KR20230111119A - Apparatus for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

This specification discloses a laundry treatment apparatus. In one embodiment, a laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes, a base disposed under the drum, and a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air, wherein the base includes a circulation flow path unit circulating air in the drum and in which the first heat exchanger is disposed, and a water collecting unit communicating with the circulation path unit to collect water condensed in the first heat exchanger, wherein the water collecting unit has a space in which water is stored. A water collecting body to be formed, a pump including a rotating body for transporting the water to the outside of the water collecting body, a water collecting cover covering an open upper surface of the water collecting body and including a first portion disposed around the rotating body, an air hole formed in the first portion, and a protrusion extending downward from the water collecting cover and at least a portion of which intersects the extending direction of the air hole.

Description

Clothes processing device {APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE}

The present invention relates to a laundry treatment device.

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.

This will be described with reference to Fig. 1 (a). A conventional 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.

It will be described with further reference to FIG. 1(b). The base 5 of the conventional dryer includes a motor installation part 531 in which a motor part 34 can be installed, a circulation passage part 520 through which the air of the drum 2 flows, and a compressor installation part 532 for installing a compressor outside the circulation passage part 520, and a collecting part 534 for collecting water condensed in the circulation passage part 520. An evaporator fixing part 524 to which an evaporator is fixed and a condenser fixing part 523 to which a condenser is fixed are provided in the circulation passage part 520 . Water condensed in the evaporator fixing unit 524 may be collected in the water collecting unit 534 through the communication hole 551 .

The compressor installation unit 532 should be installed as close to the circulation passage unit 520 as possible to reduce heat loss of the refrigerant. The water collecting unit 534 needs to be installed as close to the circulation passage unit 520 as possible to receive the condensed water. In addition, the motor unit 34 is provided with a considerable volume to generate power for rotating the drum 2, and the change of the installation position is limited to rotate the drum 2 with a belt. Therefore, the motor installation unit 531 had no choice but to occupy a specific area or more in the base 5 on one side of the circulation passage unit 520, and the arrangement order was determined prior to the compressor installation unit 532 and the water collecting unit 534. There is a problem that cannot but be determined. Therefore, the compressor installation unit 532 and the water collection unit 534 can only be installed avoiding the motor installation unit 531, and in the base 5, the circulation passage unit 520 and the motor installation unit 531. It can only be installed in an area other than 531.

Since the compressor 61 must also occupy a certain volume or more, there is a problem in that the compressor installation part 532 and the water collecting part 534 cannot be disposed along the extension direction (eg, forward and backward direction) of the circulation passage part 520. At this time, since the water collecting part 534 should be disposed immediately adjacent to the circulation passage part 520, there is a problem that the water collecting part 534 must be disposed between the compressor installation part 532 and the circulation passage part 520.

As a result, there is a fundamental problem in that a sufficient amount of condensed water cannot be collected because the water collector 534 cannot be installed with a certain volume or more.

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 drive unit 3 is fixed to the rear surface of the cabinet 1 and the rotation shaft of the drive unit 3 is coupled with the drum 2 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.

The dryer described in FIG. 2 does not have a motor unit installed on the base. Therefore, there is an advantage in that space utilization of the base is higher. For example, since the driver 3 is not located on the base, the area occupied by the water collector can be increased. Accordingly, the volume of the water collection unit can be increased. However, it is not known how to utilize the widened catchment area and what problems may arise as a result of the widened catchment area.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of stabilizing the flow of water in a water collector accommodating condensed water.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of reducing generation of vortices caused by water flow in a water collection unit accommodating condensed water.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of preventing a water level sensor that detects the water level of a water collector accommodating condensed water from erroneously detecting the water level due to bubbles generated by vortexes.

One object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus capable of solving the problem of erroneous water level detection caused by bubbles generated by cavitation of a pump.

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 rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes, a base disposed under the drum, and a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air, wherein the base includes a circulation flow path unit circulating air in the drum and in which the first heat exchanger is disposed, and a water collecting unit communicating with the circulation path unit to collect water condensed in the first heat exchanger, wherein the water collecting unit has a space in which water is stored. A water collecting body to be formed, a pump including a rotating body for transporting the water to the outside of the water collecting body, a water collecting cover covering an open upper surface of the water collecting body and including a first portion disposed around the rotating body, an air hole formed in the first portion, and a protrusion extending downward from the water collecting cover and at least a portion of which intersects the extending direction of the air hole.

In one embodiment, the protrusion may be formed in a substantially arc shape, and one side of the protrusion may extend radially inward to form a closed surface.

In one embodiment, the protrusion may extend to a position lower than the bottom of the air hole.

In one embodiment, the protruding part may start at an upstream side of the air hole and extend in a downstream direction based on a rotational flow direction of water flowing through the water collecting body.

In one embodiment, the water collecting cover may include a pump support portion that is recessed downward and supports the pump, and the protrusion may be formed on a bottom surface of the pump support portion.

In one embodiment, the protruding portion may be formed in an area that does not deviate from the bottom surface of the pump support part.

In an embodiment, the air hole may include a first air hole and a second air hole formed in a direction opposite to the first air hole, and the protrusion may include a first guide protrusion formed adjacent to the first air hole and disposed to cross the extension direction of the first air hole, and a second guide protrusion formed adjacent to the second air hole and disposed to cross the extension direction of the second air hole.

In one embodiment, the first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion may be provided in point symmetry with each other.

In one embodiment, the protruding portion may include a portion whose protruding height decreases as the distance from the air hole increases.

In one embodiment, the protrusion may be formed to be curved in a radially inward direction.

In one embodiment, the water collecting cover may include a water collecting cover body closing the open upper surface of the water collecting body, a rotating body cover member that accommodates at least a portion of the rotating body, forms at least a portion of the first portion, and is coupled to the collecting cover body, a first air groove may be formed on a bottom surface of the collecting cover body, and a second air groove forming the air hole in combination with the first air groove may be formed in the rotating body cover member.

In one embodiment, a hollow may be formed in a coupling surface between the collecting cover body and the rotating body cover member.

In one embodiment, the hollow may be formed along the coupling surface.

In one embodiment, the water collecting cover body and the rotating body cover member may be bonded by thermal fusion.

In one embodiment, the circumference of the water collecting body is formed in a substantially circular shape,

The base may further include a connection passage extending in a tangential direction around the water collecting body and communicating with the circulation passage part.

In one embodiment, the connection passage is formed on one rear side of the water collecting body, and the one side may be a side where the water collecting body faces the circulation passage part.

In one embodiment, the base may further include a washing passage portion provided at an upper portion of the circulation passage portion to receive the water from the pump and discharge the water to the first heat exchanger.

In one embodiment, the water collecting part is provided biased to one side from the center of the base, and the water collecting part is provided at a position close to the inner direction among the inner and outer directions of the base. It may further include a sensor.

In one embodiment, a side panel constituting the cabinet is disposed on one side of the water collecting unit and the circulation passage part is disposed on the other side, and the water collecting part is provided at a position closer to the circulation passage part than the side panel. It may further include a sensor.

In one embodiment, the bottom area of the water collecting body is larger than the bottom area of the pump, and the pump may be located in a central area of the water collecting body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a laundry handling apparatus according to an embodiment includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes, a base disposed under the drum, and a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air, wherein the base includes a circulation passage unit circulating air of the drum and in which the first heat exchanger is disposed, and a water collector communicating with the air circulation passage unit to collect water condensed in the first heat exchanger, wherein the water collection unit stores water. A pump including a water collecting body forming a space for collecting water, a pump including a rotating body for transporting the water to the outside of the water collecting body, a pump support portion covering the open upper surface of the water collecting body, being recessed downward and supporting the pump, and a water collecting cover including a first portion disposed around the rotating body, an air hole formed in the first portion, and a protrusion extending downward from a bottom surface of the pump support portion and at least a portion of which intersects the extending direction of the air hole.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a laundry handling apparatus according to an embodiment includes a cabinet, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes, a base disposed under the drum, and a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air, wherein the base includes a circulation passage part circulating air of the drum and in which the first heat exchanger is disposed, and a water collecting part communicating with the circulation passage part and collecting water condensed in the first heat exchanger. A water collecting body forming a space to be stored, a pump including a rotating body for transporting the water to the outside of the water collecting body, a water collecting cover covering an open upper surface of the water collecting body and including a first portion disposed around the rotating body, an air hole formed in the first portion, a water level sensor positioned outside the first portion, and a protrusion extending downward from the water collecting cover and at least a portion of which is positioned between the air hole and the water level sensor.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the water flow of the water collecting unit accommodating condensed water may be stabilized.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the generation of vortices due to the water flow in the water collection unit accommodating the condensed water, and to suppress the generation of bubbles due to the vortexes.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a water level sensor that senses the water level of a water collector accommodating condensed water from erroneously detecting the water level due to bubbles generated by vortexes.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to solve the problem of erroneous detection of the water level caused by bubbles generated by cavitation of the pump.

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 illustrates an appearance of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 schematically illustrates the interior of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating internal components constituting the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, separated from each other.
6 illustrates a base and a rear plate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a perspective view illustrating a base portion and side panels of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the duct cover and the collecting cover in the base of FIGS. 6 and 7 by being separated from the base.
9 shows the base of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention.
10 is a perspective view showing a base in a state in which all components installed on the base are removed.
11 is a top view showing a base in a state in which all components installed on the base are removed.
FIG. 12 shows a cross section of DD of FIG. 11 viewed from the right side.
FIG. 13 shows a cross section of CC of FIG. 11 viewed from the front.
FIG. 14 shows a view from the right side of a section along BB of FIG. 9 (a).
15 is a perspective view of a water collection cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
16 is a bottom perspective view of a water collecting cover according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a problem in which a water level sensor causes erroneous detection in a conventional laundry treatment apparatus.
18 is a bottom view of the water collecting cover.
19 shows the direction of condensate flow by arrows.
20 to 23 are views for explaining a method of coupling a collecting cover body and a rotating body cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention:
20 is an exploded perspective view of a water collection cover body and a rotating body cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention.
21 is a perspective view of the rotating body cover member according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from the bottom.
22 and 23 are diagrams explaining that the first coupling portion of the water collecting cover body and the second coupling portion of the rotary cover member are thermally fused.
FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view of the line EE of FIG. 9 to describe a pump applied to a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a cross-section of the line FF of FIG. 9 .
26 is a view showing a bottom surface of a water collection cover according to another 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 top surface, a side panel 140 forming the side surface, and a rear plate 420 forming the rear surface (see FIG. 2). 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. Inside the cabinet 100, a controller 190 may be installed to control the internal configuration to execute a control command input through the input unit 118. The control unit 190 may be connected to components inside the laundry handling 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 (not shown) 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 (not shown) may filter air discharged from the drum 200 to prevent foreign substances from accumulating inside the laundry treatment machine. In addition, the filter unit (not shown) 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 and the second heat exchanger 920 may be installed spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.

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 in the circulation passage unit 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 (not shown) may be installed in the duct connection unit 416 to prevent foreign materials from entering the circulation passage unit 820 by filtering foreign materials or lint from the air discharged from the drum 200 .

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. 2) in which condensate generated during 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 950 operates, air introduced into the intake duct 821 may be discharged to the upper part of the blower 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 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 reducer 600 may be provided to connect the motor unit 500 and the drum 200. 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 200 .

