KR20230111050A - Apparatus for treating laundry and method for controlling thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a laundry treatment device. In one embodiment, a laundry treatment apparatus includes: a cabinet, a drum provided inside the cabinet and having a plurality of communication holes formed on its rear surface for accommodating clothes, a circulation passage portion disposed below the drum to circulate air in the drum and provided with a heat exchanger and a circulation fan, a rear plate provided to communicate with the circulation passage portion at the rear of the drum and guiding air discharged from the circulation passage portion to the rear surface of the drum, a rear plate supported by the rear plate and providing power to rotate the drum, and a drive unit , A control unit for controlling at least one of a heat exchange unit and a circulation fan, and the rear plate is sided in a first direction with respect to the central axis of the drum in the duct unit, and the duct unit includes a circulation preventing unit formed to reduce the depression depth of the duct unit, and the control unit controls to rotate the drum in a first direction.

Description

Clothes handling device and method for controlling the clothes handling device {APPARATUS FOR TREATING LAUNDRY AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment apparatus and a control method of the laundry treatment apparatus.

A clothes handling device is a device capable of removing dust or foreign matter attached to clothes by applying physical force to clothes, and includes a washing machine, a dryer, a refresher (styler), and the like.

A washing machine is provided to supply water and detergent to clothes to perform a washing operation to separate and remove foreign substances from clothes.

The dryer is classified as an exhaust type dryer or a circulation type dryer. Commonly, it is provided to perform a drying process of removing moisture contained in clothes by generating high-temperature hot air through a heater and exposing the hot air to clothes.

In recent years, dryers are equipped to perform intensive drying processes by omitting components for supplying or draining water to the inside of clothes and omitting a tub for accommodating water inside a cabinet. Accordingly, there is an advantage in improving drying efficiency by directly supplying hot air to a drum accommodating clothes while simplifying the internal structure of the dryer.

Such a dryer may include a drum for accommodating clothes, a hot air supply unit for supplying hot air to the drum, and a driving unit for rotating the drum. In this way, the dryer supplies hot air to the inside of the drum to dry the clothes accommodated in the drum, and rotates the drum to evenly expose the surface of the clothes to the hot air. As a result, the entire surface of the clothes is evenly contacted with the hot air, and drying can be completed.

1 shows a dryer in which the driving unit 3 is fixed to the bottom or base of the cabinet 1.

The dryer includes a cabinet 1 and a drum 2, a circulation passage 4 for circulating air in the drum 2 to the outside, and a heat pump 6 accommodated in the circulation passage 4 to condense and heat the air again.

The driving unit 3 is provided to be fixed to the bottom surface 12 of the cabinet 1 or a base fixed to the bottom surface of the cabinet 1 from the bottom of the drum 2 . Since the driving unit 3 is not arranged parallel to the rotating shaft of the drum 2 in this dryer, a separate configuration is additionally used to rotate the drum 2.

Specifically, the driving unit 3 may include a motor unit 34 fixed to the bottom of the cabinet 1, a rotation shaft 37 rotating on the motor unit 34, a pulley 35 rotating by the rotation shaft 37, and a belt 36 provided to connect the outer circumferential surface of the drum 2 and the outer circumferential surface of the pulley 35. Thus, when the motor unit 34 rotates the rotating shaft 37, the pulley 35 rotates the belt 36, and the belt 36 can rotate the drum 2.

However, in this dryer, since the diameter of the pulley 35 is much smaller than the diameter of the drum 2, when the motor 34 rotates quickly, the belt 36 slides on the drum 2 or the pulley 35. A slip phenomenon occurs. Therefore, this dryer has a problem that the rotational acceleration of the motor unit 34 is limited to a certain level or less, and the motor unit 34 is slowly accelerated or decelerated so that the belt 36 does not slip when the drum 2 rotates. There is a fundamental limitation. Therefore, the dryer described with reference to FIG. 1 cannot quickly change the rotation direction of the drum 2, so that the rotation of the drum 2 cannot be controlled, or it may be impossible to change the rotation direction of the drum 2. Accordingly, the dryer cannot control the rotational direction and rotational speed of the drum 2 as intended during the drying process, so there is a limit to maximizing the drying efficiency.

2 shows the structure of a conventional dryer in which a driving unit is coupled to the rear surface of a cabinet. The dryer structure of FIG. 2 discloses a structure in which the driving unit is fixed to the rear surface of the cabinet, and the rotating shaft of the driving unit is coupled to the drum to rotate the drum. The dryer may include a cabinet 1 forming an exterior, a drum 2 rotatably provided inside the cabinet 1 to accommodate clothes, and a drive unit 3 provided to rotate the drum 2.

The drive unit 3 may be provided to rotate the drum 2 by being disposed on the rear surface of the drum 2, and may be coupled to and fixed to the rear panel 11 forming the rear surface of the cabinet 1. Thus, the drive unit 3 is fixed to the cabinet 1 and can rotate the drum 2 . According to the dryer described with reference to FIG. 2, it becomes possible to change the direction of rotation of the drum 2. However, an efficient method of treating clothes by changing the rotation direction has not been specifically known.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of effectively drying clothes and a method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus capable of effectively drying clothes even when there is only a small amount of clothes to be treated or only small clothes (eg, handkerchief, underwear, baby clothes, etc.).

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus and a method for controlling the laundry treatment apparatus capable of solving the problem of the clothes falling to the filter unit located in front of the drum and blocking the filter unit when there is only a small amount of clothes to be treated or only small clothes.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited thereto, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention provides a laundry treatment device. In one embodiment, a laundry treatment apparatus includes: a cabinet, a drum provided inside the cabinet and having a plurality of communication holes formed on its rear surface for accommodating clothes, a circulation passage portion disposed below the drum to circulate air in the drum and provided with a heat exchanger and a circulation fan, a rear plate provided to communicate with the circulation passage portion at the rear of the drum and guiding air discharged from the circulation passage portion to the rear surface of the drum, a rear plate supported by the rear plate and providing power to rotate the drum, and a drive unit , A control unit for controlling at least one of a heat exchange unit and a circulation fan, and the rear plate is sided in a first direction with respect to the central axis of the drum in the duct unit, and the duct unit includes a circulation preventing unit formed to reduce the depression depth of the duct unit, and the control unit controls to rotate the drum in a first direction.

In one embodiment, the front plate may include an input communication hole located in front of the drum and communicating with the input port of the drum, and a front plate provided below the input communication hole and formed with a duct connection part communicating with the circulation passage unit.

In one embodiment, a filter unit may be provided in the duct connection unit.

In one embodiment, the duct unit includes an inlet part located at the rear of the circulation passage part and communicating with the circulation passage part, and an annular flow part communicating with the inlet part and located at the rear of the drum, and the circulation prevention part is formed in the flow part, and the first direction may be on the side away from the inlet part.

In one embodiment, the communication holes may be radially and uniformly arranged on the rear surface of the drum.

In one embodiment, a humidity sensor for detecting the moisture content of clothes accommodated in the drum may be further included, and the control unit may rotate the drum in a first direction when the moisture content detected by the humidity sensor is lower than the first moisture content, and rotate the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the moisture content detected by the humidity sensor is higher than the first moisture content.

In one embodiment, the control unit rotates the drum to detect the amount of fabric, rotates the drum in a first direction when the amount of fabric is less than the first amount of fabric, and rotates the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the amount of fabric is greater than the first amount of fabric.

In one embodiment, a first clothing treatment course for performing control may be provided.

In one embodiment, the first clothing treatment course may be a course for processing small or lightweight clothes.

In one embodiment, the control unit may rotate the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when processing in a standard course.

