 1110 are formed in the seating portion 1910. The shape of each of the plurality of drain holes 1911', 1912', and 1913', the arrangement of the plurality of drain holes 1911', 1912', and 1913' may be variously modified.

The support part 1920 extends downward from the seating part 1910 and is supported on the bottom surface of the heat exchanging part 1312 . The support part 1920 protrudes from a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the seating part 1910 .

The bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 is inclined downward toward the rear. In addition, the bottom surface of the base flow path portion 1310' on which the condenser 1130 is disposed is inclined downward toward one side of the condenser 1130 where the communication hole 1313a" is formed. By this inclined structure, the evaporator 1110 ) The condensate that has fallen to the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 where the condenser 1130 is disposed flows toward the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 where the condenser 1130 is disposed, and then enters the condensate recovery unit 1316 through the communication hole 1313a". can be introduced into

Even in such a structure where the bottom surface of the heat exchanger 1312 is inclined, the seating portion 1910 is made to remain horizontal. To this end, along the longitudinal direction of the seating portion 1910, the support portion 1920 provided under the condenser seating portion 1912 is longer than the support portion 1920 provided under the evaporator seating portion 1911. In addition, along the width direction of the seating portion 1910, the support portion 1920 provided on one side of the seating portion 1910 is longer than the support portion 1920 provided on the other side of the seating portion 1910.

The seating portion 1910 may include an evaporator seating portion 1911 , a condenser seating portion 1912 , and a connection portion 1913 . The evaporator seating part 1911, the condenser seating part 1912, and the connection part 1913 are sequentially disposed from the front to the rear of the heat exchanger 1312.

The evaporator seating portion 1911 provides a space in which the evaporator 1110 is seated. A fixing rib 1315' may protrude from the upper surface of the evaporator seat 1911.

The condenser seating portion 1912 provides a space in which the condenser 1130 is seated. A fixing rib 1315' may protrude from an upper surface of the condenser mounting portion 1912. An upper surface of the condenser seating portion 1912 may be flush with an upper surface of the evaporator seating portion 1911 .

The connection part 1913 connects the evaporator mounting part 1911 and the condenser mounting part 1912. The top surface of the connection part 1913 may be located below the top surface of the evaporator seating part 1911 and the top surface of the condenser seating part 1912 . The connecting portion 1913 is formed to have a narrower width than the evaporator seating portion 1911 and the condenser seating portion 1912, and forms an accommodation groove 1910" recessed inward on at least one side of the water cover 1900. can

Protrusions 1312″ corresponding to the accommodating grooves 1910″ are formed on the left and right sidewalls of the heat exchange unit 1312. That is, when the water cover 1900 is installed on the heat exchanger 1312, the protrusion 1312" is inserted into the receiving groove 1910", thereby guiding the correct installation position. An evaporator 1110 is disposed in front of the protrusion 1312″, and a condenser 1130 is disposed behind the protrusion 1312″.

A plurality of drain holes 1911', 1912', and 1913' may be formed at front ends of the evaporator seating part 1911, the connection part 1913, and the condenser seating part 1912. That is, the plurality of drain holes 1911', 1912', and 1913' may be arranged from the front end of the evaporator seat 1911 to the front end of the condenser seat 1912.

The plurality of drainage holes 1911', 1912', and 1913' are arranged along the width direction and the length direction of the seating portion 1910.

Specifically, the plurality of drainage holes 1911' formed in the evaporator seating portion 1911 are repeatedly arranged at regular intervals along the width and length directions of the evaporator seating portion 1911. That is, the plurality of drainage holes 1911' formed in the evaporator seat 1911 are arranged in rows and columns.

The plurality of drain holes 1911' formed in the evaporator mounting portion 1911 may have a long hole shape extending in one direction (eg, a width direction or a longitudinal direction of the evaporator mounting portion 1911).