The rear plate 420 may include a rear panel 421 facing the drum rear surface 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 provided by being pushed backward from the rear panel 421 . The duct part 423 may be provided to partially accommodate the rear surface 220 of the drum.

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 on the rear surface 220 of the drum. 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 220 of the drum.

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 .

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 can prevent hot air from being intensively supplied to only a specific portion of the drum 200 by reducing the speed of the hot air.

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 portion 4233, the overall shape of the duct portion 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 200 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 surface 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 to contact both the drum rear surface 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 apparatus, continuous friction is applied to the seal 450 by the rear surface 220 of the drum. Therefore, it is preferable that the sealing unit 450 is made of a material capable of sealing between the drum rear surface 220 and the moving unit 4231 without deteriorating its performance even with frictional force and frictional heat generated by rotation.

7 is a perspective view illustrating a base portion and side panels of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the duct cover and the collecting cover in the base of FIGS. 6 and 7 by being separated from the base. It will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 .

The base 800 includes a circulation passage part 820 . The circulation passage part 820 is provided on one side of the base 800 and circulates air in the drum 200 . On the other side of the base 800, a device installation unit 810 may be provided to provide a space in which components required for the operation of the laundry treatment device are installed. The device installation unit 810 may be provided outside the circulation passage unit 820 .

A compressor 930 may be installed in the device installation unit 810 . The compressor 930 compresses the refrigerant required for heat exchange. The compressor 930 constitutes the heat exchange unit 900 together with the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920, and compresses the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the air inside the drum 200.

A controller 190 may be installed on the device installation unit 810 . The controller 190 may be provided as a control box. The controller 190 controls the compressor 930 and the motor unit. The controller 190 may be installed on the base 800 and firmly supported. In addition, connection lines connecting the control unit 190 and components controlled by the control unit 190 may also be firmly supported by the base 800 .

The base 800 may include a water collector 860 . The water collector 860 is provided to be spaced apart from the compressor 930 . The water collecting part 860 is provided to be spaced apart from the circulation passage part 820 . The water collecting unit 860 collects the condensed water generated in the circulation passage unit 820 . The water collecting unit 860 may be disposed between the compressor 930 and the circulation passage unit 820 . As another example, the water collector 860 may not be disposed between the compressor 930 and the circulation passage unit 820, but may overlap with the compressor 930 in the front-back direction.

The water collecting unit 860 may include a water collecting body 862 forming a space in which condensed water is collected. The circumference of the water collecting body 862 is formed in a substantially circular shape. The water collecting unit 860 may further include a water collecting cover 863 for shielding the open upper surface of the water collecting body 862 . A structure vulnerable to moisture may be installed around the water collector 860 . Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the condensed water collected in the water collecting body 862 from scattering to the outside. The water collecting cover 863 is coupled to the water collecting body 862 to prevent condensed water from leaking to the upper surface of the water collecting body 862 .

The water collecting unit 860 may include a pump 880 that moves the condensed water collected inside the water collecting body 862 to the outside. In order for the pump 880 to perform its function, the inside of the water collecting body 862 must be sufficiently sealed. The water collecting cover 863 seals the inside of the water collecting body 862 to increase reliability of the pump 880 .

The water collecting cover 863 may include a water collecting cover body 8631 forming a shielding surface of the water collecting body 862 . In addition, the water collecting cover 863 may include at least one of a support body 8635 provided to support the water collecting cover body 8631 and a fastening hook 8636 provided to couple the water collecting cover body 8631 to the water collecting body 862.

The support body 8635 may protrude from the circumference of the water collecting cover body 8631 and be seated on the base 800 . The fastening hook 8636 may protrude from the water collecting cover body 8631. The fastening hook 8636 may firmly fix the water collecting cover body 8631 to the water collecting body 862. The fastening hook 8636 may be inserted into and fixed to a hook hole to be described later.

Condensed water generated in the circulation passage part 820 is collected inside the water collecting body 862 . Since the upper surface of the water collecting body 862 is open, condensed water may be scattered to the outside. However, since the water collecting body 862 is located adjacent to the control unit 190 and the compressor 930, etc., when the condensed water is scattered to the outside of the water collecting body 862, mechanical devices may malfunction. The water collecting cover 863 can prevent the condensed water from scattering by shielding the open upper surface of the water collecting body 862 using the water collecting cover body 8631, and the support body 8635 and the fastening hook 8636 can firmly fix the water collecting cover body 9631 to the water collecting body 862. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a failure of the device due to scattering of the condensed water.

In addition, in order for the pump 880 to operate normally, it is preferable to seal the inside of the space through which the pump 880 drains water. Since the water collecting cover 863 can be firmly coupled to the water collecting body 862 using the support body 8635 and the fastening hook 8636, the space in which the condensed water is stored can be easily sealed. As a result, operation reliability of the pump 880 may be improved. A sealing may be added to a portion where the water collecting cover 863 and the water collecting body 862 are coupled to improve airtightness of the space.

The water collecting cover 863 is provided to seal the inside of the water collecting body 862, and may be detachably provided from the water collecting body 862. Foreign substances such as lint included in the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 may flow into the water collecting body 862 . When foreign substances with large particles are introduced, a problem of interfering with the operation of the pump 880 may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the water collecting cover 863 to remove foreign matter introduced into the water collecting body 862 as needed. Accordingly, the water collecting cover 863 may be detachably provided from the water collecting body 862 . At this time, there is an effect that the water collecting cover 863 can be easily removed from the water collecting body 862 by using the fastening hook 8636 .

That is, in a general use environment, the support body 8635 and the fastening hook 8636 firmly shield the open upper surface of the water collecting body 862 to prevent condensate from scattering to the outside. On the other hand, when it is necessary to remove the water collecting cover 863 to remove foreign substances stacked on the water collecting body 862, the water collecting cover 862 can be easily removed using the fastening hook 8636.

The water collecting cover 863 may include a pump support part 8634. The pump support part 8634 is provided so that the pump 880 is inserted through the water collecting cover body 8631. The water collecting cover 863 may include a drain passage 8637. The drain passage 8637 protrudes upward from the water collecting cover body 8631 and may be provided in a pipe shape communicating the inside and outside of the water collecting body 862.

A pump 880 provided to move the condensed water collected inside the water collecting body 862 to the outside of the water collecting body 862 may be installed in the pump support 8634 . When the pump 880 is operated, the condensed water stored in the water collecting body 862 may be discharged through the drain passage 8637.

A hose (not shown) may be connected to the drain passage 8637 to guide discharged condensed water to the outside of the water collecting body 862 . One end of the hose (not shown) may be coupled to the drain passage 8637, and the other end may be connected to the passage switching valve 870. The flow path conversion valve 870 is connected to the water storage tank 120 (see FIG. 3 ) by a hose (not shown) and may guide the condensed water collected in the water collecting body 862 to the water storage tank 120 .

The water collection cover 863 may further include a return passage 8638 spaced apart from the drain passage 8637 and communicating the inside and outside of the water collection body 862 . The return passage 8638 may be provided so that the water collecting body 862 and the water storage tank 120 communicate with each other. The return passage 8638 may guide water in the water storage tank 120 to the water collecting body 862 again.

The return passage 8638 may be connected to the water storage tank 120 through a hose (not shown). In order to prevent water from overflowing in the water storage tank 120, when the water storage tank 120 is full, the water stored in the water storage tank 120 may be moved back to the water collecting body 862 through a hose (not shown) connecting the water storage tank 120 to the return passage 8638. There is an effect of improving user convenience by reducing the frequency of draining water directly by the user.

A water level sensor 864 (see FIG. 15) may be installed in the water collection cover 863. Various types of sensors may be applied to the water level sensor 864 . In one embodiment, the water level sensor 864 may be provided with two electrodes. The water level sensor 864 may detect the level of the condensed water accommodated in the water collecting body 862 . The water level sensor 864 may be provided at a position closer to the circulation passage part 820 than the first side panel 141 . The water level sensor 864 may be provided at a position close to the inside direction and the outside direction of the base 800 . When the water level detection sensor 864 is located in the inner direction of the base 800, the full water level can be detected when the water level is relatively high compared to that provided in the outer direction.

A side panel 140 (refer to FIG. 3) forming a side surface of the cabinet 100 may be coupled to a side surface of the base 800 . The side panel 140 may include a first side panel 141 and a second side panel (not shown). The control unit 190 is installed on the device installation unit 810 and may be installed close to any one of the side panels 140 . The control unit 190 may correspond to a part that controls the overall operation of the laundry treatment apparatus. Therefore, many cases of inspecting or repairing the control unit 190 may occur. When the control unit 190 is provided adjacent to the first side panel 141, the user can access the control unit 190 by removing only the first side panel 141. Therefore, there is an effect of increasing the ease of maintenance.

When the first side panel 141 is removed, various components such as the compressor 930 and the controller 190 can be easily accessed, so the first side panel 141 can be referred to as a service panel. 5 shows a state in which the device installation unit 810 is located on the left side of the base 800 and can access the control unit 190 when the first side panel 141 is removed. However, it is not limited to this, and if the circulation passage part 820 is formed on the left side and the device installation part 810 is formed on the right side, the second side panel (not shown) is removed to control the controller 190 or the compressor 930, etc. It will be possible to repair and inspect.

Meanwhile, the circulation passage part 820 may further include a duct cover part 830 positioned above the circulation passage part 820 to form a passage through which the air discharged from the drum 200 moves. The duct cover part 830 may be coupled to the open upper surface of the circulation passage part 820 .

The upper surfaces of the inlet duct 821 and the moving duct 822 are open, and air may flow in and out through the open upper surfaces. The duct cover 830 may shield the open upper surface of the moving duct 822 . Therefore, the duct cover part 830 allows the air of the drum 200 to flow in through the inlet duct 821, and prevents the air introduced into the inlet duct 821 from flowing out through the open upper surface of the moving duct 822. That is, the duct cover portion 830 may form one surface of a flow path for guiding air introduced through the inflow duct 821 to the discharge duct 823 . The discharge duct 823 may include a blower 8231 for discharging air to the outside of the discharge duct 823 . The blower 8231 may discharge air that has passed through the inlet duct 821 and the moving duct 822 to the outside of the discharge duct 823 .

The blowing unit 8231 may provide a space in which a circulation fan 950 circulating air inside the drum 200 is installed. The circulation fan 950 increases the circulation speed of air by forcibly flowing air, and has an effect of shortening the required time by increasing the drying speed of clothes. When the circulation fan 950 rotates, air may flow in such a way that air is discharged through an opening formed on an upper side of the blowing unit 8231 . The air discharged from the blower 8231 is introduced into the drum 200 again and can be used to dry clothes. As the circulation fan 950, various types of fans may be applied. For example, a sirocco fan may be applied so that air is introduced in the rotation axis direction and air is discharged in the radial direction. However, it is not limited thereto, and various fans may be used to generate the air flow for design purposes.

The duct cover unit 830 may include a communication cover body 8312 coupled to the upper side of the inlet duct 821 and a shielding cover body 8311 coupled to the upper side of the moving duct 822 . The shielding cover body 8311 may extend from the communication cover body 8311, and the shielding cover body 8311 may be integrally provided with the communication cover body 8312.