In one embodiment, the control unit may rotate the circulating fan at a lower speed than in the standard course during processing in the first clothing treatment course.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus may be provided. In one embodiment, a laundry treatment apparatus includes: a cabinet, a drum provided inside the cabinet and having a plurality of communication holes formed on the rear surface thereof for accommodating clothes, a circulation passage portion disposed below the drum to circulate air in the drum and provided with a heat exchanger and a circulation fan, a duct portion provided to communicate with the circulation passage portion at the rear of the drum and guiding air discharged from the circulation passage portion to the rear surface of the drum, and the duct portion being lopsided in a first direction based on the central axis of the drum, A rear plate including a circulation preventing part formed to reduce the recessed depth of the duct part, and a driving part supported by the rear plate to provide power for rotating the drum, and the control method controls the drum to rotate in a first direction.

In one embodiment, the laundry treatment apparatus may further include a humidity sensor that detects a moisture content of clothes accommodated in the drum, and the method of controlling the laundry treatment apparatus may include rotating the drum in a first direction when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is lower than the first humidity, and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is higher than the first humidity.

In one embodiment, the amount of fabric is sensed by rotating the drum, and if the amount of fabric is less than the first amount of fabric, the drum is rotated in a first direction, and if the amount of fabric is greater than the amount of first fabric, the drum is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, clothes can be effectively dried.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, clothes to be treated can be effectively dried even when there is only a small amount of clothes or small clothes (eg, handkerchief, underwear, baby clothes, etc.).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, when there is only a small amount of clothes to be treated or only small clothes, it is possible to solve the problem that the clothes fall to the filter unit located in front of the drum and block the filter unit.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 shows an example of a conventional dryer structure.
2 shows another example of a conventional dryer structure.
3 is a perspective view illustrating an exterior of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows the inside of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an exploded perspective view of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 illustrates a base and a rear plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view of a structure in which a rear plate and a driving unit are coupled according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the rear side.
8 is a diagram for explaining air flow in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 9 is a diagram explaining the behavior of clothes according to the conventional method of controlling the clothes handling apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the behavior of clothes according to the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flowchart of a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a flowchart of a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention.

However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. And in order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and similar reference numerals are attached to similar parts throughout the specification.

In this specification, redundant descriptions of the same components are omitted.

Also, in this specification, when a component is referred to as being 'connected' or 'connected' to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. It should be understood. On the other hand, in this specification, when a component is referred to as 'directly connected' or 'directly connected' to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle.

In addition, terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

Also, in this specification, a singular expression may include a plurality of expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In addition, in this specification, terms such as 'comprise' or 'having' are only intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, and one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Also in this specification, the term 'and/or' includes a combination of a plurality of listed items or any item among a plurality of listed items. In this specification, 'A or B' may include 'A', 'B', or 'both A and B'.

3 illustrates an appearance of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 3 .

A laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a cabinet 100 forming an exterior.

The cabinet 100 may include a front panel 110 forming the front surface of the clothes handling apparatus, an upper panel 150 forming the upper surface, a side panel 140 forming the side surface, and a rear plate 420 forming the rear surface (see FIG. 3). The side panel 140 may include a left panel 141 forming a left side. The front panel 110 may include an opening 111 provided to communicate with the inside of the cabinet 100 and a door 130 rotatably coupled to the cabinet 100 to open and close the opening 111 .

An operation panel 117 may be installed on the front panel 110 . The operation panel 117 may include an input unit 118 for receiving control commands from a user and a display unit 119 for outputting information such as control commands selectable by the user. The control command may include a drying course or a drying option capable of performing a series of drying processes. A control box (not shown) may be installed inside the cabinet 100 as a controller that controls the internal configuration to execute a control command input through the input unit 118 . The control box (not shown) may be connected to components inside the laundry treatment apparatus and control the corresponding components to execute an input command.

The input unit 118 may include a power supply request unit for requesting power supply of the clothes handling apparatus, a course input unit for allowing a user to select a desired course from among a plurality of courses, and an execution request unit for requesting the start of the course selected by the user.

The display unit 119 may include at least one of a display panel capable of outputting text and figures, and a speaker capable of outputting voice signals and sounds.

Meanwhile, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a water storage tank 120 provided to separately store moisture generated in the process of drying clothes. The water storage tank 120 may include a handle provided to be drawn out from one side of the front panel 110 . The water storage tank 120 may be provided to collect condensed water generated during the drying process. Accordingly, the user can withdraw the water storage tank 120 from the cabinet 100 to remove the condensed water, and then install the water storage tank 120 in the cabinet 100 again. Accordingly, the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be disposed even in a place where a sewer or the like is not installed.

Meanwhile, the water storage tank 120 may be disposed above the door 130 . As a result, when the user withdraws the water storage tank 120 from the front panel 110, the user can bend the waist relatively less, thereby increasing user convenience.

4 schematically illustrates the interior of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

A laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a drum 200 accommodated inside a cabinet 100 to accommodate clothes, a driving unit for rotating the drum 200, a heat exchange unit 900 provided to supply hot air to the drum 200, and a base 800 provided with a circulation passage unit 820.

The circulation passage part 820 is provided to communicate with the drum 200 . Air discharged from the drum 200 may be supplied to the circulation passage part 820 . In addition, the air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 may be supplied to the drum 200 again.

The drive unit may include a motor unit 500 that provides power to rotate the drum 200 . The driving unit may be provided to be directly connected to the drum 200 so as to rotate the drum 200 . For example, the driving unit may be provided in a direct drive unit (DD) type. Accordingly, the driving unit may directly rotate the drum 200 by omitting components such as belts and pulleys, thereby controlling the rotational direction of the drum 200 or the rotational speed of the drum 200 .

The motor unit 500 may rotate at high RPM. For example, clothes inside the drum 200 may be rotated at a much higher RPM than the RPM at which clothes may rotate while attached to the inner wall of the drum 200 .

However, if the clothes inside the drum 200 are continuously adhered to the inner wall of the drum 200 and rotated, drying efficiency is reduced because the portion attached to the inner wall of the drum 200 is not exposed to hot air.

If the rotor 520 is rotated at a low RPM to be rolled or stirred inside the drum 200 without being attached to the inner wall of the drum 200, a problem may occur in which the output or torque that can be generated by the driving unit is not properly utilized.

Accordingly, the driving unit of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a reduction gear 600 capable of increasing torque while utilizing maximum output of the motor unit 500 by reducing RPM.

In addition, the driving unit may include a drum rotation shaft 6341 connected to the drum 200 to rotate the drum 200 .

The drum 200 may be provided in a cylindrical shape to accommodate clothes. In addition, unlike a drum used for washing, water does not need to be injected into the drum 200 used only for drying, and liquid water condensed inside the drum 200 does not need to be discharged to the outside of the drum 200. Therefore, through holes provided along the circumferential surface of the drum 200 may be omitted. That is, the drum 200 used only for drying may be formed differently from the drum 200 used for washing.

The drum 200 may be provided in an integral cylindrical shape, but may be manufactured in a form in which a drum body 210 including a circumferential surface and a drum rear plate 220 forming a rear surface are combined.

In front of the drum body 210, an inlet 211 through which clothes enter and exit may be provided. A driving unit for rotating the drum 200 may be connected to the rear of the drum rear plate 220 . The drum body 210 and the drum rear plate 220 may be coupled by a fastening member such as a bolt, but are not limited thereto, and if the drum body 210 and the drum rear plate 220 are coupled to rotate together, they can be coupled using various methods.

A reinforcing bead 212 may be formed on the circumferential surface of the drum body 210 . The reinforcing beads 212 may be recessed or protruded from inside/outside along the circumferential surface of the drum 200 . Such reinforcing beads 212 may be provided in plurality and may be provided spaced apart from each other. The reinforcing beads 212 form a certain pattern and may be provided inside/outside the circumferential surface. The rigidity of the drum body 210 can be increased by the reinforcing beads 212 . Therefore, even if a large amount of clothing is accommodated in the drum body 210 or a sudden rotational force is transmitted through the driving unit, the drum body 210 can be prevented from being twisted. In addition, when the reinforcing beads 212 are provided, the distance between the clothes and the inner circumferential surface can be increased compared to the case where the circumferential surface of the drum body 210 is provided with a flat surface. The strengthening beads 212 increase the durability of the drum and increase the drying efficiency of the laundry treatment machine.

