KR20180058543A - Steam Generator and Laundry Treating Apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a steam generator, and a laundry treatment apparatus having the steam generator, wherein the steam generator comprises: a water tank in which water is stored; a vibrator disposed on the floor of the water tank to selectively apply vibration to the water stored in the water tank to spray the water; a spray pipe disposed on an upper side of the vibrator to enable the sprayed water to be moved upward; a mixing pipe which has an inflow hole through which air can flow from external air and a discharge hole through which the air can be discharged, and of which one side communicates with the spray pipe to receive the sprayed water; and a heating unit disposed in the mixing pipe to heat at least one of the sucked air and the sprayed water.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a steam generator and a laundry garage having a steam generating device,

The present invention relates to a steam generating apparatus, a garment processing apparatus provided with a steam generating apparatus, and a control method of the garment processing apparatus.

Generally, a garment disposal apparatus refers to a household appliance including a washing apparatus for separating contaminants adhering to clothes through the action of washing water and detergent supplied, and a drying apparatus for drying clothes by supplying hot air to the wet clothes.

The conventional steam generator is capable of sterilizing clothes, removing odors, and removing wrinkles by using a steam generator. The steam generator includes a storage space for storing water supplied from the outside, a heater provided inside the storage space for directly contacting stored water, . That is, since a certain amount of water is filled in the storage space and the heater is operated, the water can be supplied only when the water inside the storage space is boiled.

Therefore, the conventional steam generating apparatus not only takes much time to generate steam, but also continuously generates steam even if the heater of the steam generating apparatus is turned off. Therefore, even if the heater of the steam generator is set from on to off, there is a problem that a predetermined time is required until hot air with a low humidity is discharged.

In addition, in the conventional steam generator, water is supplied from a water source provided in the home without filtration to generate steam. Accordingly, the components (calcium, magnesium, basic substances, etc.) contained in the water are combined with each other in the heating process to be transformed into a scale (such as calcium carbonate or magnesium sulfate).

Such a scale may accumulate in the discharge port for discharging steam to the outside of the storage space, clogging the discharge part, and discharging it together with steam to adhere to the object to contaminate the object. The scale remaining inside the storage space is fixed to the surface of the storage space or the surface of the heater. However, when the heater is overheated or the temperature unbalance occurs inside the storage space, the scale located in the high temperature area will be separated from the surface of the heater or storage space. There is a problem that the discharge port is clogged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a steam generating apparatus capable of switching from a hot air supply including steam to a supply hot air not containing steam, And to provide a clothes processing apparatus provided with the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a steam generating apparatus for preventing a discharge portion from being clogged by a scale, and a clothes processing apparatus provided with the steam generating apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a steam generating device for preventing scales from adhering to an object to which hot air is supplied, and a clothes processing apparatus provided with the steam generating device.

According to an aspect of the present invention, A vibrator provided on the bottom side of the water storage tank for selectively applying vibration to the water stored in the water storage tank and spraying the water; A spray tube disposed above the vibrator to move the sprayed water upward; A mixing tube having an inlet through which air is introduced from the outside air and an outlet through which air is discharged and one side communicating with the distributor tube to receive the sprayed water; And a heating unit provided in the mixing tube for heating at least one of the inhaled air and the sprayed water.

The mixing tube may include a bending passage for providing a path for air to be bent and discharged after the air of the mixing tube is introduced.

Wherein the bending flow path is a downward bending flow path for allowing air in the mixing tube to flow downwardly; And an upward bending flow path for allowing the air that has passed through the downward bending flow path to flow upward in an inclined manner.

The bending passage may include a funnel-shaped first flow path wall provided at the upper end of the atomization tube and having a cross sectional area increasing toward the upper side, and a second flow path wall spaced upward from the first flow path wall.

The second flow path wall may include a vertical cross section extending to cross the mixing pipe and being formed in a streamlined shape.

And both ends of the second flow path wall are coupled to the first flow path wall and the center portion is formed inside the mixing tube.

The lower end of the spray pipe may be coupled to the bottom of the water reservoir, and a side hole may be formed at one side to communicate with the interior of the water reservoir.