The communication cover body 8312 may include an intake communication hole 8314 communicating the drum 200 and the intake duct 821 . Even when the communication cover body 8312 is coupled to the inlet duct 821, the inlet communication hole 8314 may guide air discharged from the drum 200 to the inlet duct 821.

Since the shielding cover body 8311 can shield the upper surface of the movable duct 822, the air introduced into the inlet duct 821 does not flow out of the circulation passage part 820 through the movable duct 822, and can be guided to the discharge duct 823.

The shielding cover body 8311 may include a washing passage part 833 provided on an upper surface through which water may flow. The washing passage unit 833 may receive water and inject the water toward the first heat exchanger 910 located below the duct cover unit 830 .

A cover through-hole 8313 vertically penetrating the shield cover body 8311 may be provided at a downstream side of the washing passage part 833 . Water moving along the washing passage part 833 may be sprayed to the lower side of the shield cover body 8311 through the cover through hole 8313 . A first heat exchanger 910 for dehumidifying air discharged from the drum 200 may be provided below the cover through-hole 8313 . Accordingly, water passing through the cover through-hole 8313 may be sprayed toward the first heat exchanger 910 to clean the first heat exchanger 910 .

A nozzle cover unit may be coupled to an upper side of the washing passage unit 833 . The nozzle cover part 840 (see FIG. 6 ) may shield the open upper surface of the washing passage part 833 . The nozzle cover part 840 can prevent air moving along the moving duct 822 from leaking through the cover through-hole 8313 . In addition, the nozzle cover part 840 may cover the upper surface of the washing passage part 833 to prevent water moving along the washing passage part 833 from being scattered to the outside.

The duct cover part 830 may include cover mounting hooks 8391 formed along the circumference. Further, the circulation passage unit 820 may include a duct protrusion 824 protruded along the circumference and provided to be fastened with the cover mounting hook 8391. The cover mounting hook 8391 may be coupled to the duct protrusion 824 to couple the duct cover part 830 to the circulation passage part 820 . That is, the duct cover portion 830 may be firmly fastened to the duct protrusion 824 by using the cover mounting hook 8391 while being seated around the inlet duct 821 and the moving duct 822 . A seal is added to the contact surface between the duct cover part 830 and the circulation passage part 820 to prevent air from leaking from the inside of the circulation passage part 820 to the outside.

The circulation passage unit 820 may further include a duct filter (not shown) provided in front of the first heat exchanger 910 to filter foreign substances in the air passing through the inlet duct 821 . A duct filter (not shown) is disposed between the inlet duct 821 and the first heat exchanger 910 to prevent foreign matter from being deposited on the front surface of the first heat exchanger 910, thereby improving the drying efficiency and heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger 910. When foreign substances are stacked on the duct filter (not shown), circulation of air passing through the inlet duct 821 and the moving duct 822 may be hindered. In order to solve the above problem, the washing passage unit 833 may spray water toward the duct filter (not shown) to remove foreign substances stacked on the duct filter (not shown) by water pressure. However, for convenience of description, the following description will focus on a laundry treatment apparatus provided with a duct filter (not shown) omitted.

The circulation passage unit 820 may further include a water cover 826 provided between the first heat exchanger 910 and the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 . The water cover 826 may be provided to be supported by the moving duct 822 . The water cover 826 may be positioned below the first heat exchanger 910 and provided to support a lower surface of the first heat exchanger 910 . The water cover 826 may support the first heat exchanger 910 spaced apart from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 . The water cover 826 may support the first heat exchanger 910 at a distance from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 to form a space between the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 and the water cover 826 .

In the first heat exchanger 910, water vapor discharged from the drum 200 is condensed to generate condensed water. If the condensate is not discharged from the inside of the laundry treatment apparatus and remains, there is a problem in that odor is generated or drying efficiency is reduced. To this end, it is necessary to collect the condensed water while being separated from the first heat exchanger 910 or the second heat exchanger 920 and discharge the collected condensed water. Condensed water may flow to the water collector 860 along the space formed by the water cover 826 .

The flow path switching valve 870 changes the flow path through which the condensed water collected in the water collector 860 moves. The pump 880 may be connected to the flow path conversion valve 870 through a hose (not shown). The water stored in the water collecting body 862 may be moved by the pump 880 to the flow path conversion valve 870 . The flow path conversion valve 870 may guide the moved water through various paths.

The passage conversion valve 870 is connected to the washing passage part 833 to move water to the washing passage part 833 . The water guided to the cleaning passage part 833 may be used to clean the first heat exchanger 910 . The flow path conversion valve 870 is connected to a water supply source to selectively supply water to the washing flow path part 833 . The water supply source may include a water collector 860 . The flow path conversion valve 870 is connected to the water collecting part 860 through a hose and may guide the water collected in the water collecting part 860 to the washing flow path part 833 .

The flow path conversion valve 870 may guide the water collected in the water collector 860 to the water storage tank 120 (see FIG. 3). The flow path conversion valve 870 is connected to the water storage tank 120 by a hose (not shown) and may guide the condensate moved from the water collecting body 862 to the water storage tank 120 . The user can withdraw the water storage tank 120 in which the condensed water is stored and drain the water directly.

The flow path conversion valve 870 may be controlled by the control unit 190. The flow path conversion valve 870 may operate differently depending on when the laundry treatment device is operated. For example, when the operation of the first heat exchanger 910 is all over in the drying cycle, the control unit 190 may control the flow path conversion valve 870 to guide the condensed water to the washing flow path unit 833. In addition, when the cleaning of the first heat exchanger 910 is finished, the control unit 190 may control the flow path conversion valve 870 to guide the condensed water to the storage tank 120 .

9 shows the base of the laundry treatment apparatus of the present invention.

9(a) shows a state in which the above-described collection cover and the duct cover unit are coupled to the base viewed from above. (b) of FIG. 8 shows a state in which the water collecting cover and the duct cover are removed from the base viewed from above.

In a conventional laundry treatment apparatus, a motor unit generating power for rotating a drum is provided in a space where the water collecting unit 860 is located on the drawing. The motor unit has a structure for rotating the drum using a pulley or a belt. In addition, the water collecting body for storing condensate on the limit of the physical space is disposed between the compressor 930 and the circulation passage part 820. Therefore, the amount of condensed water that can be accommodated is small, and accordingly, there is a problem in that the user has to empty the water storage tank (120, see FIG. 3) in which the condensed water is stored frequently.

However, since the motor unit 500 is spaced apart from the base 800 and disposed at the rear of the drum 200 as in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the condensate is stored in the space of the existing motor unit 500. The water collecting unit 860 may be disposed.

The driving unit is disposed at the rear of the drum 200 and is spaced apart from and separated from the base 800 . That is, since the driving unit is disposed above the base 800, the base 800 can have as much space as the space in which the driving unit can be installed.

Therefore, the base 800 of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can increase the capacity of the water collecting body 862 for storing condensed water, and can store a larger amount of condensed water in the water collecting body 862. Therefore, when cleaning the first heat exchanger 910, since a larger amount of water can be used, the cleaning can be performed more efficiently. In addition, since the amount of condensed water that can be accommodated inside is increased, the frequency with which the user has to empty the water storage tank 120 to discharge the condensed water is reduced. That is, there is an effect of increasing user convenience.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 9 , the water collection unit 860 may be arranged to overlap at least a portion of the compressor installation unit 811 in the front-back direction, but may not overlap the compressor installation unit 811 in the left-right direction. The water collecting unit 860 may not share a space in the width direction disposed between the cabinet 100 and the circulation passage unit 820 with the compressor installation unit 811 . As a result, the water collecting part 860 may be provided so that one side faces the circulation passage part 820 and the other side faces the first side panel 141 of the cabinet 100 . Compared to the prior art, the water collecting unit 860 has an increased occupied area and volume. The water collecting unit 860 may fully utilize most of the area of the base 800 disposed between the cabinet 100 and the circulation passage unit 820 .

The water collecting unit 860 can store more condensed water because the volume of the water collecting body 862 is increased. Accordingly, the user can reduce the frequency of emptying the condensed water. Therefore, there is an effect of increasing user convenience.

The width of the inlet duct 821 may be greater than that of the movement duct 822 . Accordingly, one end of the inlet duct 821 is disposed parallel to the moving duct 822, but the other end of the inlet duct 821 may protrude and extend toward the side panel 140 or the control unit 190 of the cabinet 100 or the direction where the water collector 860 is disposed on the side of the moving duct 822. Accordingly, the water collector 860 may be disposed such that at least a portion of the inflow duct 821 overlaps in the front-back direction. A part of the water collector 860 may overlap with the inlet duct 821 in the front-back direction, and the remaining part of the water collector 860 may be disposed not to overlap with the inlet duct 821 in the front-back direction. As a result, the water collection unit 860 may be disposed between the inlet duct 821 and the compressor installation unit 811 . The controller 190 may be disposed to face the first side panel 141 of the cabinet 100 at one side of the water collector 860 .

It can be seen that the water collection unit 860 is disposed between the control unit 190 and the circulation passage unit 820 . The water collector 860 may have one side facing the circulation passage unit 820 and the other side facing the control unit 190 .

The area of the water collector 860 may be larger than that of the compressor 930 or the area of the compressor installation unit 811 . Since the area of the water collector 860 is enlarged, it may be larger than the area of the pump 880 . The area or diameter of the pump 880 may be smaller than the area of the compressor 930 or the area of the compressor installation unit 811 .

The water collecting body 862 may be recessed in the base 800 to have a wider area than the area of the pump 880 . As a result, the water collecting body 862 may secure a space for storing water or a passage through which water moves along the circumference of the pump 880 .

The water collector 860 may be disposed between the opening 111 of the cabinet 100 and the compressor installation unit 811 . The width of the circulation passage part 820 may be longer than half of the width of the base 800 . The width of the water collector 860 may be longer than that of the compressor installation part 811 . The length of the water collector 860 in the front and rear direction may be longer than the length of the compressor installation unit 811 in the front and rear direction. The length of the controller 190 in the front-back direction may be larger or wider than the diameter of the water collector 860 . The control unit 190 may overlap with at least one of the water collecting unit 860 and the compressor installation unit 811 in the width direction. The length of the controller 190 in the front and rear direction may be longer than that of the water collector 860 in the front and rear direction.

A duct cover part 830 may be coupled to an upper side of the circulation passage part 820 , and a washing passage part 833 may be formed on an upper surface of the duct cover part 830 . A cover through-hole 8313 may be formed at a downstream side of the washing passage part 833 so that water flowing through the washing passage part 833 can be sprayed to the first heat exchanger 910 .

A flow path switching valve 870 may be coupled to an upstream end of the washing flow path unit 833 . The passage switching valve 870 may selectively supply water toward a plurality of passages formed in the washing passage part 833 . The flow path conversion valve 870 may receive water from the water collector 860 and supply water to the washing flow path part 833 .

Condensate generated in the drying process may be used to wash the first heat exchanger 910 . A water collecting cover 863 may be coupled to an upper surface of the water collecting body 862 to prevent internal water from scattering to the outside. Since the water collecting body 862 is larger than the pump 880, the water collecting cover 863 may be provided to seal a space between the pump 880 and the water collecting body 862. Here, the sealing can be understood as a concept including maintaining a level at which the pump 880 can discharge water stored in the water collecting body 862 by maintaining different pressures inside and outside the water collecting cover 863 .