The drum body 210 may be provided with a lift 213 that pulls the clothes inside so that the clothes accommodated inside can be mixed according to the rotation. When the drum 200 rotates, the clothes accommodated therein may repeat the process of rising and falling by the lift 213 . Clothing accommodated inside the drum 200 can be evenly contacted with hot air while repeatedly rising and falling. Therefore, there is an effect of increasing the drying efficiency and shortening the drying time.

In general, in the case of a DD-type washing machine, the driving unit is coupled to and fixed to the tub accommodating the drum 200, and the drum 200 may be coupled to the driving unit and supported by the tub. However, since the laundry treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided to intensively perform the drying process, a tub fixed to the cabinet 100 to accommodate the drum 200 is omitted.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment may further include a support 400 provided to fix or support the drum 200 or the drive unit inside the cabinet 100 . The support part 400 may include a front plate 410 disposed in front of the drum 200 and a rear plate 420 disposed in the rear of the drum 200 .

The front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 are provided in a plate shape and may be arranged to face the front and rear of the drum 200 . The distance between the front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 may be equal to or longer than the length of the drum 200 . The front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 may be fixed to and supported on the bottom surface of the cabinet 100 or the base 800 .

The front plate 410 may be disposed between the front panel 110 (see FIG. 3) forming the front surface of the cabinet 100 and the drum 200. In addition, the front plate 410 may be provided with an input communication hole 412 communicating with the input port 211 . Since the input communication hole 412 is provided in the front plate 410, clothes can be put into or taken out of the drum 200 while the front surface of the drum 200 is supported.

The front plate 410 may include a duct connection part 416 provided below the injection communication hole 412 . The duct connection part 416 may form a lower surface of the front plate 410 .

The front plate 410 may include a duct communication hole 417 penetrating the duct connection part 416 . The duct communication hole 417 is provided in a hollow shape to guide air discharged through the inlet 211 of the drum to the lower side of the drum 200 . In addition, the duct communication hole 417 may guide the air discharged through the inlet 211 to the circulation passage part 820 located in the lower part of the drum 200 .

A filter unit 829 (see FIG. 8 ) may be installed in the duct communication hole 417 to filter out lint or foreign substances having large particles generated from clothes. The filter unit 829 may filter air discharged from the drum 200 to prevent foreign substances from accumulating inside the laundry treatment machine. In addition, the filter unit 829 can prevent foreign substances from accumulating and interfering with air circulation.

Since the inlet 211 is disposed at the front, it is preferable that the drive unit is installed on the rear plate 420 rather than the front plate 410 . The driving unit may be provided to be mounted on and supported by the rear plate 420 . Thus, the drive unit can rotate the drum 200 in a state where its position is stably fixed through the rear plate 420 .

At least one of the front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 may rotatably support the drum 200 . At least one of the front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 may rotatably accommodate a front end or a rear end of the drum 200 .

For example, the front of the drum 200 may be rotatably supported by the front plate 410 . The rear of the drum 200 is spaced apart from the rear plate 420 , but may be indirectly supported by the rear plate 420 by being connected to the motor unit 500 mounted on the rear plate 420 . As a result, an area where the drum 200 contacts or rubs against the support 400 is minimized, and unnecessary noise or vibration can be prevented from occurring. Of course, the drum 200 may be rotatably supported by both the front plate 410 and the rear plate 420 .

One or more support wheels 415 supporting the front of the drum 200 may be provided below the front plate 410 . The support wheel 415 may be provided on the rear surface of the front plate 410 . The support wheel 415 is rotatable. The support wheel 415 may rotate while being in contact with the lower part of the drum 200 .

When the drum 200 is rotated by the driving unit, the drum 200 may be supported by a drum rotation shaft 6341 connected to the rear. When clothes are accommodated in the drum 200, a load applied to the drum rotating shaft 6341 by the clothes may increase. Therefore, there is a risk that the drum rotating shaft 6341 is bent under a load. When the support wheel 415 supports the front lower part of the drum 200, the load applied to the drum rotation shaft 6341 can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the drum rotation shaft 6341 from being bent and to prevent noise from being generated due to vibration.

A plurality of support wheels 415 may be provided. The plurality of support wheels 415 are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the center of rotation of the drum 200 to support the load of the drum 200 . It is preferable that the support wheels 415 are provided at the left and right lower portions of the drum 200 to support the drum 200 . However, it is not limited thereto, and a larger number of support wheels 415 may be provided according to the operating environment of the drum 200 .

The circulation passage unit 820 provided in the base 800 may form a passage through which air inside the drum 200 is circulated and introduced into the drum 200 again. The circulation passage unit 820 may include an inlet duct 821 into which air discharged from the drum 200 is introduced, a discharge duct 823 which supplies air to the drum 200, and a moving duct 822 connecting the inlet duct 821 and the discharge duct 823.

When air is discharged from the front of the drum 200, the moving duct 822 may be located on the front side of the circulation passage part 820. Also, the discharge duct 823 may be located on the rear side of the circulation passage part 820 .

The discharge duct 823 may further include a blowing unit 8231 for discharging air to the outside of the circulation passage unit 820 . The blower 8231 may be provided on the rear side of the discharge duct 823. Air discharged through the blower 8231 may move to the drum 200 .

A duct cover part 830 is coupled to the upper side of the circulation passage part 820 to partially shield the open upper surface of the circulation passage part 820 . The duct cover part 830 can prevent air from leaking out of the circulation passage part 820 . In other words, the duct cover part 830 may form one side of a passage through which air circulates.

A heat exchange unit 900 is provided inside the circulation passage unit 820 . The heat exchange unit 900 may include a first heat exchanger 910 that cools air and a second heat exchanger 920 that heats the air cooled by the first heat exchanger 910 .

The first heat exchanger 910 may dehumidify air discharged from the drum 200 . The second heat exchanger 920 may heat the dehumidified air. The heated air may be supplied to the drum 200 again to dry clothes accommodated in the drum 200 .

The first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 may be provided as heat exchangers through which a refrigerant flows. When provided as a heat exchanger through which refrigerant flows, the first heat exchanger 910 may be provided as an evaporator, and the second heat exchanger 920 may be provided as a condenser. The refrigerant moving along the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 may be provided to exchange heat with air discharged from the drum 200 .

The heat exchange unit 900 may include a circulation fan 950 installed in the circulation passage unit 820 to generate air flow inside the circulation passage unit 820 . In addition, the heat exchange unit 900 may further include a circulation fan motor 951 for rotating the circulation fan 950 . The circulation fan 950 may rotate by receiving rotational power from the circulation fan motor 951 . When the circulation fan 950 operates, air dehumidified in the first heat exchanger 910 and heated in the second heat exchanger 920 may move to the rear of the drum 200 .

The circulation fan 950 may be installed in any one of the inlet duct 821, the moving duct 822, and the outlet duct 823. Since the circulation fan 950 is provided to rotate, noise may be generated when the circulation fan 950 operates. Therefore, it is preferable that the circulation fan 950 is disposed behind the circulation passage part 820 .

The circulation fan 950 may be installed in the blowing unit 8231. Also, the circulation fan motor 951 may be located behind the blower 8231. When the circulation fan 950 is rotated by the circulation fan motor 951 , air inside the circulation passage part 820 may be discharged to the outside of the circulation passage part 820 through the blowing part 8231 .

Since the inlet 211 of the drum 200 is preferably disposed at a relatively high position in order for the user to easily withdraw the clothes located inside the drum 200, the circulation passage part 820 and the heat exchange part 900 It will be preferable to be disposed at the lower part of the drum 200.