Further comprising an outside air supply unit provided on an inlet side of the mixing tube, wherein the outside air supply unit includes a blowing fan for sucking outside air; And a fan housing for receiving the blowing fan.

The water storage tank may further include a water supply port formed at one side thereof to supply water from the outside, and a filter unit coupled to one side of the water supply port.

The steam generator includes a cabinet having an inlet, a receiving portion for receiving clothes to be introduced into the inlet, a steam generator for generating steam to supply steam to the receiver, and a water supply portion for supplying water to the steam generator The steam generator includes a water storage tank for storing water, a vibrator for spraying water to the water stored in the water storage tank and selectively spraying the water to the water stored in the water storage tank, A mixing tube communicating with the supply duct to supply air to the supply duct and having one side communicated with the distribution tube so as to receive the sprayed water; And a heating unit provided in the mixing tube for heating at least one of the sucked air and the sprayed water.

A lower bending flow path for allowing the air of the mixing tube to flow downward and obliquely downward; And an upward bending flow path for allowing the air that has passed through the downward bending flow path to flow upward in an inclined manner.

The spray pipe may include a flow guide formed so as to extend across the mixing pipe and having a vertical cross-section formed in a streamlined shape so as to be discharged after the air of the mixing pipe is introduced.

The flow guide may be curved upwardly and convexly so that both ends of the flow guide are coupled to the upper end of the atomizing tube and the center of the flow guide is disposed inside the mixing tube.

The distribution pipe may further include a guide receiving portion formed to increase in cross-sectional area as it goes upward to receive the flow guide.

The steam generator includes an outside air supply unit into which air flows from outside air; And a filter unit coupled to one side of the water storage tank to filter water supplied from the outside.

Also, the present invention provides a cabinet comprising: A garment receiving portion in which the garment introduced into the input port is received; A supply duct communicating with the garment accommodating portion; A steam generator connected to one end of the supply duct to generate steam and supply the steam to the receiver; Wherein the steam generator comprises: a water reservoir for storing water; A vibrator provided on the bottom side of the water storage tank for selectively applying vibration to the water stored in the water storage tank and spraying the water; A spray tube disposed above the vibrator to move the sprayed water upward; A mixing tube communicating with the supply duct to allow air to flow in from outside air to be supplied to the supply duct, and one side communicating with the distributor tube to receive the sprayed water; And a heating unit provided in the mixing tube for heating at least one of the sucked air and the sprayed water.

The present invention provides a steam generator capable of switching from a hot air supply including steam to a supply hot air without steam and vice versa, and a clothes processing apparatus equipped with the steam generator .

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a steam generator for preventing the discharge part from being clogged by the scale, and a clothes processing apparatus equipped with the steam generator.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of providing a steam generating device for preventing scales from adhering to an object to which hot air is supplied, and a clothes processing apparatus provided with the steam generating device.

1 is a schematic view of a clothes processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing an embodiment of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing another embodiment of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing another embodiment of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a steam generator and a garment disposal apparatus according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that the embodiments described below are provided for illustrative purposes only, and that the present invention may be embodied with various modifications and alterations. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the present invention. In addition, the attached drawings are not drawn to scale in order to facilitate understanding of the invention, but the dimensions of some of the components may be exaggerated.

The first and second terms used in the present application can be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by terms. Terms are used only to distinguish one constituent from another constituent.

Furthermore, the terms used in the present application are used only to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of the rights. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is to be understood that the terms such as "comprising", "comprising" or "comprising" in this application are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

1 is a schematic diagram of a garment processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a clothes processing apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 1, a receiving portion 3 provided inside the cabinet for receiving clothes, a supplying portion connected to the receiving portion 3 to supply hot air, An exhaust unit 6 connected to the storage unit 3 for discharging water and air inside the storage unit 3, a device for supplying water to the storage unit 3, and a water supply unit 79).

The cabinet 1 forms the appearance of the clothes processing apparatus and includes a front panel 11 and a rear panel 13. [ A door 15 is provided outside the cabinet 1 and a driving part for rotating the receiving part 3 and a first and a second supporting part for rotatably supporting the receiving body 31 are provided in the cabinet 1, (17, 19).

The front panel 11 is disposed on the front surface of the clothes processing apparatus, and a charging port 111 is formed to communicate the receiving portion 3 with the outside.