The water collecting cover 863 is provided with an area corresponding to that of the water collecting body 862 . The area of the water collecting cover 863 may be larger than that of the pump 880 . Therefore, the pump 880 may be coupled to the water collecting cover 863, and the water collecting cover 863 may be coupled to the water collecting body 862 or the base 800 to be fixed to the water collecting body 862.

The pump 880 for moving water to the flow path conversion valve 870 is provided to penetrate the water collecting cover 863 and may be installed inside the water collecting body 862 . Although not shown in the drawing, the pump 880 may be connected to the flow path conversion valve 870 through a connection pipe such as a hose.

When cleaning of the first heat exchanger 910 is required, the pump 880 may move condensed water stored in the water collecting body 862 to the flow path switching valve 870, and the flow path switching valve 870 may supply water to the washing flow path portion 833 to wash the first heat exchanger 910.

Referring to (b) of FIG. 9 , the base 800 in a state in which the water collecting cover 863 and the duct cover 830 are removed can be confirmed. The water collecting body 862 may include a cover support surface 8625 on which the support body 8635 of the water collecting cover 863 is seated. The cover support surface 8625 is formed by being recessed in the upper surface of the base 800 . In addition, the water collecting body 862 may include a hook hole 8626 into which the fastening hook 8636 of the water collecting cover 863 is inserted.

The support body 8635 may be seated on the cover support surface 8625 and firmly fixed through a separate fastening member. The fastening hook 8636 may be inserted into the hook hole 8626 and coupled thereto. The fastening hook 8636 is made of an elastic material and can be firmly supported by being inserted into the hook hole 8626.

The water collecting cover 863 is firmly coupled to the upper surface of the water collecting body 862 to prevent the condensate collected inside the water collecting body 862 from scattering to the controller 190 or the compressor 930 . Therefore, there is an effect of preventing a failure from occurring due to condensed water.

Meanwhile, the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 may be accommodated and disposed in the front-rear direction in the circulation passage part 820 from which the duct cover part 830 is removed. A water cover 826 supporting the first heat exchanger 910 may be provided below the first heat exchanger 910 .

10 is a perspective view showing a base in a state in which all components installed on the base are removed. 11 is a top view showing a base in a state in which all components installed on the base are removed.

It will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 . The base 800 may include a circulation passage part 820 provided on one side to circulate air inside the drum and a device installation part 810 provided on the other side to provide a space in which devices necessary for the operation of the laundry treatment machine are installed.

The base 800 may include a water collector 860 provided to communicate with the circulation passage part 820 and collecting condensed water generated in the circulation passage part 820 . The water collecting unit 860 may include a water collecting body 862 forming a space in which water is stored. The water collecting body 862 may be formed by being depressed downward in the base 800 . The water collecting bottom surface 8622 forming the water storage surface of the water collecting body 862 in which water is stored may be formed to be recessed downward in the device installation part 810 . The water collecting side surface 8623 forming the side wall of the water collecting body 862 may connect the water collecting bottom surface 8622 to be recessed in the base 800 .

The water collecting bottom surface 8622 may include a guide surface 86222 and a guide surface 86222. The guide surface 86222 is formed on one surface facing the pump 861 and may be formed parallel to the ground. The guide surface 86222 may obliquely extend upward from the inlet surface 86221 toward the water collecting side surface 8623.

Condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 by the guide surface 86222 may generate a rotational flow in the direction of an arrow shown in the drawing. Since rotational flow occurs using the guide surface 86222, foreign substances such as lint mixed in the condensed water cannot move to the inlet surface 86221 by centrifugal force and may accumulate close to the collecting side surface 8623. When foreign substances reach the inlet surface 86221, they may enter the pump 861 and cause damage to the pump 861. Therefore, the guide surface 86222 has an effect of preventing foreign substances from entering the pump 861 by generating the flow of the condensed water described above.

A control unit 190 for controlling the operation of the laundry treatment apparatus may be installed in a direction away from the circulation passage unit 820 from the water collector 860 . The base 800 may include a control box installation unit 813 providing a space in which the control unit 190 is installed. The control box installation unit 813 may include a groove provided to be recessed downward in the device installation unit 810 . The control unit 190 may be coupled to the base 800 in a manner that is fitted into a groove provided in the control box installation unit 813.

The control box installation part 813 may refer to all one side of the base 800 that comes into contact with the control unit 190 . The control box installation unit 813 may refer to one side of the device installation unit 810 facing the control unit 190 . That is, when the control unit 190 installed on the base 800 is projected onto the base 800 from the upper side, the projection surface of the control unit 190 appearing on the base 800 can be defined as the control box installation unit 813.

The water collecting unit 860 may be disposed between the control box installation unit 813 and the circulation passage unit 820 . In addition, the control box installation unit 813 may be disposed to overlap the water collecting unit 860 in the left and right directions. Since the water collecting part 860 can be installed to be spaced apart from the circulation passage part 820, when the water collecting part 860 is disposed between the circulation passage part 820 and the control box installation part 813, there is an effect that the space of the base 800, excluding the space where the circulation passage part 820 is disposed, can be utilized more efficiently.

When the controller 190 is exposed to excessive moisture, errors or normal failures may occur. Therefore, stability of the controller 190 may be increased by disposing the control box installation unit 813 to be spaced apart from the circulation passage unit 820 provided to move wet steam. That is, by disposing the water collecting part 860 between the circulation passage part 820 and the control box installation part 813, there is an effect of preventing the control part 190 from being damaged.

In addition, the control box installation unit 813 may be positioned such that at least a portion overlaps with the collection guide unit 825 in the left and right directions. In addition, the control box installation unit 813 may be positioned such that at least a portion overlaps with the water collecting communication hole 827 in the left and right directions.

When the control box installation part 813 is positioned to overlap the collection guide part 825 or the water collection communication hole 827 in the left and right directions, it is connected to the water collection communication hole 827 and is positioned adjacent to the water collection part 860 for collecting water. In addition, when installed adjacent to the water collector 860, it may be installed adjacent to the pump 880.

The controller 190 may be connected to the pump 880 through a control line to control the pump 880 . Therefore, there is an effect that it is easy to connect the control unit 190 and the pump 880.

That is, a coupling protrusion protruding downward may be provided at the lower end of the control unit 190, and the coupling protrusion may be inserted into and fixed to a coupling groove provided in the control box installation unit 813. However, it is not limited to this method, and as long as the control unit 190 can be firmly fixed to the control box installation unit 813, it can be provided in various ways.

A cover support surface 8625 and a hook hole 8626 may be formed around the water collecting side surface 8623 to allow the water collecting cover 863 to be coupled thereto.

The base 800 may include a compressor installation part 811 providing a space in which the compressor 930 is mounted. The device installation unit 810 may include a compressor installation unit 811 . The compressor installation unit 811 may be disposed to overlap with the water collecting cover 863 in the front-back direction. Also, the compressor installation unit 811 may be located behind the water collecting cover 863. The compressor installation unit 811 may be formed to be recessed downward in the device installation unit 810 . The compressor installation unit 811 may be provided to support the lower surface of the compressor 930 .

The compressor installation unit 811 may be positioned to overlap the water collecting unit 860 in the front-back direction. In the conventional dryer, the space on the base 800 is narrow because the motor unit is installed on the base 800. Therefore, the water collection unit 860 had to be provided between the compressor installation unit 811 and the circulation passage unit 820. However, since the space between the compressor installation part 811 and the circulation passage part 820 was narrow, the amount of water that the water collecting body could accommodate was not sufficient. However, since the motor unit 500 is installed behind the drum 200 in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the space on the base 800 occupied by the motor unit can be utilized. The water collector 860 may be disposed in the front and rear directions with the compressor installation unit 811 .

Accordingly, the volume of the water collecting body 862 is increased so that more condensed water can be stored. Accordingly, the user can reduce the frequency of emptying the condensed water. Therefore, there is an effect of increasing user convenience.

The compressor installation unit 811 may be positioned to overlap with the second heat exchanger 920 (see FIG. 8) in the left and right directions. The refrigerant compressed by the compressor 930 (see FIG. 8 ) may be supplied to the second heat exchanger 920 to heat the circulation passage unit 820 . When the compressor installation unit 811 is positioned to overlap the second heat exchanger 920 in the left and right directions, the distance between the two components is reduced, so that heat loss from the refrigerant moving from the compressor 930 to the second heat exchanger 920 can be prevented from occurring. Therefore, there is an effect that the heat exchange efficiency can be increased.

The water collector 860 may overlap with the first heat exchanger 910 or the second heat exchanger 920 in the left-right or width direction. At least a portion of the water collector 860 may overlap the first heat exchanger 910 in the left-right direction. In general, condensed water is generated in the first heat exchanger (910). Accordingly, when the water collector 860 is positioned to overlap the first heat exchanger 910 in the left and right directions, the passage through which the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 moves can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent residual water from generating odors, algal blooms, and the like due to residual water.

The water collector 860 may be disposed so as not to overlap with the second heat exchanger 920 in a width direction or a left-right direction. For example, the water collector 860 may be disposed toward the first heat exchanger 910 rather than the second heat exchanger 920 . The water collector 860 may be disposed in front of the second heat exchanger 920 .

The compressor installation unit 811 may be located behind the water collecting unit 860 . Compressor 930 may generate noise during operation. Therefore, when the compressor installation unit 811 is disposed at the rear of the user, it is possible to prevent the noise of the compressor from being transmitted to the user. That is, if the compressor installation unit 811 is disposed at the rear, user convenience can be improved.

When the water collector 860 is located in the front, a distance between the water collector 860 and the first heat exchanger 910 may be reduced. When washing the first heat exchanger 910, the condensed water collected in the water collecting body 862 can be used. When the distance between the first heat exchanger 910 and the water collecting part 860 becomes closer, the length of the hose connecting the two components can be shortened.

The moving duct 822 may include a moving bottom surface 8221 provided to face the second heat exchanger 920 . The movable bottom surface 8221 may be provided to support the second heat exchanger 920 .

The base 800 further includes a collection guide part 825 formed on the bottom surface of the circulation passage part 820 facing the first heat exchanger 910 and guiding the condensed water to the water collecting part 860, and the compressor installation part 811 may be located behind the collection guide part 825.

The collection guide unit 825 may perform a function of preventing condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 installed at the upper portion from remaining in the lower portion and guiding the condensed water toward the water collector 860 . The collection guide part 825 may extend from the lower side to the rear of the point where the first heat exchanger 910 is installed to a point located between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 . The collection guide 825 may be disposed in front of the movable floor 8221 .

The collection guide part 825 may include a guide slope 8251 provided to prevent condensed water from flowing backward toward the inlet duct 821 . The guide slope 8251 may connect the bottom surfaces of the inlet duct 821 and the moving duct 822 with a step. The guide slope 8251 may be provided on the front side of the collection guide 825 .

The guide slope 8251 may refer to a portion where the height of the bottom surface extending along the inlet duct 821 is rapidly lowered. The collection guide part 825 may extend backward from the guide slope 8251 .