A rear plate 420 for guiding air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the drum 200 may be provided at the rear of the drum 200 . The rear plate 420 may be provided to be spaced apart from the drum rear plate 220 . The circulation passage unit 820 may receive air inside the drum 200 through the front plate 410 . Air from the son ring passage 820 may be supplied to the drum 200 through the rear plate 420 . Air discharged from the circulation passage part 820 may pass through the rear plate 420 and be guided to the drum 200 .

The base 800 may further include a connector 850 for guiding air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the rear plate 420 . The connector 850 may guide discharged air to be evenly distributed throughout the rear plate 420 . The connector 850 may be installed in the blowing unit 8231. That is, the connector 850 may guide air discharged from the blower 8231 to the rear plate 420 . Hot air supplied to the rear plate 420 may flow into the drum 200 through the drum rear plate 220 .

The drum 200 of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may be directly connected to and rotated by a drive unit positioned at the rear of the drum 200 instead of being coupled to a belt and rotated indirectly. Therefore, unlike the drum of a conventional dryer having a cylindrical shape with open front and rear ends, the rear of the drum 200 of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shielded and can be directly coupled to the driving unit.

As described above, the drum 200 may include a drum body 210 having a cylindrical shape and accommodating clothes, and a drum rear plate 220 coupled to the rear of the drum body 210 to form the rear surface of the drum.

The drum rear plate 220 may provide a coupling surface directly coupled to the driving unit. That is, the drum rear plate 220 may be provided to rotate the entire drum 200 by being connected to the driving unit and receiving rotational power.

The drum rear plate 220 may include a drive shaft coupling part 300 connecting the driving unit and the drum rear plate 220 . The drive shaft coupling part 300 may be provided on the drum rear plate 220 to form the center of rotation of the drum 200 . The drive shaft coupling part 300 may be provided integrally with the drum rear plate 220, but may be provided with a material having greater rigidity or durability than the drum rear plate 220 in order to be firmly coupled to the rotational shaft that transmits power. The driving shaft coupling part 300 may be seated on and coupled to the drum rear plate 220 so as to form the same axis as the center of rotation of the drum rear plate 220 . The drive shaft coupling part 300 may be provided as a bushing or nut coupled to the drum rotation shaft 6341.

The drum rear plate 220 may include a circumferential plate 221 coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 210 and a mounting plate 222 provided inside the circumferential plate 221 and coupled to the driving unit. The drive shaft coupling part 300 may be seated and coupled to the mounting plate 222 . The rotary shaft for rotating the drum is coupled to the mounting plate 222 through the driving shaft coupling part 300 and has an effect of being more firmly coupled. In addition, deformation of the drum rear plate 220 can be prevented.

A portion where the mounting plate 222 and the driving unit are coupled and a portion where the mounting plate 222 and the circumferential plate 221 are coupled may be covered by the cover member 229 . That is, the circumferential plate 221 is exposed inside the drum 200, but the portion where the mounting plate 222 and the drive unit are coupled and the portion where the mounting plate 222 and the circumferential plate 221 are coupled are covered by the cover member 229 and are not exposed to the outside.

A communication hole 224 passing through the circumferential plate 221 is formed in the drum rear plate 220 . The front and rear surfaces of the drum rear plate 220 communicate with each other through the communication hole 224 . Air may flow into the rear of the drum 200 through the communication hole 224 . Hot air supplied through the circulation passage unit 820 may flow into the drum 200 through the communication hole 224 . The communication hole 224 may be provided with a plurality of holes provided through the drum rear plate 220 or may be provided with a mesh (MESH) type of mesh.

A driving unit for rotating the drum 200 may be positioned behind the rear plate 420 . The drive unit may include a motor unit 500 that generates rotational power and a speed reducer 600 that reduces rotational force of the motor unit 500 and transmits it to the drum 200 . The motor unit 500 may be coupled to the rear of the rear plate 420 through the reduction gear 600 . The reduction gear 600 may be fixed to the rear surface of the rear plate 420, and the motor unit 500 may be coupled to the rear surface of the reduction gear 600. That is, the rear plate 420 may provide a support surface on which the reduction gear 600 or the motor unit 500 is supported. However, it is not limited thereto, and the motor unit 500 may be coupled to the rear plate 420 .

A humidity sensor 236 may be provided on the front side of the drum 200 . The humidity sensor 236 detects the moisture content of clothes accommodated in the drum 200 . In an embodiment, the humidity sensor 236 may be installed on the front plate 410 .

5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating internal components constituting the laundry treatment apparatus separated from each other.

A laundry handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drum 200 accommodating clothes, a front plate 410 supporting the front surface of the drum, a rear plate 420 positioned at the rear of the drum, a base 800 provided below the drum 200 to provide a space for circulating air inside the drum or condensing moisture contained in the air, and a motor unit 500 positioned at the rear of the drum 200 to provide rotational power to the drum 200. ), a reduction gear 600 that reduces rotation of the motor unit 500 and transmits it to the drum 200, and a rear cover 430 coupled to the rear plate 420 to prevent the motor unit 500 from being exposed to the outside.

The base 800 may include a circulation passage part 820 communicating with the drum 200 to allow air to flow in from the drum or to discharge air to the drum 200 .

The front plate 410 may include a front panel 411 forming a front surface and an input communication hole 412 formed to pass through the front panel 411 and communicate with the drum 200 .

A front gasket 413 may be provided on the rear surface of the front panel 411 so as to surround the outside of the insertion communication hole 412 in the radial direction. The front gasket 413 may accommodate a part of the drum body 210 . The front gasket 413 may rotatably support the drum body 210 . The front gasket 413 may be provided to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface or the inner circumferential surface of the inlet 211 . The front gasket 413 can prevent hot air inside the drum 200 from leaking between the drum body 210 and the front plate 410 . The front gasket 413 may be made of plastic resin or an elastic material, and a separate sealing member is additionally coupled to the front gasket 413 to prevent clothing or hot air from escaping from the drum body 210 to the front plate 410.

Meanwhile, the front plate 410 may include a duct communication hole 417 provided through an inner circumferential surface of the insertion communication hole 412 . In addition, the front plate 410 may include a duct connection portion 416 extending downward from the duct communication hole 417 to form a flow path communicating between the drum body 210 and the circulation passage portion 820 .

The duct connection portion 416 may communicate with the drum body 210 through the duct communication hole 417, and the air discharged from the drum body 210 may be introduced into the duct connection portion 416 through the duct communication hole 417, and may be guided to the circulation passage portion 820. Since the air discharged from the drum body 210 is guided to the circulation passage part 820 by the duct connection part 416, there is an effect of preventing the air inside the drum from leaking.

A filter unit 829 (FIG. 8) may be installed in the duct connection unit 416 to filter foreign materials or lint from the air discharged from the drum 200 and prevent foreign materials from entering the circulation passage unit 820.

The front plate 410 is rotatably installed on the rear surface of the front panel 411 and a support wheel 415 supporting the lower part of the drum 200 may be installed. The support wheel 415 supports the front of the drum 200 to prevent bending of the rotating shaft connected to the drum.

The front plate 410 is provided penetrating the front panel 411 to form a storage tank support hole 414 through which the storage tank 120 (see FIG. 3) in which condensate generated in the drying process is stored can be drawn out or supported. When the water storage tank support hole 414 is provided on the upper side, the user does not have to bend at the waist when withdrawing the water storage tank 120, so the user's convenience is increased.

The drum 200 accommodating clothes may include a drum body 210 provided with an inlet 211 through which clothes enter and exit the front, and a drum rear plate 220 forming a rear surface.

The drum rear plate 220 may include a circumferential plate 221 connected to the drum body 210, a communication hole 224 formed to penetrate the circumferential plate 221, and a mounting plate 222 coupled to the drum rotating shaft 6341 which is provided at the center of rotation of the drum rear plate 220.