The plurality of drainage holes 1911' arranged along the longitudinal direction of the evaporator mounting portion 1911 may be arranged to completely overlap along the longitudinal direction, or may be arranged to partially overlap, that is, staggered along the longitudinal direction.

The plurality of drain holes 1913' formed in the connection part 1913 may be larger than the drain holes 1911' and 1912' formed in the evaporator seating part 1911 and the condenser seating part 1912. In this embodiment, it is shown that each of the plurality of drain holes 1913' formed in the connecting portion 1913 extends along the width direction of the connecting portion 1913.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The plurality of drain holes 1913' formed in the connection part 1913 may be formed in the same or similar size as the plurality of drain holes 1911' and 1912' formed in the evaporator seating part 1911, and may have the same or similar arrangement. may have

The plurality of drain holes 1912' formed at the front end of the condenser seating portion 1912 may be repeatedly arranged at regular intervals along the width and length directions of the condenser seating portion 1912.

Along the longitudinal direction of the condenser mounting portion 1912, one drain hole 1912' may be arranged to partially overlap another drain hole 1912'' located right behind. That is, the plurality of drain holes 1912' may be alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the condenser seating part 1912.

Due to this staggered arrangement, even if the condensed water rises to the top of the condenser seating part 1912 and flows along the portion between the two adjacent drain holes 1912', it flows again through the drain hole 1912' formed immediately after the condenser seating part 1912. ) falls below the Accordingly, drainage performance of condensed water from the condenser seat 1912 may be improved.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The plurality of drain holes 1912' arranged along the longitudinal direction of the condenser mounting portion 1912 may be arranged to completely overlap along the longitudinal direction.

In order to prevent the condensed water on the bottom surface of the circulation flow path 1200 from flowing backward and scattering toward the condenser 1130 to a certain level by the suction force of the circulation fan 1710, the water cover 1900 has the following structure. .

First, a seating portion 1910 is installed between the evaporator seating portion 1911 and the connection portion 1913 to limit condensed water from rising to the top of the seating portion 1910 through the drain holes 1911', 1912', and 1913'. A downward extension rib 1940 protrudes along the width direction of. In this embodiment, it is shown that a downwardly extending rib 1940 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the front end of the connecting portion 1913.

Next, an upwardly extending rib 1950 protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion 1910 between the connecting portion 1913 and the seating portion 1910 so as to limit the inflow of condensed water into the condenser seating portion 1912. . In this embodiment, it is shown that the upper extension rib 1950 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the rear end of the connecting portion 1913.

34 is a perspective view of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. 31, and FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view taken along line N-N in FIG. (a) of FIG. 35 is a view for explaining a problem with the structure before design change, and (b) is a view for explaining that it is solved using the design-changed water cover 1900 of FIG. 34 .

Referring to FIGS. 34 and 35 , the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 is formed at an upwardly stepped position at the rear end of the heat exchanging portion 1312 . Specifically, the bottom surface forming the intake port 1313' of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 is formed higher than the bottom surface of the heat exchange part 1312, so that a rear wall having a certain height is formed at the rear end of the heat exchange part 1312. . That is, the bottom surface of the heat exchanging part 1312 on which the water cover 1900 is mounted and the bottom surface forming the intake port 1313' of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 are connected by rear walls extending vertically.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 35 , when the rear side edge of the water cover 1900 is formed thick, the side surface of the edge and the rear wall formed at the rear end of the heat exchange unit 1312 are disposed to face each other. Thus, a small gap is formed to elongate between the side surface and the rear wall.

At this time, the condensed water on the bottom surface of the heat exchange unit 1312 may be sucked up into the gap by a capillary phenomenon. Thereafter, the condensed water may be introduced into the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 by the suction force of the circulation fan 1710 .