The collection guide part 825 may include an extension step 8252 preventing condensed water from overflowing toward the second heat exchanger 920 . The extension step 8252 may be located between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 . The extension step 8252 may refer to a portion where the height of the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 increases stepwise. The extension step 8252 may be formed as a curved surface to guide the natural flow of the condensed water flowing therein in one direction toward the water collector 860 .

The water collecting communication hole 827 may communicate the circulation passage part 820 and the water collecting part 860 . The water collection communication hole 827 may guide the condensed water moving along the collection guide 825 to the water collection body 862 . The water collecting communication hole 827 may spatially connect the circulation flow path unit 820 and the water collecting body 862 . The water collector 860 is disposed closer to the first heat exchanger 910 than to the second heat exchanger 920 . Therefore, the water collection communication hole 827 may also be disposed closer to the first heat exchanger 910 than to the second heat exchanger 920 . As a result, the interval between the circulation passage part 820 and the water collecting part 860 can be further reduced and residual water can be prevented. In addition, since the condensed water is heated again by the second heat exchanger 920 and vaporized, there is an effect of preventing the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 920 from being reduced. Therefore, there is an effect of improving the drying efficiency. Meanwhile, the water collecting communication hole 827 may be located in front of the second heat exchanger 920 . When the water collecting communication hole 866 is located in front of the second heat exchanger 920 , condensed water moving along the collecting guide 825 may be prevented from coming into contact with the second heat exchanger 920 . The condensed water may be guided to the water collector 860 while being spaced apart from the second heat exchanger 920 .

The water collecting unit 860 may be disposed extending from the water collecting communication hole 827 in a downstream direction according to the flow of condensed water. The tangential direction of the water collecting body 862 may be parallel to the direction in which the water collecting communication hole 827 passes through the circulation passage part 820 . When water introduced from the water collecting communication hole 827 flows into the water collecting body 862 , it may be introduced into the pump 880 while being rotated and moved along the circumference of the water collecting body 862 .

The driving units 500 and 600 are provided to face the rear surface of the drum 200 and may be disposed above the water collecting unit 860, the compressor installation unit 811, and the circulation passage unit 820. Since the driving unit is disposed behind the drum 200, the water collecting unit 860, the control unit 190, and the compressor installation unit 811 may be disposed ahead of the driving unit.

Referring to FIG. 11 , an extension step 8252 may be inclined so that water moving along the collection guide 825 naturally moves toward the water collection communication hole 827 . In addition, the extension step 8252 may be provided with a curved surface. In other words, the extension step 8252 may be provided so that the distance away from the guide slope 8251 increases as it is provided closer to the water collecting communication hole 827.

The extension step 8252 may extend from one side of the moving duct 822 having the water collection communication hole 827 to the other side of the moving duct 822 .

The extended step 8252 may prevent water condensed in the collection guide 825 from contacting the condenser 920 . The height of the extension step 8252 may be equal to or higher than the height of the water collecting communication hole 827 . The shape of the extended step 8252 is not limited to the contents shown in the drawings or the above, and may be provided in various shapes. Meanwhile, the collection guide part 825 may include a guide bottom surface 8255 forming a bottom surface through which condensed water moves. The guide bottom surface 8255 may connect the guide slope 8251 and the extension step 8252. The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided with a smaller distance from the ground than the bottom surface of the inlet duct 821 . Accordingly, the condensed water moving on the guide bottom surface 8255 can be prevented from flowing back into the inlet duct 821.

The collection guide part 825 may include a guide partition wall 8256 preventing condensed water from overflowing toward the second heat exchanger 920 . The guide bulkhead 8256 may protrude upward from the guide bottom surface 8255. The condensed water flowing on the guide bottom surface 8255 may function as a partition wall to prevent overflow toward the second heat exchanger 920 due to the amount of air circulating through the circulation passage part 820 .

Since the second heat exchanger 920 serves to heat the air circulating therein, when the condensed water overflows toward the second heat exchanger 920, the condensed water may also be heated by the second heat exchanger 920 and vaporized. However, since the air that has passed through the second heat exchanger 920 is heated and supplied to the drum 200, and must be used to dry clothes, condensed water vaporizes and the humidity of the air supplied to the drum 200 increases. When the humidity increases, drying efficiency may be reduced. In addition, since the second heat exchanger 920 to heat the air to be supplied to the drum 200 exchanges heat with the condensed water, heat exchange efficiency is also reduced.

The guide partition wall 8256 may be formed parallel to the extension step 8252 . That is, the guide bulkhead 8256 may play a role of assisting the overflow prevention function of the condensed water performed by the extended step 8252 . The guide bulkhead 8256 may be provided by protruding from the guide bottom surface 8255 at a predetermined distance from the extension step 8252 . However, it is preferable to be provided close to the extension step 8252 in order to assist in preventing condensate from overflowing.

As described above, by preventing condensed water from overflowing to the outside of the collection guide part 825 by the guide partition wall 8256 and the extended step difference 8252, the heat exchange efficiency or the drying efficiency of the laundry machine may be improved. The guide bulkhead 8256 may be provided as one as shown in the drawing, but is not limited thereto and may be provided in plurality.

In addition, the guide bulkhead 8256 may form a receiving surface together with the extension step 8252 . A cover partition 8267 (see FIG. 13) of the water cover 826 may be inserted into the receiving surface. The cover partition wall 8267 may be inserted into the space between the guide partition wall 8256 and the extension step 8252 to couple the water cover 826 to the collection guide part 825.

The collection guide part 825 serves to guide the generated condensed water to the water collecting part 860 . A side wall of the moving duct 822 may be positioned between the water collection body 862 and the collection guide 825 . Accordingly, a water collecting communication hole 827 communicating between the collection guide 825 and the water collecting body 862 may be formed in the lower part of the side wall of the moving duct 822 to pass through the side wall of the moving duct 822.

The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided with a predetermined inclination (see FIG. 14 ) so that condensed water can flow toward the water collecting communication hole 827 by its own weight. The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided with a forward-rearward gradient so that the height of the guide bottom 8255 is lowered from the ground in the direction of the extension step 8252 from the guide slope 8251 . In addition, in the drawing, it may be provided to have a left-right gradient (see FIG. 13) so that the height spaced from the ground decreases as the water collector 860 approaches. In other words, the water collection communication hole 827 may be provided such that the distance from the ground is the lowest and the distance from the ground increases as the water collection communication hole 827 is farther away. As described above, when the guide bottom surface 8255 is provided to have a gradient, the condensate generated in the first heat exchanger will naturally move toward the water collection communication hole 827 as shown in the direction of the arrow shown in the drawing, and water remaining on the guide bottom surface 8255 can prevent various problems such as odor and drying efficiency reduction.

The water collecting body 862 may include a connection passage 8621 that connects the water collecting communication hole 827 to a space where water is stored. The connection passage 8621 may be stepped upward from the water collecting bottom surface 8622 . The connection passage 8621 may guide condensed water passing through the water collecting communication hole 827 to flow in the circumferential direction of the water collecting body 862 . The connection passage 8621 is formed at one rear side of the water collecting body 862 . The connection passage 8621 is formed between the water collecting body 862 and the circulation passage part 820 .

The connection passage 8621 may be provided outside the water collecting bottom surface 8622 in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the connection passage 8621 may connect the water collecting floor 8622 and the water collecting communication hole 827 with a step. However, it is not limited thereto, and the connection passage 8621 may be provided as an inclined surface connecting the water collecting communication hole 827 and the water collecting bottom surface 8622.

When the pump 880 operates due to the difference in height between the connection passage 8621 and the water collecting bottom surface 8622, condensate stored in the water collecting body 862 may be prevented from flowing backward to the collection guide 825. The connection passage 8621 is provided stepwise so as to be located above the pump 880, so that reverse flow of condensed water can be more effectively prevented.

The compressor installation unit 811 may be located behind the water collecting communication hole 827 . In addition, since the compressor installation unit 811 is installed behind the water collection communication hole 827, the distance between the collection guide unit 825 and the water collection unit 860 can be narrowed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent odor, green algae, and the like from occurring as condensed water remains between the collection guide unit 825 and the water collecting unit 860 .

Since the water collecting part 860 is located between the inlet duct 821 and the compressor installation part 811, the separation distance between the moving duct 822 where condensate is generated and the water collecting part 860 can be reduced, and since the point where condensation water is generated and the water collecting part 860 storing the condensed water can be placed adjacent to each other, problems caused by remaining condensed water can be prevented. Since the moving duct 822 extends in the front and rear directions of the laundry treatment apparatus, When the water collector 860 is spaced apart from the moving duct 822 in the width direction and the compressor installation unit 811 is spaced apart from the water collector 860 in the front-back direction, the space on the base 800 can be efficiently utilized.

At least a portion of the compressor installation unit 811 may overlap the discharge duct 823 in the left and right directions. Since the discharge duct 823 may be disposed on the rear side of the circulation passage unit 820, when the compressor installation unit 811 overlaps the discharge duct 823 in the left and right directions, the compressor installation unit 811 may also be located on the rear side of the base 800. Accordingly, the water collector 860 may be positioned in the space formed in front of the compressor installation unit 811, and the space occupied by the water collector body 862 is expanded, so that more condensed water can be stored.

The laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a front plate 410 (see FIG. 5 ), and the water collecting part 860 may be positioned between the front plate 410 and the compressor installation part 811 . Since the front plate 410 is located on the front side of the base 800 and the compressor installation part 811 can be located on the rear side of the base 800, when the water collecting part 860 is located between the front plate 410 and the compressor installation part 811, the condensate receiving capacity of the water collecting body 862 can be expanded.

The cabinet 100 may further include a first side panel 141 (refer to FIG. 7 ) forming a side surface, and the compressor installation unit 811 may be positioned between the first side panel 140 and the circulation passage unit 820 . In addition, it is installed on the base between the side panel 140 and the water collector 860, and further includes a controller 190 for controlling the motor unit 500, and at least a part of the compressor installation unit 811 is the controller 190. It can be located behind.

In the case of a conventional laundry treatment apparatus, since the motor unit 500 is installed on the base 800, a space for the controller 190 to be installed is not secured. Accordingly, there is a limitation that the control unit 190 can only be located on the upper side of the cabinet 100 . However, since the motor unit 500 is spaced apart from the base 800 and located behind the drum 200 in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 190 may be located on the base. Therefore, since the wires connecting the control unit 190, the compressor 930, the motor unit 500, etc. can be fixed to the base 800, problems such as disconnection due to interference by other components during operation of the laundry treatment machine can be prevented.

It is installed on the base 800, and is positioned between the drum 200 and the motor unit 500 to guide the air discharged from the circulation passage unit 820 to the drum 200. It may further include a rear plate 420 (see FIG. 4). Also, the compressor installation unit 811 may be disposed between the water collecting unit 860 and the rear plate 420 . Since the motor unit 500 is fixed to the rear plate 420, the water collecting unit 860 can be positioned in the front-rear direction with the compressor installation unit 811 as described above, thereby increasing the amount of condensed water that can be accommodated in the water collecting body 862. Since the compressor installation part 811 is disposed between the water collecting part 860 and the rear plate 420, the amount of condensed water that can be accommodated in the water collecting body 862 can be increased.

