KR20100037450A - Laundry treatment machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A washing machine is provided to prevent heat leakage flown outside by separating of a sealing member, thereby preventing from moisturized by dew on the external window of the control panel. CONSTITUTION: A washing machine comprises a drum, a tub, a drying duct, a duct connector(23) which connects between the drying member and the tub, a sealing member which seals a connection gap between the drying duct and the duct connector, and a separation protection part which prevent from the sealing member being separated.

Description

Laundry treatment machine {Laundry treatment machine}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment machine, and more particularly, to a laundry treatment apparatus including a departure prevention unit for preventing the sealing member for sealing the connection gap between the drying duct and the duct connector.

In general, a laundry treatment machine is a device that performs washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying of laundry.

In detail, the laundry treatment machine is an exhaust laundry treatment machine characterized in that the air inside the drum is discharged to the outside during the drying process, and the condensation type, characterized in that the air inside the drum is circulated inside the washing machine without being discharged to the outside It is divided into laundry treatment equipment.

Condensation laundry treatment machine is provided with a drying duct on one side of the tub, the heater is mounted inside the drying duct to heat the air flowing into the drum to a high temperature. Then, a condensation duct connecting the drying duct and the tub is provided to condense the air discharged from the drum to change to a low temperature state.

The air passing through the condensation duct is introduced into the drying duct and changed to a high temperature dry state, and the process is repeated again into the drum.

On the other hand, a heater device for generating a high temperature heat is built in the drying duct, when the power is applied to the heater generates a heat of about 700 degrees, the air inside the drying duct is heated to a temperature of about 120 degrees .

The drying duct and the tub are connected by a duct connector, and the connection portion of the drying duct and the duct connector is sealed to prevent leakage of the heating air. The sealing treatment is made by inserting a sealing member between the drying duct and the duct connector.

In the conventional laundry treatment machine, the sealing member inserted between the drying duct and the duct connector as described above is not properly seated in the assembling process and is released, thereby causing problems such as product failure and drying performance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment machine including a departure prevention unit for preventing the separation of the sealing member inserted between the drying duct and the duct connector.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention provides a drum into which laundry is put, a tub into which the drum is accommodated, a drying duct forming a flow path through which air flows, and the air flowing through the drying duct to the tub so that the drying duct and the tub are supplied. And a sealing member seated on the duct connector, the sealing member sealing a connection gap between the drying duct and the duct connector, wherein the duct connector includes a release preventing portion that prevents the sealing member from being separated. It provides a laundry treatment machine formed.

The laundry treatment machine according to the present invention can prevent the problem of deterioration of the product and drying performance due to the detachment of the sealing member by preventing the detachment of the sealing member sealing the gap between the drying duct and the connecting portion of the duct connector. It has an effect.

In addition, the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present invention, by preventing the separation of the sealing member for sealing the gap between the connection portion of the drying duct and the duct connector, it is possible that the heat inside the drying duct is leaked out due to the separation of the sealing member. This prevents dew from forming on the outer window of the control panel.

In addition, the laundry treatment machine according to the present invention is formed on the inner surface of the duct connector, one end is composed of ribs projecting in the vertical direction from the seating surface on which the sealing member is seated to prevent the sealing member from being separated while ensuring sufficient strength. Can be.

The laundry treatment machine according to the present invention includes a separation prevention part formed of ribs formed to correspond to both inner surfaces of the tuck connector, respectively, to effectively prevent movement of the sealing member.

Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

1 is a perspective view of a laundry treatment machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the laundry treatment machine 1 includes a cabinet 11, a front cover 12 mounted on the front surface of the cabinet 11, and a door rotatably mounted on a central portion of the front cover 12. 13, a tub 15 mounted inside the cabinet 11 to store wash water, and a drum 14 accommodated inside the tub 15 and into which laundry is introduced.

In addition, the laundry treatment machine 1 is inserted into the cabinet 11 from the upper side of the front cover 12, a detergent box (not shown) in which detergent and fabric softener, etc. are stored, and the detergent box is accommodated. Dispensers 17 for guiding the flow of the washing water flowing in, and a water supply valve 16 mounted on the rear surface of the cabinet 11 to supply the washing water. The feed valve 16 and the dispenser 17 are connected by a feed hose.