The rear panel 13 is formed with a panel through hole 131 for communicating the inside of the cabinet with the outside of the cabinet for smoothly supplying air to the accommodating body 31.

The door 15 is rotatably provided on the front panel 11 and opens and closes the inlet 111 as it rotates.

The receiving portion 3 is provided inside the cabinet 1 and includes a receiving body 31 and a lifter 33.

The receiving body 31 may be formed in any form as long as it can communicate with the outside through the input port 111 and accommodate the clothes. For example, the receiving body 31 may be formed as a cylindrical receiving body 31 having open front and rear faces as shown in Fig.

The receiving body 31 is supported by a first supporting portion 17 and a second supporting portion 19 which will be described later so as to be rotatable in the cabinet 1 and is rotated by receiving power by the driving portion.

The lifter 33 is formed to protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the accommodating body 31 toward the center of rotation of the accommodating body 31 so that the clothing accommodated in the accommodating body 31 is agitated as the accommodating body 31 rotates.

The first support portion 17 includes a first flange 173 for rotatably supporting the opened front end of the receiving body 31. [ For example, the first flange 173 may be formed in a ring shape so as to be disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the opened front end of the receiving body 31, but not limited thereto, And can be formed into any shape.

The first supporting portion 17 is provided in front of the receiving portion 3 and the through hole 171 is formed on one side so that the receiving portion 3 communicates with the outside of the cabinet 1 through the input port 111 do. The first supporting portion 17 supports the receiving portion 3 rotatably in the front direction so that the user can put the clothes into the receiving body 31 through the input port 111 or take out the clothes from the receiving body 31 Do not disturb or interfere with.

The first support portion 17 is formed with an exhaust hole 175 on the lower side to communicate with an exhaust duct 61 to be described later.

The second supporting portion 19 is provided at the rear of the receiving portion 3 and the communication hole 191 is formed so that the receiving portion 3 receives hot air from the supply duct 51 to be described later.

On the other hand, the second supporting portion 19 includes a second flange 193 for rotatably supporting the open rear end of the receiving body 31. The second flange 193 may be formed in a ring shape disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the open rear end of the receiving body 31 as in the case of the first flange 173, And may be rotatably supported and formed in any shape.

The driving unit includes a motor 41, and a belt 45 that connects the rotational axis of the motor and the circumferential surfaces of the receiving body 31. The motor 41 transmits the power to the receiving body 31 through the belt 45 to rotate the receiving body 31.

The supply part performs a function of supplying hot air to the accommodating part 3 and includes a supply duct 51 communicating with the accommodating body 31 and a heater 53 heating the air introduced into the supply duct 51 .

One end of the supply duct 51 is disposed in a space formed between the accommodating portion 3 and the cabinet 1 so as to introduce outside air and supply air heated by the heater 53 to the accommodating portion 3 And the other end is connected to the receiving body 31 through a communication hole 191 formed in the second supporting portion 19. [

The heater 53 is provided inside the supply duct 51 to heat the air introduced through the one end of the supply duct 51. The heater 530 may be provided inside one end of the supply duct 51 but is not limited thereto and may be located at any arbitrary point in the supply duct 51 if the introduced air can be heated. And the exhaust duct 61 and the exhaust fan 63. The exhaust duct 61 and the exhaust fan 63 are provided in the cabinet 1,

The exhaust duct 61 is connected to the lower side of the first supporting portion 17 and communicates the inside of the receiving body 31 with the outside of the cabinet 1 through the exhaust hole 175 as described above.

The exhaust fan 63 is provided inside the exhaust duct 63 and discharges the air inside the accommodation body 31 to the outside of the cabinet 1 through the exhaust duct 63 by rotation. When the exhaust fan 63 rotates, the pressure inside the accommodating body 31 is lowered, so that the air inside the cabinet 1 can be introduced into the accommodating body 31 through the supply duct 51. 1, the clothes processing apparatus 100 includes an exhaust type drying system for discharging the air discharged from the accommodation body 31 to the outside of the cabinet 1 and a condensing system for circulating the air inside the accommodation body 31 And can be manufactured by a dry drying method. When the clothes processing apparatus 100 is provided as a condensing type drying apparatus, the exhaust duct 61 is provided to be connected to the supply duct 51 to re-supply the air discharged from the receiving body 31 to the receiving body 31 Should be able to. Further, it is preferable that the air exhausted from the accommodating body 31 is dehumidified and then supplied to the heater 53, so that the exhaust duct 61 must be further provided with a dehumidifying device (not shown).