The control box installation unit 813 may be positioned to overlap the compressor installation unit 811 at least partially in the left-right direction. The control box installation unit 813 may be disposed in front of the compressor installation unit 811 . When the control box installation unit 813 and the compressor installation unit 811 are overlapped in the left and right directions, the space on the base 800 can be utilized more efficiently.

The compressor 930 may be connected to and controlled by the control unit 190 . Accordingly, the length of the control line connecting the control unit 190 and the compressor 930 can be shortened, and noise is reduced, thereby improving control reliability.

The control unit 190 (see FIG. 7 ) may be installed parallel to the first side panel 141 in the control box installation unit 813 . The control unit 190 may be installed in the control box installation unit 813 and provided in contact with the first side panel 141 . When the control box installation unit 813 is positioned between the circulation passage unit 820 and the first side panel 141, the space on the base 800 is more efficiently utilized, so the efficiency of space utilization can be improved. In addition, when the control box installation part 813 is located between the water collecting body 862 and the first side panel 141, a very narrow space formed between the water collecting part 862 and the side panel 141 can be utilized. Therefore, there is an effect of improving the efficiency of space utilization. Since the control unit 190 may be composed of a PCB substrate having a thin thickness, when the control unit 190 is installed side by side with the side panel 141 in the control box installation unit 813, there is an effect of utilizing the space located on the water collecting body 862 and the side panel 141.

When the controller 190 comes into contact with the first side panel 141 , the controller 190 may be supported by the first side panel 141 . Therefore, there is an effect of preventing the control unit 190 from being separated from the control box installation unit 813 due to vibration.

The collection guide 825 may be recessed from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 so as to have a lower height than the moving support surface 8254 . The collection guide part 825 may extend from the front of the moving duct 822 or the lower part of the first heat exchanger 910 or a region facing the lower part of the first heat exchanger 910 to the water collecting communication hole 827 . Accordingly, water condensed in the first heat exchanger 910 may be collected in the collection guide 825 and guided to the water collection communication hole 827 .

On the other hand, conventional dryers have limitations in that the width of the moving duct must be less than half of the width of the base due to the space occupied by the driving unit. However, since the laundry handling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention locates the drive unit behind the drum and utilizes the space occupied by the drive unit, the width of the moving duct through which air moves can be expanded. Accordingly, the width W1 of the moving duct 822 may be greater than or equal to half of the width W2 of the base.

The width W1 of the moving duct 822 may refer to a distance between side walls extending upward from the base 800 and forming a side surface of the moving duct 822 . The width W1 of the moving duct may mean a separation distance between side walls.

The width W1 of the moving duct 822 may be understood as a width including thicknesses of sidewalls provided on both sides of the moving duct 822 . That is, the width W1 of the moving duct may mean the maximum separation distance between the outer surface of the right wall and the outer surface of the left wall of the moving duct 822 . Also, the width W2 of the base may mean the distance between the left and right sides of the base.

Since the width W1 of the moving duct is expanded, the flow rate of air passing through the moving duct 822 for a unit time can be increased. Therefore, there is an effect of shortening the drying time by circulating the air inside the drum at a higher speed.

Also, as the width W1 of the moving duct increases, the widths of the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 installed in the moving duct 822 may also increase. Accordingly, the air moving along the moving duct 822 can be dehumidified more quickly in the first heat exchanger 910 and heated more quickly in the second heat exchanger 920 .

In other words, since the width W1 of the moving duct 822 is greater than half (W2/2) of the width of the base, the widths of the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 can be increased, and more air can be dehumidified and heated and supplied to the drum 200. Therefore, there is an effect of shortening the drying time and increasing the drying efficiency.

Meanwhile, the width W1 of the moving duct 822 may be greater than or equal to half of the width W3 of the front plate 410 (refer to FIG. 5). In addition, the width W1 of the moving duct 822 may be greater than or equal to half of the drum diameter W4 (see FIG. 5).

As described above, since the drive unit is spaced apart from the base 800 and located behind the drum 200, the width W1 of the moving duct 822 is half the width W3 of the front plate 410 or the drum 200. It may be provided larger than half of the diameter W4. Since the width W1 of the moving duct is increased, the flow rate of circulated air can be increased and the time required to dry clothes is shortened.

As described above, because of the space occupied by the moving duct in the conventional dryer, there is a limit to expanding the width of the moving duct. Therefore, it is difficult to arrange the moving duct to overlap with the rotational center of the drum in the height direction. However, in the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, as the motor unit 500 is spaced apart from the base 800 and disposed behind the drum 200, the moving duct 822 may be positioned to overlap the rotational center of the drum 200 in the height direction (Z-axis direction).

As the movable duct 822 overlaps the rotation center of the drum 200 in the height direction, the width of the movable duct 822 may be expanded. Accordingly, the flow rate of air passing through the moving duct 822 per unit time can be increased. Therefore, there is an effect of shortening the drying time by circulating the air inside the drum 200 at a higher speed.

In addition, since the rotational centers of the moving duct 822 and the drum 200 overlap in the height direction, the air moving along the circulation passage part 820 can move close to the rotational center of the drum 200 . Therefore, the air discharged from the circulation passage part 820 can be discharged close to the rotation center of the drum 200 . Therefore, compared to the fact that the air discharged from the circulation passage part 820 is discharged far from the rotation center of the drum 200, the hot air discharged from the circulation passage part 820 can be more evenly supplied to the drum 200. There is an effect.

The first heat exchanger 910 and/or the second heat exchanger 920 may be positioned to overlap the rotational center of the drum 200 in the height direction. As described above, when the moving duct 822 is positioned to overlap the rotational center M1 of the drum 200 in the height direction, the first heat exchanger 910 or the second heat exchanger 920 located inside the moving duct 822 may also be disposed to overlap the rotational center of the drum 200 in the height direction. Since the width of the first heat exchanger 910 or the second heat exchanger 920 can be increased, the amount of air that can be dehumidified or heated per unit time can be increased. Thus, drying time can be shortened and drying efficiency can be improved.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 11 , a structure in which condensed water collected in the circulation passage part 820 can flow into the water collecting part 860 while rotating will be described.

The water collection body 862 may include a flow path or collection space capable of storing water or moving water. The water collecting body 862 may have a larger diameter than the pump 880 (see FIG. 8 ), and the pump 880 may be disposed spaced apart from all inner circumferential surfaces of the water collecting body 862 .

The connection passage 8621 may be provided to supply water to the guide surface 86222 of the water collecting body 862 . That is, the connection passage 8621 is not connected to supply water toward the center of the water collecting body 862, but may be provided to supply water toward the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862. The connection passage 8621 may be provided to supply water toward the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 or between the outer circumferential surface of the pump 861 and the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 . Accordingly, water introduced through the connection passage 8621 can be moved from the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 toward the inlet surface 86221 while rotating the guide surface 86222 . As a result, water introduced into the water collecting body 862 may move toward the pump 861 while cleaning foreign substances.

The connection passage 8621 may be connected to the water collecting body 862 so as to supply water toward the outside of the projection space of the pump 861 along the vertical direction. The connection passage 8621 may be disposed so as not to face the center of the pump 861 .

The connection passage 8621 may be arranged to supply water in a tangential direction of the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 . The connection passage 8621 may prevent water from being supplied toward the inside of the water collecting body 862 .

The connection passage 8621 extends from one surface of the circulation passage part 820 in a direction away from the circulation passage part 820 . The connection passage 8621 extends laterally from one surface of the circulation passage part 820 . The water collecting body 862 may extend forward or backward from the end of the connection passage 8621.

The connection passage 8621 may be provided to be connected to one rear side or one front side of the water collecting body 862 . FIG. 11 shows that the connection passage 8621 is connected to one rear side of the water collecting body 862.

The water collecting body 862 may be provided with a lower height than the connection passage 8621, so that the bottom surface of the connection passage 8621 may be disposed higher than the bottom surface of the water collection body 862. The connection passage 8621 may be provided extending from the water collecting communication hole 827 toward between the outer circumferential surface of the guide surface 86222 and the outer circumferential surface of the inflow surface 86221 . An end of the connection passage 8621 may form a part of the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 .

A bottom surface of the connection passage 8621 may form a part of a side surface of the water collecting body 862, and an end of the connection passage 8621 connected to the water collecting body 862 may have a curvature corresponding to an inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862. Thus, water supplied to the connection passage 8621 can flow into the water collecting body 862 even by its own weight, and can flow into the inlet surface 86221 while rotating along the circumference of the guide surface 86222 in the water collecting body 862 due to the inclination of the guide surface 86222.

In addition, even when condensed water rotates along the inner circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862, the movement of water may not be hindered by the connection passage 8621 provided at a high level while being stepped.

FIG. 12 shows a cross section of line D-D in FIG. 11 viewed from the right side.

This will be described with reference to FIG. 12 . The collection guide part 825 includes an extension step 8252 extending stepwise from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 (which supports the second heat exchanger 910), a guide bottom surface 8255 extending from the extension step 8252 to the bottom of the first heat exchanger 910, and a guide extending from the guide bottom surface 8255 to the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 or the inlet duct 821. may include a slope 8251.

The moving duct 822 may include a guide bottom surface 8255 that is formed to be recessed downward and guides the condensed water to the water collector 860 . The collection guide part 825 may include a guide slope 8251 forming a front surface.

The bottom surface of the inlet duct 821 and the guide bottom surface 8255 may be connected by a guide slope 8251. The guide slope 8251 may be provided in a downward convex curve, or may be provided by extending downward in a stepwise manner from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 .

When the guide slope 8251 is stepped downward, a portion of the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 that is recessed downward and moves condensate may be defined as the guide bottom surface 8255 .

The guide bottom surface 8255 extends rearward from the guide slope 8251 and may be connected to the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 facing the second heat exchanger 920 with a stepped connection. That is, the guide bottom surface 8255 may be disposed at a lower position than the moving bottom surface 8221 . The collection guide part 825 may include an extension step 8252 forming a rear surface. The guide bottom surface 8255 may be connected to the moving bottom surface 8221 with a step difference by an extension step 8252.

The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided at a lower position than the bottom surface of the inlet duct 821 and the moving bottom surface 8221 . That is, among the guide bottom surface 8255, the bottom surface of the inlet duct 821, and the moving bottom surface 8221, the guide bottom surface 8255 may be positioned closest to the ground.

The extension step 8252 together with the guide slope 8251 may form a space in which the condensed water is accommodated in the collection guide part 825 .

The guide bottom surface 8255 may form a bottom surface of the collection guide part 825 that guides the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 to the water collecting part 860 . The collection guide part 825 may include a water collection communication hole 827 formed to pass through the sidewall of the moving duct 822 and communicate with the circulation passage part 820 and the water collecting part 860 . The water collecting communication hole 827 may be provided between the guide slope 8251 and the extension step 8252.

The distance between the extension step 8252 and the guide slope 8251 or the distance in the front-back direction may be shorter than the width or the length in the left-right direction of the guide bottom surface 8255.

The extension step 8252 may extend from one side of the moving duct 822 provided with the water collecting communication hole 827 to the other side of the moving duct 822 so as to be closer to the guide slope 8251 . As a result, water collected on the guide bottom surface 8255 can be quickly guided to the water collecting communication hole 827 .

In addition, between the guide slope 8251 and the extension step 8252, a guide partition wall 8256 may be provided to prevent condensed water protruding upward from the guide bottom surface 8255 and flowing on the guide bottom surface 8255 from overflowing to a point where the second heat exchanger 920 is installed.