To solve this problem, a recessed portion 1960 is formed at the rear edge of the water cover 1900. As the recessed portion 1960 is formed, the surface 1960' facing the rear wall formed at the rear end of the heat exchanging portion 1312 is moved forward. That is, the gap that provided the cause for the condensed water to be sucked up by the capillary phenomenon is eliminated. Accordingly, a phenomenon in which condensed water flows into the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 may be reduced.

FIG. 36 is a right side view showing a modified example of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. 33 .

Referring to FIG. 36, a downward extension rib 2940 protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion 2910 between the evaporator seating portion 2911 and the connection portion 2913, and the connection portion 2913 and the seating portion 2910 An upwardly extending rib 2950 protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion 2910 between them. The downward extension rib 2940 may be formed at the front end of the connection part 2913, and the upward extension rib 2950 may be formed at the rear end of the connection part 2913.

The upwardly extending rib 2950 includes a forwardly inclined portion.

In this modified example, it is shown that the upwardly extending rib 2950 has a shape bent forward at at least one point. Specifically, the upward extension rib 2950 includes a first part 2951 extending upward from the upper surface of the water cover 2900, and a second part 2951 extending forward in a bent shape from the upper end of the first part 2951. portion 2952. The first part 2951 may extend vertically upward from the upper surface of the water cover 2900 . The second portion 2952 extends in a direction crossing the first portion 2951 forward. The second part 2952 is disposed inclined forward with respect to the first part 2951 within the range of an obtuse angle.

FIG. 37 is a right side view showing another modified example of the water cover 1900 shown in FIG. 33 .

Referring to FIG. 37, a downward extension rib 3940 protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion 3910 between the evaporator seating portion 3911 and the connecting portion 3913, and the connecting portion 3913 and the seating portion 3910 An upwardly extending rib 3950 protrudes along the width direction of the seating portion 3910 between them. The downward extension rib 3940 may be formed at the front end of the connection part 3913, and the upward extension rib 3950 may be formed at the rear end of the connection part 3913.

The upper extension ribs 3950 are rounded toward the front. The upward extension rib 3950 may be formed such that its height gradually increases toward the front.

As shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, when the upwardly extending ribs 2950 and 3950 are inclined forward, the upwardly extending ribs 2950 and 3950 are scattered backward by the suction force of the circulation fan 1710. Condensate is blocked earlier. Therefore, compared to the upwardly extending ribs 1950 of the previous embodiment having the same height, the upwardly extending ribs 2950 and 3950 of the present modification can obtain an effect such that their heights increase.

38 is a conceptual view showing the rear structure of the drum 1030 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 39 is a conceptual view showing the main parts of the rear of the drum 1030 shown in FIG. 38 separated, and FIG. 40 is shown in FIG. 41 is a conceptual view showing the rear duct connector 1220 shown in FIG. 38 coupled to the rear supporter 1050. am.

38 to 41, a support ring 1051 of the drum 1030 corresponding to the rear opening 1030" of the drum 1030 protrudes from the front surface of the rear supporter 1050 facing the drum 1030. The drum 1030 support ring 1051 is inserted into the rear side opening 1030″ of the drum 1030 to rotatably support the drum 1030.

At least two rollers 1060 are rotatably mounted on the rear supporter 1050 . The roller 1060 rotatably supports the drum 1030 at the bottom of the drum 1030 .

In order to prevent air from leaking through the gap between the rear side opening 1030″ of the drum 1030 and the support ring 1051 of the drum 1030, a sealing pad (not shown) may be disposed to cover the connection portion. The sealing pad is formed to cover and surround the rear side opening 1030″ of the drum 1030 and the support ring 1051 of the drum 1030. The sealing pad may be formed of a felt material.

A ventilation hole 1050' corresponding to the rear side opening 1030" of the drum 1030 is formed in the rear supporter 1050. The ventilation hole 1050' is based on a vertical reference line passing through the center of the rear supporter 1050. In addition, the ventilation hole 1050' may be formed above a horizontal reference line passing through the center of the rear supporter 1050.