The communication holes 224 are uniformly arranged radially on the drum rear plate 220 . The drum rear plate 220 may further include a reinforcing rib 225 extending from the circumferential plate 221 toward the center of rotation. The reinforcing rib 225 may extend avoiding the communication hole 224 . The reinforcing rib 225 has an effect of preventing the rigidity of the drum rear plate 220 from being reduced due to the communication hole 224 . The reinforcing rib 225 may be radially extended from the outer circumferential surface of the mounting plate 222 toward the inner circumferential surface of the circumferential plate 221 .

In addition, the drum back plate 220 may further include a circumferential rib 227 extending in the circumferential direction of the drum back plate 220 to connect the reinforcing ribs 225 to each other. The reinforcing ribs 225 and the circumferential ribs 227 have an effect of preventing the drum rear plate 220 from being deformed even when rotational force is transmitted from the motor unit 500 .

The inflow duct 821 may communicate with the duct communication hole 417 of the front plate 410 and communicate with a flow path installed inside the front plate 410 . The moving duct 822 may be provided extending from the end of the inlet duct 821 toward the rear of the drum 200 . The discharge duct 823 may be provided at an end of the moving duct 822 to guide air to the drum 200 .

The blower 8231 may be positioned downstream of the discharge duct 823, and the blower 8231 may provide a space in which a circulation fan 950 (see FIG. 4) is installed. When the circulation fan passage fan 950 operates, air introduced into the inflow duct 821 may be discharged to the upper part of the blowing unit 8231.

A heat exchange unit 900 capable of cooling and heating air circulating inside the drum 200 may be installed in the base 800 . The heat exchange unit 900 is connected to the first heat exchanger 910 (see FIG. 4), the second heat exchanger 920 (see FIG. 4), and the second heat exchanger 920 (see FIG. 4) to supply compressed refrigerant. It may include a compressor 930. Since the compressor 930 may be provided so as not to directly exchange heat with circulated air, it may be located outside the circulation passage part 820 . In addition, the heat exchanging unit 900 may include a circulation fan motor 951 that is supported behind the blowing unit 8231 and rotates the circulation fan 950 . The circulation fan motor 951 may be coupled to the rear of the blower 8231.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a connector 850 coupled to the circulation passage unit 820 and guiding the hot air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the rear or rear plate 420 of the drum 200. The connector 850 may be disposed above the discharge duct 823 to pass through the second heat exchanger 920 and guide heated air upward from the discharge duct 823 . Also, the connector 850 may be coupled to an opening provided on the upper side of the blowing unit 8231. The connector 850 may be provided to form a flow path therein. The connector 850 may be provided to evenly guide the flow of air generated by the circulation fan 950 to the rear plate 420 . That is, the connector 850 may be provided such that the area of the passage increases as the distance from the blower 8231 increases.

The rear plate 420 may be coupled to the base 800 or supported by the base 800 and positioned behind the drum 200 . The rear plate 420 may include a rear panel 421 positioned to face the front plate 410, and a duct unit 423 provided to be recessed in the rear panel 421 to form a passage through which air flows and to guide air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the drum 200.

The rear plate 420 may include a mounting portion 425 to which the driving unit is coupled or supported. The mounting portion 425 may be provided to pass through the rear panel 421 . The mounting part 425 may be disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the duct part 423 . The mounting portion 425 may be spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface of the duct portion 423 in a radial direction.

As described above, the driving unit may mean a combination of the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500. Meanwhile, the driving unit may mean only the motor unit 500 . That is, a configuration that generates power and transmits rotational power to the drum may be referred to as a driving unit.

The driving unit may be mounted on the mounting unit 425 . The mounting part 425 may support the load of the driving part. The driving unit may be connected to the drum 200 while being supported by the mounting unit 425 .

The duct unit 423 may be provided to accommodate a part of the drum rear plate 220 . The duct unit 423 may form a passage through which air moves along with the drum rear plate 220 .

The driving unit may be installed on the mounting unit 425 to prevent interference with the duct unit 423 . That is, the driving unit may be disposed radially inwardly spaced from the inner circumferential surface of the duct unit 423 . The driving unit is installed on the mounting unit 425 and installed so that the rear side is exposed to the outside so that it can be cooled by external air.

The drive unit may include a motor unit 500 that provides power to rotate the drum 200 . The motor unit 500 may include a stator 510 generating a rotating magnetic field and a rotor 520 provided to rotate by the stator 510 . The rotor 520 may be provided as an outer rotor type provided to accommodate the stator 510 and rotate along the circumference of the stator 510 . A driving shaft is coupled to the rotor 520 and may be directly connected to the drum 200 through the stator 510 and the mounting portion 425 . In this case, the rotor 520 may directly transmit power for rotating the drum 200 .

The rotor 520 may be coupled to the driving shaft 530 (see FIG. 7 ) through the washer unit 540 . The washer unit 540 may perform a function of connecting the driving shaft 530 and the rotor 520. Since the contact area between the rotor 520 and the drive shaft can be increased by the washer unit 540, rotation of the rotor 520 can be transmitted more effectively.

The stator 510 may be coupled to the reducer 600. The stator 510 may be coupled to the reduction gear 600 and installed to be spaced apart from the rear plate 420 . At this time, the reducer 600 may be positioned between the drum 200 and the motor unit 500 to support the drum 200 and the motor unit 500 at a distance from the rear plate 420 . That is, the reducer 600 may be the center of supporting the drum 200 and the motor unit 500.

The reducer 600 may be provided to connect the motor unit 500 and the drum 200. The reducer 600 may be coupled to pass through the rear plate 420 . Therefore, the reducer 600 may be connected to the drum located in front of the rear plate 420 . The reducer 600 may rotate the drum 200 by converting power of the motor unit 500 . The reducer 600 may be disposed between the motor unit 500 and the drum 200 to receive power from the motor unit 500 and convert it to transfer to the drum 200 . The reducer 600 may be provided to convert the RPM of the rotor 520 to a small RPM, but increase the torque value and transmit it to the drum 200 .

Specifically, the reducer 600 may be coupled to a drive shaft 530 that is coupled to the rotor 520 and rotates together with the rotor 520 . The reducer 600 includes a gear coupling body capable of rotating in engagement with the driving shaft 530 to change the rpm of the driving shaft 530 but increasing torque, and the gear coupling body is coupled to the drum 200 and rotates the drum. It can be connected to the drum rotation shaft 6341. Therefore, when the drive shaft 530 rotates, the drum rotation shaft 6341 rotates at a slower rpm than the drive shaft 530 but can rotate with a higher torque.

The rear plate 420 of the cabinet 100 may be provided as a relatively thin plate. The rear plate 420 may be made of a steel plate. The rear plate 420 may be made of a metal material. In another embodiment of the present invention, the laundry treatment apparatus may be fixed by coupling the motor unit 500 to the reduction gear 600. Thus, the reduction gear 600 itself can serve as a reference point for the entire driving unit. That is, the reducer 600 may serve as a reference for the amount of vibration and inclination of the entire driving unit. Therefore, when vibration is transmitted to the driving unit or an external force is transmitted, when the reduction gear 600 tilts or vibrates, the motor unit 500 always tilts or vibrates simultaneously with the reduction gear 600. As a result, the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 may form one vibration system, and the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 may maintain a fixed state without moving relative to each other.

Among the motor units 500, the stator 510 may be directly coupled to and fixed to the reduction gear 600. As a result, the installed position of the driving shaft 530 relative to the reduction gear 600 may not be variable. The center of the drive shaft 530 and the center of the reducer 600 may be aligned with each other, and the drive shaft 530 may rotate while maintaining the same axis as the center of the reducer 600 . Since the drive shaft 530 rotates with respect to the reducer 600 but is fixed to prevent tilting, and the stator 510 is also fixed to the reducer 600, the gap between the stator 510 and the rotor 520 can always be maintained. As a result, collision between the stator 510 and the rotor 520 can be prevented, and noise or vibration that may occur due to a change in the center of rotation of the rotor 520 while rotating the stator 510 can be fundamentally blocked.