In addition, the laundry treatment machine 1 is mounted on the upper side of the tub 15, the drying duct 20 for heating the air introduced into the drum 14 at a high temperature in the drying process, and the front of the front cover 12 Included is a control panel 19 equipped with an input unit for inputting washing conditions and a display unit for displaying a washing process.

In addition, although not shown, the laundry treatment machine 1 is mounted inside the cabinet 11, and further includes a condensation duct connected to the tub 15 and the other end connected to the drying duct 20. And, a water supply hose for supplying cooling water is connected to the upper side of the condensation duct, the cooling water is dropped from the upper condensation duct.

Hereinafter will be described the operation of the laundry treatment machine according to the present invention having the configuration as described above.

First, the user opens the door 13 to put the laundry into the drum (14). And a detergent box (not shown) is pulled in and detergent and a fabric softener are added. Then, by pressing a button or the like provided on the control panel 19, the washing condition is input and the operation button is pressed. When the operation button is pressed, power is applied to the laundry treatment machine to perform washing, rinsing, dehydration, and drying processes according to the input washing conditions.

On the other hand, when a drying process is included in the input condition, when the dehydration process is completed, power is applied to a heater (to be described later) mounted in the drying duct 20 to be heated. Then, the process of raising and falling the laundry is repeated while the drum 14 rotates at a low speed.

On the other hand, the drying fan (to be described later) mounted inside the drying duct 20 is operated to suck the air inside the drum (14). Then, the air in the drum 14 flows into the drying duct 20 along the condensation duct and is changed to a high temperature dry state. Then, the hot dry air is introduced into the drum 14 again to absorb the moisture permeating the laundry to change to a high temperature and high humidity. In addition, the wet steam in the high temperature and high humidity state is discharged again to the outside of the drum 14 to rise along the condensation duct.

Here, the cooling water is dropped from the upper side of the condensation duct to exchange heat with the high temperature and high humidity wet steam. That is, the high temperature and high humidity steam changes to a low temperature state while passing through the condensation duct, and the moisture contained in the wet steam condenses and flows back into the tub 15.

In addition, the air passing through the condensation duct is introduced into the drying duct 20 and heated, and then the circulation process introduced into the drum 14 is repeated for a predetermined time, thereby drying the laundry.

2 is a perspective view of the drying duct 20. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the drying duct 20. 2 and 3, the drying duct 20 is mounted on the lower duct 21, the upper duct 22 seated on the upper portion of the lower duct 21, and the edge of the lower duct 21 and air. The sealing member 28 for preventing leakage, the fan assembly 24 mounted at one end of the lower duct 21, and the drying duct 20 are mounted at the other end of the lower duct 21, thereby providing a tub 15. Duct connector 23 to be connected to the heater, a heater 25 mounted inside the drying duct 20 to generate high temperature heat, and the heater 25 spaced apart from the lower duct 21 by a predetermined distance. A heater bracket 26 to be fixed.

The fan assembly 24 includes a drying fan 241 for introducing air in the axial direction and discharged in the radial direction, and a fan motor 244 positioned above the drying fan 241 to rotate the drying fan 241. An air guide 242 for guiding the flow of air sucked by the drying fan 241 and a motor housing protruding from the upper surface of the air guide 242 at a predetermined height and diameter to accommodate the fan motor 244 ( 243 and a motor mount 245 mounted on an upper surface of the motor housing 243 to support the fan motor 244.

In addition, the overheat prevention sensor 29 is mounted at the central portion of the lower duct 21 to prevent the inside of the drying duct 20 from overheating. In addition, the temperature sensor 30 is mounted at one end of the lower duct 21, that is, the portion on which the duct connector 23 is mounted, and detects whether the air introduced into the tub 15 is introduced at an appropriate temperature. do. In other words, it senses the temperature of the air flowing into the tub 15 to function to maintain approximately 120 degrees.