The rear supporter 1050 is equipped with a rear duct connector 1220 that connects the vents 1050' spaced apart vertically and the exhaust vent 1313" of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313. The rear duct connector 1220 It is formed to extend upward and is configured to guide the air blown by the circulation fan 1710 to the ventilation hole 1050' of the rear supporter 1050.

The rear duct connector 1220 may be screwed or hooked to the rear surface of the rear supporter 1050 and to the circulation fan accommodating part 1313. In this embodiment, it is shown that the rear duct connector 1220 is hook-coupled to the circulation fan accommodating portion 1313 and screw-coupled to the rear surface of the rear supporter 1050.

In the rear supporter 1050, a rearwardly protruding protrusion 1050" may be formed in a portion where the rear duct connector 1220 is not disposed. Accordingly, the front surface of the rear supporter 1050 is relatively recessed toward the rear. It may have a recessed shape, so that the inner space of the drum 1030 can be further secured.

In the rear duct connector 1220, a first opening 1220′ communicating with the exhaust port 1313″ of the circulation fan accommodating part 1313 and a second opening 1220 communicating with the ventilation hole 1050′ of the rear supporter 1050 ") is formed. The first opening 1220' opens downward at the lower end of the rear duct connector 1220 and is disposed to face the exhaust port 1313". The second opening 1220" is positioned above the first opening 1220'. It is located and is opened forward to face the ventilation hole 1050' of the rear supporter 1050.

Inside the rear duct connector 1220, an internal partition wall 1221a is provided to reduce eddy current and resistance of air flowing inside the rear duct. This will be described later.

The rear duct connector 1220 may include a base member 1221 forming a rear portion and a cover member 1222 forming a front portion. The cover member may be screwed or hooked to the base member 1221 .

The first opening 1220' may be defined by the combination of the base member 1221 and the cover member 1222. In this embodiment, when the cover member 1222 is coupled to the base member 1221, the inner surface of the cover member 1222 defines one side of the first opening 1220'.

The second opening 1220″ may be formed on the front surface of the cover member 1222. The base member 1221 may include an internal partition wall 1221a, and a portion of the internal partition wall 1221a may be provided with a second opening ( 1220") is exposed forward.

The rear cover 1070 is disposed to cover the rear duct connector 1220. The inner surface of the rear cover 1070 has a recessed portion 1070' recessed toward the outer surface. The protruding portion 1050" of the rear supporter 1050 and the rear duct connector 1220 are accommodated in the recessed portion 1070'. The rear supporter 1050 is mounted on the rear cover 1070.

42 is a cross-sectional view taken along line P-P in FIG. 41, and FIG. 43 is an enlarged view of a portion Q in FIG. 42. Referring to FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 42 and 43 , the rear duct connector 1220 has a double sealing structure to prevent air from leaking through the gap between the base member 1221 and the cover member 1222 . Specifically, the base member 1221 is formed with a first sealing groove 1221' extending along the edge and a second sealing groove 1221" surrounding the first sealing groove 1221', and the cover member 1222 is provided with a first sealing protrusion 1222' inserted into the first sealing groove 1221' and a second sealing protrusion 1222" inserted into the second sealing groove 1221". The first sealing protrusion 1222 ') extends along the edge of the cover member 1222, and the second sealing protrusion 1222" is formed to surround the first sealing protrusion 1222'.

The front surface of the rear duct connector 1220 defining the second opening 1220" may be in surface contact with the rear surface defining the ventilation hole 1050' of the rear supporter 1050. Alternatively, the rear duct connector 1220 A sealing part made of an elastic material covering the second opening 1220″ may be provided on the front side, and the sealing part may be configured to be in close contact with the rear surface of the rear supporter 1050 to cover the ventilation hole 1050′.

44 is a view showing the inside of the base member 1221 shown in FIG. 39, FIG. 45 is a view showing the inside of the cover member 1222 shown in FIG. 39, and FIG. 46 is an internal partition wall shown in FIG. It is a conceptual diagram for explaining the effect by 1221a.