The water supply unit 79 is connected to an external water supply source (not shown) and connected to a water supply valve 793 and a water supply valve 793 which are openably and closably connected to an apparatus for supplying moisture to the water storage unit 3 And a water supply pipe 791 for supplying water.

The apparatus for supplying water to the accommodating unit 3 may be a device for supplying water to the accommodating unit 3 or a device for supplying the unheated droplet to the accommodating unit 3, And may be a steam generator 7 for supplying steam.

Hereinafter, the case where the device for supplying moisture to the accommodating portion 3 is the steam generating device 7 will be described.

Hereinafter, a steam generator 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. Fig. 2 is a view schematically showing an embodiment of the steam generator 7 shown in Fig.

The steam generator 7 is supported by the bracket 8 as shown in FIG. 1 and receives water from the water supply unit 79 to generate steam, and the steam is generated through the through holes formed in the second support 19, (3).

2, the steam generator 7 includes a water storage tank 71 in which water is stored, a vibration unit 72 in which water stored in the water storage tank 71 is discharged, A mixing pipe 76 having an inlet port 763 through which air flows and an outlet port 765 through which air is discharged; a heating unit 76 provided inside the mixing pipe 76; a water reservoir 71; A filter portion 78 for filtering the water supplied into the air and an outside air supply portion 77 for supplying air from the outside air.

The water storage tank 71 serves to store water so that the vibrator 721 can spray water. The water storage tank 71 is disposed below the mixing pipe 76 and communicates with the mixing pipe 76 via the distribution pipe 73.

In addition, the water storage tank 71 is provided with a water supply port 711 on the lower side to receive and store water from the external water supply source.

The vibrating section 72 includes a vibrator 721 and a vibration controller 723 that controls the vibrator 721 to turn on and off the vibrator 721. [

The vibrator 721 generates ultrasonic vibration so as to spray water in the water storage tank 71 and plays a role of causing vibration in the water stored in the water storage tank 71. The vibrator 721 is provided on the bottom side of the water storage tank 71 and disposed below the dispersion pipe 73 so that the sprayed water smoothly moves upward through the spray pipe 73.

The vibration control unit 723 is electrically connected to the vibrator 721 to selectively supply power such that the vibrator 721 is turned on and off.

The spray pipe 73 is provided inside the water storage tank 71 and is connected to a pipe extending from the upper side of the vibrator 721 to the lower side of the mixing pipe 76 in order to move water sprayed from the vibrator 721 upward . A detailed description of the distribution pipe 73 will be described later.

The mixing pipe 76 is disposed on the upper side of the water storage tank 71 and communicates with the water storage tank 71 through the spray pipe 73. The mixing tube 76 is provided with an inlet port 763 at one end so as to be able to suck air from the outside air along the direction of the arrow A so as to discharge the sucked air along the arrow direction B, 765 are formed. The one end is exposed to the outside air so as to suck air from the outside air. Here, the outside air is a term referring to the outside of the mixing pipe 76. One end of the mixing pipe 76 may be exposed to the outside of the cabinet, but in the steam generating device 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the mixing pipe 76 is exposed to the internal space of the cabinet.

On the other hand, the mixing pipe (76) communicates with the spray pipe (73) through one side of the lower surface. The sprayed water rises along the spray pipe 73 by the action of the pressure of the receiving part lowered by the exhaust fan. The sprayed water moving upward along the spray tube (73) is mixed with the air sucked in the hopper tube.

The heating unit 76 is provided inside the mixing pipe 76 and is disposed downstream of the spray pipe 73 and the connection point. Accordingly, the heating unit 76 can heat at least one of the sucked air and the sprayed water.

The filter unit 78 is connected to the water supply port of the water storage tank 71 so as to filter the water supplied to the water storage tank 71. The filter unit 78 includes a filter (not shown) for filtering water, a filter housing 781 connected to the water supply pipe so as to receive the water from the external water supply source and a water supply port of the water storage tank 71, And a connection pipe 783 connectable to the connection pipe 71.