On the other hand, the sealing member 28 serves to prevent the leakage of hot air into the gap between the portion where the lower duct 21 and the upper duct 22 contact.

The heater 25 has a terminal portion 251 to which an electric current is connected, a heater seal 252 mounted at a predetermined distance from the terminal portion 251 to prevent air leakage, and a predetermined diameter from the terminal portion 251. It has a length and consists of a heat generating portion 253 is bent a number of times. In detail, the heater seal 252 is fitted to the side of the lower duct 21 to prevent the air from leaking. The heat generating unit 253 is a sheath heater having a heating wire therein.

On the other hand, the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23 is a part which is in contact with the high temperature air, is injection-molded with a high heat-resistant resin material so that the shape is not deformed or a fire occurs at high temperatures. Preferably, a syndiotactic styrene polymer (Syndiotactic Polystrenes: hereinafter referred to as SPS) filed under the application number 10-2003-0075942 in LG Chem can be used as the high heat resistance resin.

More specifically, the SPS is prepared by uniformly dispersing atactic polystrenes with styrene monomers in a catalyst to polymerize. In addition, the SPS prepared by the manufacturing method as described above has advantages such as low dielectric constant and excellent heat flowability of the conventional styrene-based polymer, and also has heat resistance and chemical resistance due to high transfer regularity.

In addition, a reflector (not shown) is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the lower duct 21. The reflector is aluminum coated on a metal plate, and is designed to effectively withstand the high temperature heat generated from the heater 25. Therefore, the lower duct 21 is made of a high temperature resistant SPS material, the reflector is mounted on the upper surface, there is a risk of deformation of the lower duct 21 due to the high temperature heat generated from the heater 25 It has the advantage of being blocked.

Here, the upper duct 22 is also made of SPS material, it is apparent from the contents of the present invention that the heat shield member such as the reflector may be attached to the inner peripheral surface of the upper duct 22.

The air guide 242 may also be made of SPS material, but the air guide 242 may be made of a conventional plastic injection molding because it does not receive heat directly from the heater 25.

On the other hand, the reflector is mounted in a state spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the lower duct 21 by a predetermined interval. In other words, a thin air layer is formed between the reflector and the lower duct 21 to prevent the heat transferred to the reflector from being directly conducted to the lower duct 21.

Hereinafter, the function and operation of the drying duct 20 having the above configuration will be described.

First, when the drying process starts, power is applied to the fan motor 244 to rotate the drying fan 241, and power is applied to the heater 25 to be heated to a high temperature. Then, the air in the drum 14 is sucked by the drying fan 241.

The sucked air is introduced into the drying duct 20 to be heated to a high temperature by heat exchange with the heater 25. Air heated to a high temperature flows into the tub 15 through the duct connector 23. The air introduced into the tub 15 evaporates the moisture permeating the laundry inside the drum 14 to dry the laundry.

4 is a front perspective view showing the coupling structure of the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23. 5 is a perspective view and an enlarged perspective view of the duct connector 23. 4 and 5, both ends of the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23 are fastened by fastening members 31 and 32, respectively. That is, protrusions 211 and 212 having fastening holes into which fastening members 31 and 32 are inserted are formed on both sides of the lower duct 21, respectively, and on both sides of the duct connector 23. The protrusions 231 and 232 are formed to have a size corresponding to the protrusions 211 and 212 and the fastening holes 233 and 234 through which the fastening members 31 and 32 pass, respectively. At this time, a boss formed to be grooved to receive the fastening members 31 and 32 is formed below the protrusions 231 and 232 of the duct connector 23.

Meanwhile, a sealing member 28 is disposed between the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23 to prevent the heated air from leaking. That is, the sealing member 28 is formed in a substantially annular shape and is inserted between the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23 to seal the connection gap, thereby preventing the heated air from leaking out of the drying duct 20. It plays a role.

Looking at the structure in which the sealing member 28 is installed in more detail, the duct connector 23 is a seating surface formed stepped from the circumferential surface 236 of the side connected to the lower duct 21 so that the sealing member 28 is seated ( 237). That is, in a state where the sealing member 28 is seated on the seating surface 237 of the duct connector 23, the lower duct 21 is engaged with the duct connector 23 while covering the sealing member 28 so that the sealing member ( 28) is prevented from escaping up and down.