The guide partition 8256 may be provided to be spaced apart from the extended step 8252 by a predetermined distance, and through this, the condensed water flowing through the collection guide part 825 is primarily prevented from overflowing towards the second heat exchanger 920 by the guide partition 8256, and can be prevented from overflowing again by the extended step 8252.

The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided so that the distance away from the ground decreases as it extends from the guide slope 8251 toward the extension step 8252 . That is, the guide bottom surface 8255 may be inclined downward toward the water collecting communication hole 827 . In other words, the guide bottom surface 8255 may have a gradient so that condensed water may move toward the water collection communication hole 827 by its own weight. An inclination in the front-rear direction formed by the guide bottom surface 8255 and the ground may be defined as a fourth inclination angle s4. The fourth inclination angle (S4, main inclination) may be provided more gently than the reference inclination at which water moves to the water collecting communication hole 827 more slowly than the reference time. For example, the main slope may be set to less than 5 degrees, and the reference time may be set to 3 seconds. The main slope S4 may be provided more gently than the auxiliary slope S3.

A moving support surface 8254 connected to the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 facing the second heat exchanger 920 with a stepped connection may be formed at an upper end of the extended step 8252 . The moving support surface 8254 may support the water cover 826 coupled to the upper side of the collection guide 825 .

FIG. 13 shows a cross section of line C-C in FIG. 11 viewed from the front.

Referring to FIG. 13 , as described above, the circulation passage part 820 may be provided on one side of the base 800 and the water collecting part 860 for collecting the condensed water generated in the circulation passage part 820 may be provided on the other side. The water collecting part 860 and the circulation passage part 820 may communicate with each other through a water collection communication hole 827 formed through a sidewall of the circulation passage part 820 .

The base 800 may include a connection passage 8621 connecting the water collecting body 862 and the water collecting communication hole 827 . A collection guide 825 may be formed on the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 to guide the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 to the water collector 860 .

The water collecting body 862 may be recessed in the base 800 so that the height of the bottom surface is lower than that of the collection guide 825 or the connection passage 8621 . The connection passage 8621 may be provided higher than the bottom surface 8622 of the water collecting body 862 . As a result, the collection guide part 825 has a height higher than that of the water collecting communication hole 827, and the water collecting part 860 has a height lower than that of the water collecting communication hole 827. Therefore, the occurrence of residual water in the moving duct 822 can be prevented.

A lower surface of the pump 880 may be disposed lower than the water collecting communication hole 827 . Accordingly, water remaining in the water collector 860 may be set to a minimum. The pump 861 may discharge water to a water level lower than the outer circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 or lower than the outer circumferential height of the guide surface 86222 when the water collecting part 860 detects a full water level.

The connection passage 8621 may be disposed inclined to decrease in height from the water collecting communication hole 827 to the outer circumferential surface of the water collecting body 862 . The inclination may correspond to the third inclination angle S3 or the fifth inclination angle S5. Accordingly, the water collected in the collection guide 825 may be collected in the water collection body 862 by its own weight.

The guide bottom surface 8255 forms the bottom surface of the collection guide part 825 . The guide bottom surface 8255 may be inclined so that condensed water can move to the water collection communication hole 827 by its own weight. The guide bottom surface 8255 may be provided so that the separation distance from the ground decreases as it approaches the water collecting communication hole 827 . That is, when the guide bottom surface 8255 moves away from the water collecting communication hole 827, the distance away from the ground may also increase. In other words, the guide floor surface 8255 may be inclined in a direction in which the height decreases as it approaches the water collection communication hole 827, and the condensate on the guide floor surface 8255 naturally moves to the water collection communication hole 827 by the gradient, and the condensate passing through the water collection communication hole 827 may be stored in the water collection body 862.

Among the inclinations between the guide bottom surface 8255 and the ground, an inclination formed in a direction from the collection guide 825 toward the water collecting body 862 may be defined as a fifth inclination angle s5. That is, an inclination formed by the guide bottom surface 8255 in the width direction with respect to the ground may be defined as a fifth inclination angle s5.

The fourth inclination angle s4 and the fifth inclination angle s5, which are the forward and backward inclinations of the guide floor surface 8255 defined in FIG. 14, allow condensed water moving on the guide floor surface 8255 to flow toward the water collection communication hole 827 without being stagnant at a specific location on the guide floor surface 8255. For example, the fifth inclination angle s5 may be provided with the same size as the fourth inclination angle s4, or may be provided with an angle larger or smaller than the fourth inclination angle s4.

The guide bottom surface 8255 may be connected in parallel to the connection passage 8621 through the water collecting communication hole 827 . The connection passage 8621 may be provided stepwise upward from the circumference of the collecting bottom surface 8622 forming the bottom surface of the water collecting body 862 and connected to the guide bottom surface 8255. Like the guide bottom surface 8255, the connection passage 8621 may be inclined with respect to the ground. Also, an inclination angle between the connection passage 8621 and the ground may be the same as the fifth inclination angle s5.

It extends from the guide bottom surface 8255 and can be connected to the connection passage 8621 through the water collection communication hole 827 in one surface. The water collecting bottom surface 8622 is formed stepwise downward from the one surface to store condensed water. The water collecting floor 8622 may be disposed at a lower position than the guide floor 8255.

The connection passage 8621 may be provided to contact the water collecting side surface 8623. The connection passage 8621 may be positioned between the water collecting side surface 8623 and the water collecting communication hole 827 . Accordingly, the connection passage 8621 may guide condensed water introduced through the water collecting communication hole 827 to flow along the water collecting side surface 8623 .

The connection passage 8621 may guide the condensed water passing through the water collection communication hole 827 to flow along the circumference of the water collection body 862 while passing through the upper surface of the connection passage 8621 without directly falling to the water collection bottom surface 8622. When the circumferential speed of the water collecting body 862 is accelerated while the condensed water passes through the connection passage 8621, the condensed water may rotate and flow along the circumference of the water collecting body 862.

When the condensate rotates and flows, foreign substances or lint contained in the condensate can be naturally deposited on the side. Since the foreign substances are not moved to the center where the pump is installed and deposited on the side surface by the rotational flow, it is possible to prevent errors in the operation of the pump due to foreign substances.

In addition, when the pump 880 is operated, the condensed water stored in the water collecting body 862 can be moved to the water collecting communication hole 827 by centrifugal force.

The connection passage 8621 guides the condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 through the water collecting communication hole 827 to move along the water collecting side surface 8623, and prevents the condensed water stored in the water collecting body 862 from flowing backward through the water collecting communication hole 827.

FIG. 14 shows a view taken from the right side of a cut plane along BB of FIG. 9 (a). FIG. 14 shows components such as a first heat exchanger 910, a second heat exchanger 920, a water cover 826, a duct cover 830, and a compressor 930 installed on the base 800 of FIG. 12. Accordingly, when looking at FIG. 14 , reference may be made to FIG. 12 . Hereinafter, the configuration added in FIG. 14 will be mainly described.

Referring to FIG. 14 , it can be seen that the water cover 826 is installed under the first heat exchanger 910 . The first heat exchanger 910 may be supported and installed on the water cover 826 . The water cover 826 is coupled to the open upper surface of the collection guide part 825. The water cover 826 may prevent the condensed water moving through the collection guide 825 from contacting the first heat exchanger 910 .

The water cover 826 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided to be spaced apart from the second heat exchanger 920 . The water cover 826 supports the first heat exchanger 910 but is provided to be spaced apart from the second heat exchanger 920 to prevent condensed water from vaporizing again near the second heat exchanger 920 .

Therefore, the condensed water can be effectively collected in the water collector 860, and the second heat exchanger 920 is prevented from exchanging heat with the condensed water, so that the heat exchange efficiency can be improved. In addition, as the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 920 increases, the drying efficiency of the entire laundry treatment apparatus increases.

The water cover 826 may be installed to be spaced apart from the guide bottom surface 8255 by being supported on the inlet support surface 8253 or the movement support surface 8254 formed on the collection guide part 825 . The shielding body 8263 of the water cover may be supported on a moving support surface 8254 formed on the upper side of the extension step 8252.

The water cover 826 is in contact with the lower side of the first heat exchanger 910, and may include a water permeable body 8261 that guides the condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 to the collection guide 825 and a shield body 8263 extending backward from the water permeable body 8261 to shield the open top surface of the collection guide 825.

The water-permeable body 8261 may include a blocking rib 8264 extending in a direction away from the first heat exchanger 910 in the water-permeable body 8261 . The blocking rib 8264 extends below the pitcher body 8261. The blocking rib 8264 is formed in front of the pitcher body 8261. The blocking rib 8264 may prevent air introduced through the inflow duct 821 from flowing into the collection guide part 825 without passing through the first heat exchanger 910 . A plurality of blocking ribs 8264 may be provided to be spaced apart from each other in the forward and backward directions. That is, the plurality of blocking ribs 8264 may be spaced apart from each other and sequentially disposed from the front to the rear.

A cover partition wall 8267 extending downward from the shield body 8263 may be disposed between the guide partition wall 8256 and the extension step 8252 . The cover partition wall 8267 can prevent the condensed water moving on the collection guide 825 by the air volume of the circulating air passing through the moving duct 822 from escaping from the collection guide 825 and overflowing toward the second heat exchanger 920. The cover partition wall 8267 can prevent condensed water from overflowing together with the guide partition wall 8256 located at the front and the extended step difference 8252 located at the rear.

On the other hand, since the width of the moving duct (W1, see FIG. 11) can be expanded to be greater than or equal to half the width of the base (W2, see FIG. 11), the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 installed therein can also be expanded.

As the widths of the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 are increased, the air moving along the circulation passage part 820 can be dehumidified or heated over a wider area. Therefore, even if the widths of the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 are slightly reduced, they can exchange heat with the same or larger amount of air compared to the conventional heat exchanger. As the front-rear width of the second heat exchanger 920 decreases, the separation distance L3 between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 9209 is greater than or equal to the front-rear width L2 of the second heat exchanger.

As the width W1 of the moving duct increases, the width of the second heat exchanger 920 may increase. In addition, as the width of the second heat exchanger 920 is increased, the width of the second heat exchanger 920 in the front-back direction is reduced, so that the distance between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 can be increased.

Since the separation space between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 is increased, condensed water generated in the first heat exchanger 910 may be prevented from contacting the second heat exchanger 920 . When the condensed water contacts the second heat exchanger 920, the second heat exchanger 920 exchanges heat with the condensed water, so heat exchange efficiency may decrease. However, as the space between the first heat exchanger 910 and the second heat exchanger 920 is expanded, the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 920 may be prevented from being reduced.

The second heat exchanger 920 heats air. Since a lot of energy is consumed to heat the air, increasing the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger 920 is an important part of increasing the overall efficiency of the dryer. However, as the contact area of the second heat exchanger 920 with components other than air increases, the amount of heat to be used to heat the air may be consumed. Accordingly, the second heat exchanger 920 may be installed to minimize an area in contact with other elements.