Here, the filter may be formed of an ion filter, and the ion filter serves to remove metal ions from the supplied water. Accordingly, even if the sprayed water is sprayed on the object, no scale is attached to the object.

The outside air supply unit 77 is provided at the inlet port 763 side of the mixing pipe 76 to suck air from the outside air into the hopper pipe along the arrow A. The outside air supply portion 77 includes a fan housing 771 provided at one end of the mixing pipe 76 to receive the air blowing fan 771 and the air blowing fan 771 for sucking outside air.

The air blowing fan 771 is not always driven when the clothes accommodated in the accommodating portion are dried, and can be controlled to be turned on and off as needed.

The outside air supply unit 77 may not be provided in the steam generator. In this case, the inlet 763 is not provided in the steam generator.

The distribution pipe 73 will be described in detail. The spray pipe 73 is provided inside the water storage tank 71 and is connected to a pipe extending from the upper side of the vibrator 721 to the lower side of the mixing pipe 76 in order to move water sprayed from the vibrator 721 upward . A detailed description of the distribution pipe 73 will be described later.

Generally, the spray pipe 73 is connected to the upper side of the water storage tank 71, and does not extend to the lower side of the water storage tank 71, so that it is not immersed in water. The water sprayed by the vibrator 721 occupies the remaining space excluding the space occupied by water in the space of the water storage tank 71 and can be discharged to the outside of the water storage tank 71 continuously even when the vibrator 721 is turned off.

The spray pipe 73 of the steam generator 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention sufficiently extends downward from above the water storage tank 71 so that the lower end thereof is submerged in water contained in the water storage tank 71 as described above.

In addition, the spray pipe 73 may be formed so that the sprayed water occupying the interior of the spray pipe 73 becomes smaller as it goes upward so that the sprayed water can not be easily discharged when the vibrator 721 is turned off. That is, the spray pipe 73 may be formed in an inverted funnel shape. Accordingly, when the supply of the water is stopped by the off-setting of the vibrator 721, the sprayed water remaining in the interior of the spray tube 73 can not be discharged easily and is dropped again and stored in the water storage tank 71 .

Hereinafter, a steam generator 8 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. Fig. 3 is a view schematically showing another embodiment of the steam generator 7 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I shown in Fig.

The steam generating device 8 according to another embodiment of the present invention described below includes the same structure as that of the above embodiment except for the spray pipe 74. [ Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same structures as those of the above-described embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

3 and 4, the spray pipe 74 includes an extension portion 741 extending in the vertical direction, a portion of the air flowing through the mixing pipe 76 is connected to the bending flow path 74 formed to rapidly flow the spray pipe 74, And a side hole 741a formed on the side surface so as to communicate with the inside of the water storage tank 71.

The bending passage 749 may be formed to provide a path of air movement that is longer than the movement path of the air flowing along the mixing tube 76. For example, the downward bending flow path 749a for allowing the air of the mixing pipe 76 to flow downwardly and the upward bending flow path 749b for allowing the air that has passed through the downward bending flow path 749 to flow obliquely upward .

When air flows into the mixing pipe 76 as the pressure of the receiving portion 3 drops, the bending flow path 749a formed of the downward bending flow path 749a and the downward bending flow path 749a among the air flowing inside the mixing pipe 76 749 is higher than the velocity of the air that does not flow along these bending flow paths 749. Due to such a speed difference, the pressure of the air flowing along the bending passage 749 is lower than the pressure of air not flowing along the bending passage 749. Therefore, when the bending passage 749 is provided at the upper end of the spray pipe 74, the sprayed water in the interior of the spray pipe 74 is discharged more rapidly than when the bending passage 749 is not provided at the upper end.

As described above, the bending passage 749 may have any structure so long as it provides a path of air movement that is longer than the movement path of air flowing along the mixing tube 76.

For example, as described below, the bending passage 749 is provided at the upper end of the spray pipe 74, and the funnel-shaped first flow path wall 743 and the first flow path wall 743, which increase in cross- And a second flow path wall 745 spaced upward from the first flow path wall 743.