44 to 46, a base member 1221 includes a first portion extending upward from a first opening 1220', and a second portion located above the first portion and corresponding to the second opening 1220". Since the second part has a wider width than the first part, vortices may occur when the air flows from the narrow first part to the wide second part, and thus the flow resistance is increased. It happens.

In order to solve this problem, the base member 1221 is formed with an internal partition wall 1221a to guide the flow of air so that the air can more naturally flow from the first part to the second part. A portion of the inner partition wall 1221a is exposed forward through the second opening 1220". When the cover member 1222 is coupled to the base member 1221, the inner partition wall 1221a contacts the inner surface of the cover member. or disposed adjacent to the inner surface of the cover member.

The inner partition wall 1221a extends upward from one inner wall of the base member 1221 . Specifically, since the width of the second portion is wider than that of the first portion, one inner wall of the base member 1221 extends outward at a point corresponding to an upper end of the first portion. That is, the internal partition wall 1221a extends upward from the inner wall of one side of the base member 1221 where the shape change occurs or at a position adjacent thereto.

The inner partition wall 1221a is inclined in the same direction as one inner wall, and guides air to flow naturally from the first part to the second part. The internal partition wall 1221a may be inclined upward from one inner wall of the base member 1221 toward the other inner wall.

Meanwhile, condensed water may flow into the rear duct connector 1220 due to the blowing of the circulation fan 1710 . However, unlike air, condensate cannot overcome gravity and falls.

To smoothly drain the condensed water, a drainage hole 1221a' may be formed between the inner wall of one side of the base member 1221 and the internal partition wall 1221a to prevent water from pooling. In this embodiment, it is shown that the lower end of the inner partition wall 1221a is spaced apart from the inner wall of one side of the base member 1221 to form a drain hole 1221a'.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The inner partition wall 1221a may extend in a branched form from the inner wall of one side of the base member 1221, and a drain hole 1221a' may be formed at a lower end of the inner partition wall 1221a to drain condensed water.

Meanwhile, a rounded portion 1221a″ may be formed at an upper end of the inner partition wall 1221a toward one side. In this embodiment, the round portion 1221a″ is opposite to the extension direction of the inner partition wall 1221a. It is shown that it is formed round in the direction. According to this, air naturally flows in the opposite direction from the upper end of the inner partition wall 1221a, so that vortex and flow resistance can be reduced.

On the inner surface of the cover member 1222 defining the second opening 1220″, ribs 1222a are spaced apart at regular intervals to reinforce the strength around the second opening 1220″. The ribs 1222a may extend toward the second opening 1220". In this embodiment, the ribs 1222a are arranged perpendicularly to one side defining the second opening 1220". there is.

A catching hook 1221b is formed in the base member 1221, and a catching hole 1222b configured to allow the catching hook 1221b to be caught is formed in the cover member 1222. The hooks 1221b may be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals along the circumference of the base member 1221 . The cover member 1222 may be coupled to the base member 1221 by hook coupling of the catching hook 1221b and the catching hole 1222b.

The clothes handling apparatus described above is not limited to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, and all or part of each embodiment may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made in the above embodiments.

Claims (15)