The drum rotation shaft 6341 may be provided to extend toward the drum 200 inside the reducer 600 . The drum rotation shaft 6341 may vibrate with the reducer 600 and tilt with the reducer 600. That is, the drum rotation shaft 6341 is provided to rotate in the reducer 600, and the installed position may be fixed. As a result, the drum rotation shaft 6341 and the drive shaft 530 can always be arranged side by side and form a coaxial shaft. In other words, the center of the drum rotating shaft 6341 and the center of the driving shaft 530 may be maintained in a matched state.

The reducer 600 may be coupled to and fixed to the rear plate 420 . In this case, since the reducer 600 will tilt or vibrate while being coupled to the rear plate 420, the rear plate 420 can be regarded as serving as the center of the vibration system including the reducer 600, the motor unit 500, and the drum 200.

The meaning of coaxiality and coincidence described above does not mean physically perfect coaxiality and coincidence, but a concept that allows an error range that can be recognized mechanically or a level range that can be recognized as coaxial or coincident by a person skilled in the art. For example, a range in which the drive shaft 530 and the drum rotation shaft 6341 are twisted within 5 degrees may be defined as being coaxial or coincident. However, this angular value is only an example, and an allowable error in design may be changed.

A sealing part 450 may be provided between the drum rear plate 220 and the rear plate 420 . The sealing unit 450 may seal the space between the drum rear plate 220 and the rear plate 420 so that air introduced into the duct unit 423 of the rear plate 420 does not flow out and flows into the communication hole 224 .

The sealing unit 450 may be disposed on the outer and inner surfaces of the duct unit 423 , respectively. A first seal 451 may be provided outside the duct unit 423 in the radial direction. A second seal 452 may be provided inside the duct unit 423 in the radial direction. The first sealing 451 can prevent hot air from leaking outward in the radial direction between the drum rear plate 220 and the duct unit 423 . The second sealing 452 can prevent hot air from leaking radially inward between the drum rear plate 220 and the duct unit 423 .

In other words, the sealing part 450 may be disposed on the outside and inside of the communication hole 224 in the radial direction, respectively. The first seal 451 may be provided outside the communication hole 224 in the radial direction, and the second seal ring 452 may be provided inside the communication hole 224 in the radial direction.

It is preferable that the sealing part 450 is provided in contact with both the drum rear plate 220 and the rear plate 420 in order to prevent hot air from leaking out. Since the drum 200 rotates during the operation of the laundry treatment machine, continuous friction is applied to the seal 450 by the drum rear plate 220 . Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing unit 450 is made of a material capable of sealing between the drum rear plate 220 and the duct unit 423 without deteriorating performance even with frictional force and frictional heat generated by rotation.

The motor unit 500 or the reducer 600 may be coupled to the rear of the rear plate 420. Since the rear plate 420 may be formed of a thin steel plate material, there is a possibility that the load transmitted to the reducer 600 by the reducer 600 and the drum 200 causes bending or deformation. That is, the rigidity of the rear plate 420 needs to be secured in order to install the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500. To this end, the rear plate 420 may further include a bracket 700 for reinforcing coupling rigidity. A bracket 700 may be additionally coupled to the rear plate 420 , and the reduction gear 600 and the motor unit 500 may be coupled to the rear plate 420 by the bracket 700 .

The reducer 600 may be coupled to the bracket 700 and the rear plate 420 at the same time. The reduction gear 600, the rear plate 420, and the bracket 700 may be simultaneously penetrated and coupled using a fastening member (not shown). The rear plate 420 may be coupled with the bracket 700 to ensure rigidity. A driving unit may be coupled to the rear plate 420 having rigidity.

Meanwhile, the reduction gear 600 may be coupled to the bracket 700 first, and then the bracket 700 may be coupled to the rear plate 420. That is, the reducer 600 may be fixed to the rear plate 420 through the bracket 700 without being directly coupled to the rear plate 420 .

When the driving unit is coupled to the rear of the rear plate 420, the motor unit 500 and the reduction gear 600 may be exposed to the outside. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the motor unit 500 or the reduction gear 600 from being coupled to the rear of the rear plate 420 from being exposed. Also, the duct unit 423 may be heated by hot air. Therefore, it may be necessary to insulate the rear surface of the duct unit 423. The rear cover 430 is coupled to the rear of the rear plate 420 to prevent the duct unit 423 and the motor unit 500 or the reducer 600 from being exposed to the outside. The rear cover 430 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the duct unit 423 and the driving unit. The rear cover 430 has an effect of preventing the motor unit 500 from being damaged due to external interference or reducing drying efficiency due to heat loss occurring through the duct unit 423 .

6 illustrates a base and a rear plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

The rear plate 420 may be located behind the drum 200 . The rear plate 420 may guide hot air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the drum 200 . That is, the rear plate 420 may be positioned behind the drum 200 to form a flow path so that hot air is evenly supplied to the entire drum.

The rear plate 420 may include a rear panel 421 facing the drum rear plate 220 and a duct unit 423 provided to be recessed backward from the rear panel 421 to form a flow path. The duct unit 423 may be formed through a process of pressing the rear panel 421 backward. The duct unit 423 may be provided to partially accommodate the drum rear plate 220 .

The duct part 423 may include an inlet part 4233 positioned behind the circulation passage part 820 and a flow part 4231 positioned behind the drum 200 . The moving part 4231 may be provided to accommodate a portion of the drum 200 . The moving part 4231 may partially accommodate the drum 200 to form a flow path provided behind the drum 200 .

The moving part 4231 may be provided in an annular shape to face the communication hole 224 formed in the drum rear plate 220 . The moving part 4231 may be formed by being recessed in the rear panel 421 . That is, the moving part 4231 is provided so that the front is open, and may form a flow path together with the rear surface of the drum 220 .

When the front of the moving part 4231 is provided to be open, the hot air moved to the moving part 4231 can be directly moved to the drum 200 without passing through a separate structure. Therefore, it is possible to prevent heat loss from occurring while the hot air passes through the separate configuration. That is, there is an effect of increasing drying efficiency by reducing heat loss of hot air.

The rear plate 420 may include a mounting portion 425 provided inside the moving portion 4231 in the radial direction. The mounting unit 425 may provide a space where the reduction gear 600 or the motor unit 500 is coupled. That is, the rear plate 420 may include a mounting portion 425 provided on the inside and a floating portion 4231 provided in an annular shape outside the mounting portion 425 in a radial direction.

The flow part 4231 may include an outer flow part 4231a that surrounds an inner space in which hot air flows from the outside. In addition, the flow part 4231 may include an inner flow part 4231b that surrounds an inner space through which hot air flows. That is, the outer circumferential flow portion 4231a may form an outer circumference of the floating portion 4231 and the inner circumferential flow portion 4231b may form an inner circumference of the floating portion 4231 .

The flow part 4231 may include a flow concave surface 4232 forming a rear surface of a passage through which hot air moves. The flow depression surface 4232 may be provided to connect the flow outer circumferential portion 4231a and the flow inner circumferential portion 4231b. That is, a space in which hot air discharged from the circulation passage part 820 flows may be formed by the flow inner circumferential portion 4231b, the flow outer circumferential portion 4231a, and the flow depression surface 4232 . In addition, the hot air can be guided toward the drum 200 by preventing the hot air from leaking backward by the flow concave surface 4232 . That is, the flow depression surface 4232 may mean a depression surface of the flow part 4231 .