The second flow path wall 745 and the mixing pipe 76 are arranged to cross each other and are formed in the shape of a bar which is curved upwardly and convexly as shown in FIG. One end of the second flow path wall 745 is connected to one side of the inner side surface of the first flow path wall 743 and the other end is connected to the other side of the inner side surface of the first flow path wall 743, Lt; / RTI >

That is, the second flow path wall 745 is coupled to the first point of the inner side surface of the first flow path wall 743 formed at both ends in a funnel shape and the second point of the inner side located opposite to the first point, respectively.

The second flow path wall 745 has a second flow path wall 745 so that air flowing in the mixing flow path 76 collides against the second flow path wall 745 and flows separately to the upper side and the lower side of the second flow path wall 745. [ Is formed so as to be convexly curved upward so as to be disposed inside the mixing tube 76.

In addition, the vertical cross section is formed in a streamlined shape so that the velocity of the air flowing above and below the second flow path wall 745 is different.

In other words, the upper surface and the lower surface of the second flow path wall 745 are formed to be convex outward, and in particular, the lower surface can be formed more convexly outward than the upper surface. Or the upper surface of the second flow path wall 745 may be formed parallel to the moving direction of the air of the mixing tube 76 and only the lower surface of the second flow path wall 745 may be formed outwardly or convexly downward.

Since the second flow path wall 745 serves to guide the air, it may be referred to as a flow guide.

The first flow path wall 743 may be integrally formed with the upper end of the spray tube 74, but not limited thereto, and may be formed as a separate member.

The upper end of the spray pipe 74 communicates with the mixing pipe 76 with the bending flow path 749 and the lower end of the spray pipe 74 is formed to be coupled to the bottom side of the water storage tank 71. In this case, in order to prevent the water in the water storage tank 71 from entering the inside of the water distribution pipe 74, the water distribution pipe 74 is provided with side holes 741a on the side surface so that the water stored in the water storage tank 71 flows into the water storage tank 71, .

The side holes 741a formed at a predetermined height from the bottom side of the water storage tank 71 can no longer allow the water in the water storage tank 71 to pass therethrough if the water level of the water storage tank 71 becomes lower than the height of the side holes 741a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the side hole 741a may be formed by depressing the lower end of the spray pipe 74 upward.

Hereinafter, a steam generator 9 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 5 is a schematic view showing still another embodiment of the steam generator 7 shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

The steam generator 9 according to another embodiment of the present invention described below includes the same structure as the above-described embodiments except for the spray pipe 75. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same structures as those of the above-described embodiments, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 5, the spray pipe 75 may be coupled to the mixing pipe 76 so that the water in the water storage tank can flow more easily, and the lower end thereof may be provided from the bottom side of the water storage tank 71.

In this case, the spray pipe 75 is provided with an extension portion 751, a bending passage 749, and a vibration guide 720 for guiding the vibration generated by the vibrator 721 into the interior of the spray pipe 75, (755).

The vibration guide portion 755 may be provided at the lower end of the spray pipe 75 and may have an inverted funnel shape in which the cross-sectional area increases toward the lower side. When the spray tube 75 is also formed in a reverse funnel shape, the vibration guide portion is formed such that the ratio of the cross sectional area increases as it goes downward is larger than the spray tube 75.

Hereinafter, the operation of the steam generator will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The operation of the steam generator is the same as the operation principle of the steam generator shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 and the steam generator shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. Therefore, the operation of the steam generator shown in FIGS. do.

First, when it is determined that the clothes in the receiving portion 3 of the clothes processing apparatus 100 have reached the reference drying degree, the steam generating device 8 is operated to supply the steam to the receiving portion 3. The supply of steam to the accommodating portion 3 is intended to prevent deformation of the overdryed garment.

In this case, not only the overdryed clothes but also clothes not yet dried to a desired level are present in the accommodating portion 3, so that the steam is supplied not the unheated water (droplet). This is because the temperature inside the accommodating portion 3 is lowered due to the jetting of the unheated droplet, so that the drying time may be increased.

When the steam generator 8 starts operating, the vibration control unit 723 transmits electric power to the vibrator so that the vibrator vibrates the water contained in the water reservoir 71 so that water is sprayed. At this time, the outside air supply unit 77 operates to supply the outside air to the mixing pipe 76. As shown in FIG. 3, the mixing pipe 76 receives air from the outside air along the arrow A, 74 is moved upward along the spray pipe 74 and then is drawn in.