drums to accommodate clothing;
a drum front supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a front side of the drum;
a drum rear supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a rear side of the drum and having a vent communicating with a rear side opening of the drum;
A guide part disposed below the drum and into which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced, a heat exchange part for removing moisture from the air introduced from the guide part and heating the air, and air passing through the heat exchange part is sucked in and blown a base cabinet having a circulation fan accommodating part providing a space in which a circulation fan is mounted; and
A rear duct connector connecting an exhaust port of the circulation fan accommodating portion and a ventilation port of the drum rear supporter to guide air blown by the circulation fan to a rear opening of the drum,
In the rear duct connector,
a first opening opened downward at a lower end of the rear duct connector and disposed to face the exhaust port; and
A second opening is formed that is open to the front and is disposed to face the vent of the drum rear supporter,
The rear duct connector,
a base member forming a rear portion of the rear duct connector; and
A cover member coupled to the base member to form a front portion of the rear duct connector, defining the first opening together with the base member, and having the second opening formed on the front surface;
In the base member, a first sealing groove extending along an edge and a second sealing groove surrounding the first sealing groove are formed,
The cover member includes a first sealing protrusion inserted into the first sealing groove and a second sealing protrusion inserted into the second sealing groove. delete delete According to claim 1,
The base member,
a first portion extending upward from the first opening; and
It is located above the first part and includes a second part corresponding to the second opening,
Wherein the second portion is formed to be wider than the first portion, the clothes handling device. According to claim 4,
On the inner surface of the base member, an inner partition wall extending upward at an angle in the same direction as the inner wall of one side of the base member corresponding to the upper end of the first part or at a position adjacent to the inner wall of the one side is provided. Apparatus for handling clothes. According to claim 5,
Wherein the inner partition wall is inclined upward from one inner wall of the base member to the other inner wall of the base member. drums to accommodate clothing;
a drum front supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a front side of the drum;
a drum rear supporter rotatably supporting the drum at a rear side of the drum and having a vent communicating with an opening at the rear side of the drum;
A guide part disposed below the drum and into which air discharged from the front opening of the drum is introduced, a heat exchange part for removing moisture from the air introduced from the guide part and heating the air, and air passing through the heat exchange part is sucked in and blown a base cabinet having a circulation fan accommodating part providing a space in which a circulation fan is mounted; and
A rear duct connector connecting an exhaust port of the circulation fan accommodating portion and a ventilation port of the drum rear supporter to guide air blown by the circulation fan to a rear opening of the drum,
In the rear duct connector,
a first opening opened downward at a lower end of the rear duct connector and disposed to face the exhaust port; and
A second opening is formed that is open to the front and is disposed to face the vent of the drum rear supporter,
The rear duct connector,
a base member forming a rear portion of the rear duct connector; and
A cover member coupled to the base member to form a front portion of the rear duct connector, defining the first opening together with the base member, and having the second opening formed on the front surface;
The base member,
a first portion extending upward from the first opening; and
It is located above the first part and includes a second part corresponding to the second opening,
The second part is formed wider than the first part,
On the inner surface of the base member, an inner partition wall extending obliquely upward in the same direction as the inner wall of one side of the base member corresponding to the upper end of the first part or at a position adjacent to the inner wall of the one side is provided,
Wherein a drain hole is formed between a lower end of the inner bulkhead and an inner wall of one side of the rear duct connector to prevent water from accumulating. According to claim 7,
The drainage hole may be formed by spaced apart from the inner wall of one side of the base member at the lower end of the inner partition wall. According to claim 7,
The inner partition wall extends in a branched form from the inner wall of one side of the base member,
Wherein the drain hole is formed to pass through a connection portion of the one inner wall and the inner partition wall. According to claim 5,
An upper end of the inner partition wall is rounded in a direction opposite to an extending direction of the inner partition wall. delete According to claim 1,
A front surface of the rear duct connector defining the second opening is in surface contact with a rear surface defining a ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter. According to claim 1,
A sealing portion made of an elastic material surrounding the second opening is provided on the front surface of the rear duct connector,
The sealing part is configured to be in close contact with the rear surface of the drum rear supporter to surround the ventilation hole. According to claim 1,
The heat exchange unit and the circulation fan accommodating unit are disposed at a position eccentric to one side from the center of the base cabinet,
The ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter is formed at a position eccentric to one side based on a vertical reference line passing through the center of the drum rear supporter. According to claim 14,
The ventilation hole of the drum rear supporter is formed above a horizontal reference line passing through the center of the drum rear supporter.

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