On the other hand, the duct connector 23 further includes a release preventing portion for preventing the sealing member 28 from being separated from the seating surface 237. More specifically, the separation prevention portion, protrudes from the inner surface of the duct connector 23 is formed long in the vertical direction, one end is composed of a rib 235 formed to protrude in the vertical direction from the seating surface 237.

In the state in which the sealing member 28 is seated on the seating surface 237, the detachment of the duct connector 23 to the outside of the duct connector 23 is prevented by the circumferential surface 236 formed in step with the seating surface 237. 235 prevents the detachment of the duct connector 23 in the inward direction.

That is, in the assembling process of the drying duct 20, the sealing member 28 is separated from the inside of the duct connector 23, so that the sealing force of the gap between the lower duct 21 and the duct connector 23 falls and product defects occur. The above problems may occur, and the separation of the sealing member 28 is prevented by the rib 235 formed in the duct connector 23, thereby preventing the above problems from occurring.

At this time, since the rib 235 formed in the duct connector 23 is formed so that one end protrudes from the seating surface 237 starting from the inner side surface of the duct connector 23, it protrudes on the inner side surface of the duct connector 23. The overall strength of the rib 235 is reinforced by the portion.

On the other hand, the rib 237 is preferably formed in a plurality so as to correspond to each other inside the duct connector (23). For convenience of description, the front and rear directions will be described separately based on a line connecting the fastening holes 233 and 234 formed at both side ends of the duct connector 23. That is, referring to FIG. 5, the rib 235 of the two ribs 235 and 238 formed in the duct connector 23 is formed at the rear of the duct connector 23, and the rib of identification 238 is the duct connector. It is formed in front of (23).

As described above, the plurality of ribs 235 and 238 are formed in plural in front and rear of the duct connector 23 so as to support the sealing member 28 in both directions, thereby providing the front / rear of the sealing member 28. Prevents departure in the backward direction.

Of course, the plurality of ribs 235 and 238 are not limited to those formed at the front and rear of the duct connector 23, but are provided to support at least two points so that the sealing member 28 is not separated from the seating surface 237. It is specified that a plurality may be formed in corresponding various positions.

On the other hand, the departure prevention portion is not formed with the rib 235 as described above, it may be composed of a projection (not shown) formed to protrude directly from the seating surface 237. At this time, the protrusion is preferably formed to be spaced apart from the inner edge of the seating surface 237 to have sufficient strength against the external force in the inner direction generated when the sealing member 28 is inserted.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

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

2 is a perspective view of the drying duct.

3 is an exploded perspective view of the drying duct.

4 is a front perspective view illustrating a coupling structure of a lower duct and a duct connector.

5 is a perspective view and an enlarged perspective view of the duct connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.

1: laundry treatment machine 20: drying duct

21: lower duct 22: upper duct

23: duct connector 28: sealing member

235 and 238: rib 236: circumferential surface

237: seating surface

Claims (6)

A drum into which laundry is put; A tub in which the drum is accommodated; A drying duct forming a flow path through which air flows; A duct connector connecting the drying duct and the tub such that air flowing through the drying duct is supplied to the tub; And A sealing member seated on the duct connector and sealing a connection gap between the drying duct and the duct connector, The duct connector, laundry treatment apparatus is provided with a separation preventing portion for preventing the sealing member from being separated. The method of claim 1, The duct connector, the laundry treatment apparatus including a seating surface formed stepped from the peripheral surface of the side connected to the drying duct so that the sealing member is seated. The method of claim 2, The departure prevention part, And a rib formed at an inner side surface of the duct connector and having one end protruding from the seating surface in a vertical direction. The method of claim 3, wherein The rib, Laundry treatment equipment formed to correspond to each of the inner side surfaces of the duct connector. The method of claim 2, The departure prevention part, Laundry processing device is a protrusion formed on the seating surface. The method of claim 5, The said protrusion is the laundry processing apparatus formed in multiple numbers corresponding to each other.

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