The sprayed water discharged to the mixing tube 76 is mixed with the air and moves along the mixing tube 76. The heated water is heated by the heating unit 761 and is discharged to the accommodation unit 3 along the arrow B.

At this time, the heating unit 761 heats the sprayed water mixed with the air to convert it into superheated steam. Thereafter, the superheated steam is sprayed to the clothes of the accommodation portion 3 together with the air.

If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed or the superheated steam is sufficiently sprayed, the oscillator 721 is turned off to prevent the sprayed water from being further introduced into the mixing pipe 76. On the other hand, when the lower end of the spray pipe 74 is lower than the water level of the water storage tank 71, the water sprayed by the vibrator 721 fills only the spray pipe 74 and is discharged to the mixing pipe 76. However, if the lower end of the spray pipe 74 is higher than the water level of the water reservoir 71, the sprayed water is discharged into the empty space of the water storage tank 71, that is, Lt; / RTI > Therefore, even if the vibrator 721 is turned off while the lower end of the spray pipe 74 is higher than the water level of the water reservoir 71, the sprayed water that fills the empty space of the water reservoir 71 continues to flow through the mixing pipe 76 Can be discharged. This phenomenon occurs more frequently as the water storage capacity of the water storage tank is small or as the lower end of the spray pipe is further spaced upward from the lower end of the water storage tank.

3, when the lower end of the distributor pipe 74 is coupled to the sea side of the water storage tank 71, the water level of the water storage tank is lowered to the side hole 741a at the lower end of the distribution pipe 74 This phenomenon can be significantly reduced because it takes a lot of time.

On the other hand, since the sprayed water remains in the spray tube 74, the sprayed water can be continuously discharged to the mixing tube 76 even when the vibrator 721 is turned off. The bending passage 749 provided at the upper end of the distributor pipe 74 can solve this problem. That is, the bending passage 749 can minimize the amount of sprayed water remaining in the inside of the atomizing tube 74 while the vibrator 721 is in the ON state, and therefore, when the vibrator 721 is turned off, 74 can be minimized. If the bending passage 749 is provided at the upper end of the spray pipe 74, the pressure at the upper end of the spray pipe 74 becomes lower, so that the sprayed water is quickly discharged. Hereinafter, a garment processing apparatus 100 'according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a garment processing apparatus 100 'according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The clothes processing apparatus 100 'according to another embodiment of the present invention described below includes the same structure as the above-described embodiment except for the location where the steam generator is provided. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the same structures as those of the above-described embodiments, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The clothes processing apparatus 100 'is connected to the supply duct 51 of the steam generator 7 and supplies steam and hot air to the storage unit 3 through the supply duct 51. In addition, the supply duct 51 is not provided with a heater.

That is, the supply unit of the clothes processing apparatus 100 'is configured to supply hot air containing steam and hot air not containing steam to the accommodating unit 3, and includes a supply duct 51 communicating with the accommodating body 31, And a steam generator 7 connected at one end to the supply duct 51 for supplying steam and hot air to the receiving portion through the supply duct 51. The steam generator 7 sucks the air located in the space between the accommodation unit 3 and the cabinet 1 through the inlet port 763 and supplies the hot air and the steam to the supply duct 51 through the outlet port 765, Discharge the steam.

When the vibrator 721 and the heater 761 of the steam generator 7 are turned on, hot air containing steam is supplied to the accommodating portion 3 and the vibrator 721 of the steam generator 7 is turned on and the heater 761 The hot air not containing steam is supplied to the accommodating portion 3. [

The steam and hot air of the steam generator 7 can be supplied to the accommodating portion 3 through the supply duct 51 by the operation of the exhaust fan 63. If the wind speed is not sufficient, Thereby increasing the wind speed.

On the other hand, the sprayed water discharged into the mixing tube 76 is mixed with the air and moves along the mixing tube 76, and is heated by the heating part 761 to be steamed and discharged to the supply duct 51.