A circulation preventing part 4238 is formed in the moving part 4231 . The circulation preventing part 4238 is provided in the moving part 4231 constituting the duct part 423 in the first direction A with respect to the rotation center axis O of the drum 200. The anti-circulation part 4238 is formed by reducing the depression depth of the floating part 4231. If the circulation prevention part 4238 is not provided, the air flowing through the flow part 4231 cannot flow into the drum 200 while circulating only through the flow part 4231 . The circulation prevention unit 4238 guides air circulating through the flow unit 4231 to flow into the drum 200 through the communication hole 224 (see FIG. 4). Therefore, the amount of air introduced from the vicinity of the circulation preventing unit 4238 is greater than that of other areas. That is, when viewed from the inside of the drum 200, the intensity of air introduced near the anti-circulation unit 4238 is greater than that of air introduced from other regions. Therefore, clothes facing the circulation prevention unit 4238 are relatively blown away by the air.

The inlet 4233 may be positioned to face the circulation passage 820 . The inlet 4233 may be positioned to face the blower 8231. The inlet part 4233 may be recessed backward from the rear panel 421 to prevent interference with the blowing part 8231 . An upper side of the inlet part 4233 may be connected to the moving part 4231 .

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a connector 850 connected to the blower 8231. The connector 850 may guide hot air discharged from the blowing unit 8231 to the moving unit 4231 . A flow path is formed inside the connector 850 to guide hot air discharged from the blowing unit 4231 to the moving unit 4231 . That is, the connector 850 may form a flow path connecting the blowing unit 8231 and the moving unit 4231 . The cross-sectional area of the passage provided inside the connector 850 may increase as the distance from the air blower 8231 increases.

Connector 850 may be positioned to face inlet 4233 . The inlet 4233 may be recessed backward to prevent interference with the connector 850 . Also, an upper end of the connector 850 may be provided to partition the moving part 4231 and the inlet part 4233. That is, the hot air discharged from the connector 850 may flow into the moving part 4231 and be prevented from flowing into the inlet part 4233 .

The connector 850 may be provided to evenly supply hot air to the moving part 4231 . The connector 850 may have a width that increases as the distance from the blower 8231 increases. An upper end of the connector 850 may be positioned along a circumferential extension of the outer floating portion 4231a.

Accordingly, the hot air discharged from the connector 850 may be supplied to the moving part 4231 as a whole without being moved to the inlet part 4233 . The connector 850 prevents hot air from concentrating on one side of the moving part 4231 to evenly supply the hot air to the inside of the drum 200 . Therefore, there is an effect of increasing drying efficiency of clothes.

The connector 850 may be provided so that the width increases toward the upstream side, so that the speed of the hot air moving along the connector 850 decreases along the flow direction. That is, the connector 850 may perform a function of a diffuser for adjusting the speed of hot air. The connector 850 reduces the speed of the hot air to prevent the hot air from being intensively supplied to a specific portion of the drum.

Due to the shape of the connector 850 described above, the inlet portion 4233 provided to face the connector 850 and prevented from interfering with the connector 850 may also increase in width as it moves away from the blowing portion 8231. Due to the shape of the inlet part 4233, the overall shape of the duct part 423 may be a '9' shape when viewed from the front.

Since the drum 200 is provided to rotate during the drying cycle, the drum may be provided to be spaced apart from the moving part 4231 by a predetermined distance. Hot air may flow out through the separation space.

Accordingly, the laundry treatment apparatus may further include a sealing unit 450 (refer to FIG. 5 ) preventing hot air from leaking into the separation space between the drum 200 and the flow unit 4231 . The sealing part 450 may be positioned along the circumference of the moving part 4231 .

The first seal 451 may be provided along an outer circumference of the moving part 4231 . The first sealing 451 may be provided between the outer circumference of the drum 200 and the moving part 4231 . In addition, the first seal 451 is provided in contact with both the drum rear plate 220 and the rear plate 420 to more effectively prevent leakage. The first seal 451 may be provided in contact with the front surface of the connector 850 . In addition, the first seal 451 may be provided in contact with an upper end of the connector 850 . The connector 850 and the moving part 4231 may form a flow path through which hot air flows. Accordingly, the first seal 451 is provided to come into contact with the connector 850 to prevent hot air from leaking between the drum 200 and the connector 850 .

The second seal 452 may be provided along the inner circumference of the moving part 4231 . The second seal 452 may be provided between the inner circumference of the drum 200 and the moving part 4231 . In addition, the second seal 452 may be provided in contact with both the drum rear plate 220 and the rear plate 420 . The second seal 452 may prevent hot air moving along the flow part 4231 from leaking toward the mounting part 425 .

Since the drum 200 rotates during the operation of the laundry treatment machine, continuous friction is applied to the seal 450 by the drum rear plate 220 . Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing unit 450 is made of a material that can seal between the drum rear plate 220 and the moving unit 4231 without deteriorating performance even with frictional force and frictional heat generated by rotation.

7 is a perspective view of a structure in which a rear plate and a driving unit are coupled according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the rear side. This description is made with reference to FIG. 7 .

The driving unit including the motor unit 500 and the reduction gear 600 may be supported by the rear plate 420 . The driving unit may be installed on the rear plate 420 so as to be located inside the duct unit 423 . The driving unit may be located radially inside the moving unit 4231 so as to prevent interference with the moving unit 4231 .

The gear unit inside the reducer 600 may be damaged by the heat of the hot air moving along the moving part 4231 . Therefore, the moving part 4231 and the reducer 600 may be provided to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.

8 is a diagram for explaining air flow in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . 8(a) is a view of the inside of the drum 200 viewed from the front. 8(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the flow of air flowing through the laundry treatment apparatus.

A laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may rotate in a first direction (A) and a second direction (B). In the drawing, the first direction (A) is counterclockwise, and the second direction (B) is clockwise.

The circulation fan 950 circulates air in the drum 200 . Air inside the drum 200 passes through the filter unit 829 and flows into the circulation passage unit 820 . The air passes through the first heat exchanger 910 and is dehumidified. The dehumidified air passes through the second heat exchanger 920 and is heated. The air passing through the circulation passage part 820 is introduced into the duct part 423 of the rear plate 420 . Part of the air flowing through the duct part 423 circulates through the duct part 423 and part of the air flowing through the duct part 423 passes through the communication hole 224 and is introduced into the drum 200 .

The circulation prevention unit 4238 cuts off the circulation of air flowing through the duct unit 423 . Most of the air that has reached the circulation passage part 820 is not circulated any more and is introduced into the drum 200 through the adjacent communication hole 224 . The anti-circulation unit 4238 is formed in an area corresponding to area C skewed in the first direction (A). Therefore, the amount of air discharged in area C is the largest. In other words, in the region corresponding to the drum rear plate 220, the flow velocity in region C is the fastest. In addition, the strongest air flow occurs in area C.

Fig. 9 is a diagram explaining the behavior of clothes according to the conventional method of controlling the clothes handling apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the behavior of clothes according to the control method of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 .

See FIG. 9 . In the conventional method of controlling the laundry treatment apparatus, the drum 200 is always rotated in the second direction (B). Therefore, the clothing L also rotates in the second direction. The clothing (L) rotating in the second direction (B) reaches the region C, and is subjected to a strong external force directed forward by the air. Also, the clothing L falls due to gravity. In other words, the clothing L moves from position ① to position ③ through position ②, encounters strong air moving forward, and falls downward by gravity, passing through position ④ and falling to position ⑤. Since the position ⑤ is where the filter part 829 is located and the air flow toward the circulation passage part 820 is formed, if the position ⑤ is blocked by the clothes L, the drying process efficiency deteriorates. In the position ⑤, since the force being sucked into the circulation passage part 820 acts, it does not fall off easily. If heavy clothes or many clothes are tangled, it is not a problem because the clothes L located at ⑤ are grabbed and dragged, but when only a small amount of clothes are processed, there is a problem that the clothes L shielding the filter unit 829 do not fall until the drying cycle is finished.