At this time, the heating unit 761 heats the sprayed water mixed with the air to convert the superheated steam into the superheated steam. The degree of overheating can be adjusted according to the degree of condensation along the length of the supply duct 51. That is, when the supply duct 51 is long and the degree of condensation of steam while moving along the supply duct 51 is high, the heating unit 761 can apply heat to a degree of overheating. Thereafter, the superheated steam moves along the supply duct 51 together with the air, and then is sprayed onto the clothes of the accommodation portion 3. [

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1: cabinet 3: receptacle
6: exhaust part 7, 8, 9: steam generator
71: Water tank 72:
73, 74, 75: distribution tube 76: mixing tube
77:

Claims (16)

A reservoir in which water is stored;
A vibrator provided on the bottom side of the water storage tank for selectively vibrating and spraying water stored in the water storage tank;
A spray tube disposed above the vibrator to move the sprayed water upward;
A mixing tube having an inlet through which air is introduced from the outside air and an outlet through which air is discharged and one side communicating with the distributor tube to receive the sprayed water; And
And a heating unit provided in the mixing tube for heating at least one of the inhaled air and the sprayed water. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the mixing tube includes a bending passage for providing a path for air to be bent and discharged after the air of the mixing tube is introduced. 3. The method of claim 2,
The bending flow path
A downward bending flow path for allowing air in the mixing tube to flow downwardly; And
And an upward bending flow path for allowing the air passing through the downward bending flow path to flow upwardly. 3. The method of claim 2,
The bending flow path
A funnel-shaped first flow path wall provided at an upper end of the atomization tube and having an increased sectional area as it goes upward; And a second flow path wall spaced upward from the first flow path wall. 5. The method of claim 4,
And the second flow path wall includes a vertical cross section extending to cross the mixing pipe and being formed in a streamlined shape. The method according to claim 4 or 5,
Wherein the second flow path wall is curved upwardly and convexly so that both ends of the second flow path wall are coupled to the first flow path wall and a center portion thereof is disposed inside the mixing tube. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the spray pipe is coupled to a bottom portion of the water storage tank at a lower end so as to receive the vibrator and a side hole is formed at one side so as to communicate with the inside of the water storage tank. The method according to claim 1,
And an outside air supply unit provided at an inlet side of the mixing tube,
The outside air supply unit includes a blowing fan for sucking outside air; And a fan housing for accommodating the blowing fan. The method according to claim 1,
The water storage tank is formed with a water supply port at one side thereof to supply water from the outside,
And a filter unit coupled to one side of the water supply port. The method according to claim 1,
And the cross-sectional area of the steam pipe decreases as it goes upward. A cabinet having an inlet;
A receiving portion for receiving clothes to be introduced into the input port;
A steam generator for generating steam to supply steam to the containing portion;
And a water supply unit for supplying water to the steam generator,
The steam generator
A reservoir in which water is stored;
A vibrator provided on the bottom side of the water storage tank for selectively applying vibration to the water stored in the water storage tank and spraying the water;
A spray tube provided above the vibrator for moving the sprayed water upward and having a smaller cross sectional area as it goes upward;
A mixing tube communicating with the supply duct to allow air to flow in from outside air to be supplied to the supply duct, and one side communicating with the distributor tube to receive the sprayed water; And
And a heating unit provided in the mixing tube for heating at least one of the sucked air and the sprayed water. 12. The method of claim 11,
The above-
A downward bending flow path for allowing the air in the mixing tube to flow downwardly and obliquely; And
And an upward bending flow path for allowing the air that has passed through the downward bending flow path to flow upward in an inclined manner. 12. The method of claim 11,
The above-
And a flow guide formed to extend in a crossing direction of the mixing tube and to have a vertical cross section formed in a streamlined shape so as to be discharged after the air of the mixing tube is introduced. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the flow guide is curved upwardly and convexly so that both ends of the flow guide are coupled to the upper end of the spray tube and the center of the flow guide is disposed inside the mixing tube. 14. The method of claim 13,
Further comprising a guide receiving portion formed in a funnel shape having a cross-sectional area increasing toward the upper side to receive the flow guide. 12. The method of claim 11,
The steam generator
An outside air supply unit into which air flows from outside air; And
And a filter unit coupled to one side of the water storage tank to filter water supplied from the outside.

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