See FIG. 10 . The control method according to an embodiment of the present invention rotates the drum 200 in the first direction (A) when there is only a small amount of clothing to be treated or only small clothing (eg, handkerchief, underwear, baby clothes, etc.). The clothing (L) rotating in the first direction (A) reaches the region C, and receives a strong external force directed forward by the air. Also, the clothing L falls due to gravity. In other words, the clothing L moves from position ① to position ③ through position ②, encounters strong air moving forward, and falls downward by gravity, passing through position ④ and falling to position ⑤. When the clothes (L) rotate in the first direction (A), even if they encounter a strong air flow, they directly collide with the inner wall of the drum (200) and fall on the filter unit (829). In other words, by shortening the drop movement path of small and lightweight clothes L, it is possible to prevent a problem in that the clothes L fall to the filter unit 829 and block the flow of air.

11 is a flowchart of a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 11 .

The present invention provides a plurality of clothes treatment courses, one of which is provided as a first clothes treatment course. The first clothing processing course is a course for processing small or lightweight clothing. Illustratively, small or lightweight clothing may include a handkerchief, underwear, baby clothes, and the like. When the user determines that the clothes to be treated are small or light and selects and inputs the first clothes treatment course (S12), the control unit (not shown) of the laundry treatment apparatus receives the input and controls the laundry treatment apparatus to perform the first clothes treatment course.

In one embodiment, when the first clothes treatment course is performed, the clothes treatment device detects the moisture content of the clothes L (S13). The moisture content may be detected by the humidity sensor 236. If the detected moisture content is equal to or greater than the first moisture content, the clothes may be dried while rotating the drum 200 in the second direction (B) (S14). When the moisture content is high, since the time the clothes are exposed to dry air must be increased, it may be effective to rotate the clothes in the second direction (B). In an embodiment, the setting of the first moisture content is set to a value such that the weight of small and lightweight clothing is increased by moisture and does not fly to the filter unit 829 by air.

During drying, the moisture content is detected in real time (S15). When the detected moisture content is smaller than the first moisture content, the controller (not shown) controls the drum 200 to rotate in the first direction (A) (S16). In addition, the controller (not shown) may decrease the RPM of the circulation fan 950 . When the RPM of the circulating fan 950 is reduced, the amount of air supplied to the drum 200 is reduced, so that the forward force of the clothing L may be reduced.

If the initially detected moisture content is less than the first moisture content (S13), the controller (not shown) controls the drum 200 to rotate in the first direction (A) from the beginning and dries the clothes (S16).

12 is a flowchart of a control method of a laundry treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 12 .

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a laundry amount detection step (S21). That is, when the user accommodates clothes L in the drum 200 and operates the clothes treatment device, the clothes treatment device automatically detects the amount of clothes L. The amount of fabric can be sensed by sensing the load of the driving unit required for rotation of the drum 200 .

When the amount of fabric is detected to be greater than or equal to the first amount (S22), the controller (not shown) rotates the drum 200 in the second direction (B) to dry the clothes (S28).

The case where it is detected that the amount of fabric is less than the first amount of fabric (S22) is looked at.

The clothes handling device detects the moisture content of the clothes (L) (S23). The moisture content may be detected by the humidity sensor 236. If the detected moisture content is equal to or greater than the first moisture content (S24), the clothes may be dried while rotating the drum 200 in the second direction (B) (S25). When the moisture content is high, since the time the clothes are exposed to dry air must be increased, it may be effective to rotate the clothes in the second direction (B). In an embodiment, the setting of the first moisture content is set to a value such that the weight of small and lightweight clothing is increased by moisture and does not fly to the filter unit 829 by air.

During drying, the moisture content is detected in real time (S26). When the detected moisture content is smaller than the first moisture content, the controller (not shown) controls the drum 200 to rotate in the first direction (A) (S24). In addition, the controller (not shown) may decrease the RPM of the circulation fan 950 . When the RPM of the circulating fan 950 is reduced, the amount of air supplied to the drum 200 is reduced, so that the forward force of the clothing L may be reduced.

If the initially detected moisture content is less than the first moisture content (S24), the controller (not shown) controls the drum 200 to rotate in the first direction (A) from the beginning and dries the clothes (S27).

Although the embodiments have been described above, the control method of the present invention is not limited to the control method according to the above-described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art may derive various embodiments of the method, including rotating the drum 200 in the first direction (A) for treating small and/or lightweight clothes.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in relation to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be variously improved and changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention provided by the claims below.

Claims (14)

cabinet;
a drum provided inside the cabinet, accommodating clothes, and having a plurality of communication holes formed on the rear surface;
a circulation passage part disposed below the drum to circulate the air of the drum and provided with a heat exchanger and a circulation fan;
a rear plate provided to communicate with the circulation passage part at the rear of the drum and having a recessed duct part for guiding the air discharged from the circulation passage part to the rear surface of the drum;
a driving unit supported by the rear plate to provide power for rotating the drum; and
A control unit controlling at least one of the drive unit, the heat exchange unit, and the circulation fan;
The rear plate,
A circulation prevention part provided in the duct part in a first direction with respect to the central axis of the drum and formed such that the depression depth of the duct part is reduced,
The control unit,
A laundry treatment apparatus for performing control to rotate the drum in the first direction. According to claim 1,
A laundry treatment apparatus comprising: a front plate positioned in front of the drum and formed with an input communication hole communicating with an inlet of the drum and a duct connection part provided below the input communication hole and communicating with the circulation passage unit. According to claim 2,
A laundry treatment apparatus in which a filter unit is provided in the duct connection unit. According to claim 1,
The duct part,
an inlet located behind the circulation passage and communicating with the circulation passage; and
An annular moving part communicating with the inlet and located at the rear of the drum;
The circulation preventing part is formed in the moving part, and the first direction is a side away from the inlet part. According to claim 1,
The communication hole is radially and uniformly arranged on the rear surface of the drum. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a humidity sensor for detecting the moisture content of the clothes accommodated in the drum,
The control unit,
When the moisture content detected by the humidity sensor is lower than the first moisture content, rotating the drum in the first direction,
and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the moisture content detected by the humidity sensor is higher than the first moisture content. According to claim 1,
The control unit,
By rotating the drum to detect the amount of laundry,
When the amount of fabric is less than the first amount of fabric, rotating the drum in the first direction;
and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the amount of fabric is greater than the first amount of fabric. According to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A laundry treatment apparatus providing a first laundry treatment course for performing the control. According to claim 8,
The first clothes treatment course is a course for treating small or lightweight clothes. According to claim 9,
The control unit,
When processing in a standard course, the laundry treatment device rotates the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction. According to claim 10,
The control unit,
When processing in the first laundry treatment course, the circulation fan rotates at a lower speed than in the standard course. cabinet;
a drum provided inside the cabinet, accommodating clothes, and having a plurality of communication holes formed on the rear surface;
a circulation passage part disposed below the drum to circulate the air of the drum and provided with a heat exchanger and a circulation fan;
A rear plate including a circulation preventing part provided at the rear of the drum to communicate with the circulation passage part, a duct part for guiding the air discharged from the circulation passage part to the rear surface of the drum, and provided on one side in a first direction with respect to the central axis of the drum in the duct part, and formed such that the depression depth of the duct part is reduced;
In the method for controlling a laundry treatment apparatus including a driving unit supported by the rear plate to provide power for rotating the drum,
A method of controlling a laundry treatment apparatus for controlling rotation of the drum in the first direction. According to claim 12,
The clothes treatment device,
Further comprising a humidity sensor for detecting the moisture content of the clothes accommodated in the drum,
The method of controlling the laundry treatment device,
When the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is lower than the first humidity, rotating the drum in the first direction;
and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is higher than the first humidity. According to claim 12,
By rotating the drum to detect the amount of laundry,
When the amount of fabric is less than the first amount of fabric, rotating the drum in the first direction;
and rotating the drum in a second direction opposite to the first direction when the amount of fabric is greater than the first amount of fabric.

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