When the second heat exchanger 920 is installed on the moving duct 822, the lower surface may be provided to be supported by the moving duct 822. Therefore, when the area of the lower surface of the second heat exchanger 920 is reduced, heat loss of the second heat exchanger 920 due to heat conduction can be prevented. Therefore, the front-rear width L2 of the second heat exchanger 920 may be smaller than or equal to the front-rear width L1 of the first heat exchanger 910 . Accordingly, heat loss from the lower surface of the second heat exchanger 920 may be reduced. In addition, when the width L2 of the second heat exchanger is reduced, the separation distance L3 between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger increases, thereby preventing condensed water from contacting the second heat exchanger 920.

The diameter H3 of the circulation fan may be greater than or equal to the height H2 of the second heat exchanger. As the width of the moving duct 822 is increased, the amount of air moving along the circulation passage may be increased. The circulation fan 950 is provided with a larger diameter to increase the speed at which air circulates.

A water cover 826 coupled to the open upper surface of the collection guide 825 and supporting the first heat exchanger 910 to be spaced apart from the guide bottom surface 8255 may be coupled to the collection guide 825 . The water cover 826 may also be coupled to be spaced apart from the guide bottom surface 8255, and an inflow support surface 8253 on which the water cover 826 can be supported may be formed on the left and right sides of the front of the collection guide part 825. The inflow support surface 8253 may be provided on a sidewall of the moving duct 822 and may be recessed so that the water cover 826 is firmly supported.

A moving support surface 8254 may be provided at the rear of the collection guide 825 to support the water cover 826 from the rear. The moving support surface 8254 may extend rearward from an upper end of the rear bulkhead to form a support surface. The moving support surface 8254 may be formed stepwise downward from the bottom surface of the moving duct 822 where the second heat exchanger 920 is installed in consideration of the thickness of the water cover 826 . The water cover 826 may be supported from the front and rear by the inlet support surface 8253 and the moving support surface 8254, and may support the first heat exchanger 910 spaced apart from the guide bottom surface 8255.

15 is a perspective view of a water collection cover 863 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15 , the water collecting cover 863 constituting the water collecting part 860 will be described in detail.

The water collecting unit 860 (see FIG. 8 ) includes a water collecting cover 863 and a water collecting body 862 .

The water collecting cover 863 covers the open upper surface of the water collecting body 862 . The water collecting cover 863 sufficiently seals the inside of the water collecting body 862 .

The water collecting cover 863 includes a water collecting cover body 8631. The water collecting cover body 8631 forms a shielding surface for shielding the water collecting body 862 .

At least one of a support body 8635 and a fastening hook 8636 is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the water collection cover body 8631 . The support body 8635 supports the water collecting cover body 8631. The support body 8635 is seated on the cover support surface 8625 of the water collecting body 862. The fastening hook 8636 may firmly fix the water collecting cover body 8631 to the water collecting body 862. Since the water collecting cover 863 can be firmly coupled to the water collecting body 862 using the support body 8635 and the fastening hook 8636, the space in which the condensed water is stored can be easily sealed.

A pump support part 8634 is formed in the middle of the water collecting cover body 8631. The pump support 8634 may be formed in a substantially circular shape. The pump support part 8634 is formed by being depressed in the plane of the water collecting cover body 8631. Since the pump support part 8634 is recessed, the pump 880 can be positioned close to the bottom surface of the water collecting body 862.

A through hole 86321 is formed in the center of the pump support part 8634. Water may be introduced through the through hole 86321. A drain passage 8637 is formed in the pump support portion 8634. The drain passage 8637 protrudes upward from the pump support part 8634. The drain passage 8637 extends to a position higher than the plane of the water collecting body 862 . The drain passage 8637 may be provided in a pipe shape. The drain passage 8637 may be formed at a position biased from the center of the pump support part 8634 to one side.

The water collecting cover 863 includes a sensor installation part 8633 in which a water level sensor 8639 (see FIG. 16) is installed. A water level sensor 864 is installed in the sensor installation unit 8633. The water level sensor 864 may be composed of two electrodes. The water level sensor 864 may be a sensor that determines that the water level is full when current flows through the two electrodes. The sensor installation unit 8633 may include a first sensor installation unit 8633a and a second sensor installation unit 8633b. The first sensor mounting portion 8633a is located radially inner than the second sensor mounting portion 8633b. When the water collecting cover 863 is coupled to the water collecting body 862, the sensor installation unit 8633 is provided at a position closer to the inner direction among the inner and outer directions with respect to the base 800. A location where the sensor installation unit 8633 is located may be at an end of the flow direction of the condensate flowing into the water collecting body 862 . In other words, the sensor installation unit 8633 may be positioned at a portion where the condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 and the condensed water rotating and flowing inside the water collecting body 862 meet. The sensor installation unit 8633 may be provided downstream of the water stream rotating and flowing through the water collecting body 862 at a location where the water collecting cover 863 faces the connection passage 8621 .

The water collection cover 863 includes a rotating body cover member 8632. The rotary body cover member 8632 is provided below the pump support part 8634. The rotating body cover member 8632 accommodates at least a portion of the rotating body 887 of the pump 880.

16 is a bottom perspective view of the water collecting cover 863 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

A first reinforcing rib 86319 is formed on the lower surface of the water collection cover body 8631. The first reinforcing ribs 86319 may be formed in a shape in which horizontal ribs and vertical ribs are orthogonal to each other. The first reinforcing rib 86319 may be formed to protrude from the lower surface of the water collecting cover body 8631 at a predetermined height.

A second reinforcing rib 86349 is formed on the lower surface of the water collecting cover body 8631. The second reinforcing rib 86349 connects the side surface of the pump support part 8634 and the bottom surface of the water collecting cover body 8631. The second reinforcing rib 86349 serves to support the pump 880 so that it does not droop downward even when the water collecting cover 863 supports the pump 880 . A plurality of second reinforcing ribs 86349 may be formed.

A cover member coupling portion 8631a protrudes from the bottom of the pump support portion 8634 at a predetermined height. The cover member coupling portion 8631a is coupled to the coupling portion 8632a of the rotary cover member 8632. A portion in which the cover member coupling portion 8631a and the coupling portion 8632a are combined may be defined as a first portion 86311. The first part 86311 is a part located in the lateral direction of the rotating body 887 of the pump 880. The first part 86311 is a part disposed around the rotating body 887 of the pump 880.

Air holes 86348, 86348a, and 86348b (see FIGS. 15 and 23) are formed in the first portion 86311. The air hole 86348 serves to discharge bubbles generated by cavitation caused by the rotation of the rotating body 887. Through the air hole 86348, air formed in the space where the rotating body 887 is accommodated may be discharged to the space where the condensed water of the water collecting body 862 is stored.

Bubbles discharged through the air hole 86348 meet with condensate collected in the water collecting body 862 to generate bubbles. FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a problem in which a water level sensor causes erroneous detection in a conventional laundry treatment apparatus. As referenced through FIG. 17 , as bubbles have adhesive force, there is a problem in that the water level LEVEL is detected as full water level by the adhesive force of bubbles even though it is not the full water level. In addition, a vortex caused by a water flow may be formed in the water collector 860 . For example, the vortex may be formed at a portion where the condensed water flows into the water collecting body 862 and a portion where the condensed water turning the water collecting body 862 meets each other. Vortex can generate bubbles. Bubbles generated by the vortex cause the above-mentioned problem of falsely detecting the full water level.

18 is a bottom view of the water collecting cover 863. 19 shows the flow of condensed water with arrows. It will be described with further reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 together with FIG. 16 . According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more of a first protrusion 86391, a second protrusion 86392, a third protrusion 86393, a fourth protrusion 86394, and a guide protrusion 86341 are included. By combining one or more of the first protrusion 86391, the second protrusion 86392, the third protrusion 86393, the fourth protrusion 86394, and the guide protrusion 86341, the problem of erroneous detection of the full water level due to bubbles can be alleviated or prevented.

The guide protrusion 86341 is located between the water level sensor 864 and the air hole 86348. The guide protrusion 86341 is formed to protrude downward from the water collecting cover 863. More specifically, the guide protruding portion 86341 is formed to protrude downward from the bottom surface of the pump support portion 8634. The guide protrusion 86341 is formed in an area that does not deviate from the bottom surface of the pump support part 8634. At least a portion of the guide protrusion 86341 is formed to cross the extension direction of the air hole 86348. The guide protrusion 86341 extends to a position lower than the bottom of the air hole 86348. The guide protrusion 86341 prevents air bubbles discharged from the air hole 86348 from going to the water level sensor 864.

The guide protrusion 86341 is generally formed in an arc shape. The guide protrusion 86341 may be formed to be curved in a radially inward direction. One side of the guide protrusion 86341 extends inward in the radial direction to form a closed surface 86341-1a, and the other side is open to allow air bubbles to move. An extension direction from the one side of the guide protrusion 86341 to the other side is the same as the flow direction of the condensate. Based on the flow of water flowing through the water collecting body 862 (marked by an arrow), the guide protrusion 86341 starts upstream of the air hole 86348 and extends downstream. The guide protrusion 86341 extends in the same direction as the rotational flow direction of the condensed water stream.

The guide protrusion 86341 includes a portion whose protrusion height decreases as the distance from the air hole 86348 increases. As the protruding height of the guide protrusion 86341 is lowered, a space communicating with the water collecting body 862 is widened, and air bubbles sufficiently guiding the flow can join condensed water flowing through the water collecting body 862 .

A plurality of air holes 86348 may be formed. According to the embodiment, the air hole 86348 may include a first air hole 86348a and a second air hole 86348b. The second air hole 86348b may be formed on the opposite side of the first air hole 86348a. The guide protrusion 86341 includes a first guide protrusion 86341-1 and a second guide protrusion 86341-2. The first guide protrusion 86341-1 is formed adjacent to the first air hole 86348a and may be disposed to cross the extending direction of the first air hole 86348a. The second guide protrusion 86341-2 is formed adjacent to the second air hole 86348b and may be disposed to cross the extension direction of the first air hole 86348b.

The first guide protrusion 86341-1 and the second guide protrusion 86341-2 may have point-symmetrical shapes. The direction (A) of water flow including air bubbles guided by the first guide protrusion 86341-1 and the second guide protrusion 86341-2 has the same rotational direction. The flow direction of the discharged air bubbles is the same as the rotation direction B of the water flow in the water collecting body 862 . Thereby, generation and regeneration of air bubbles are suppressed. In addition, the rotational flow of the condensed water is made more smooth so that foreign substances or lint contained in the condensed water can be naturally deposited on the side surface.

A first electrode 864a is installed in the first sensor installation part 8633a. A second electrode 864b is installed in the second sensor installation part 8633b. When water touches the first electrode 864a and the second electrode 864b, the water level sensor 864 detects that the water collector 860 is at a full water level.

A first protrusion 86391 is formed between the first sensor installation portion 8633a and the second sensor installation portion 8633b. In order for the water level sensor 864 to sense that the water level is full, water must come into contact with both the first electrode 864a and the second electrode 864b. The first protrusion 86391 prevents bubbles from the first electrode 864a from being transferred to the second electrode 864b. The first protrusion 86391 may be bent toward the direction where the second electrode 864b is located in the upstream direction of the water flow. The first protrusion 86391 may prevent bubbles B swept away by the water stream from contacting the second electrode 864b. The first protrusion 86391 can prevent air bubbles from contacting the second electrode 864b, thereby preventing an erroneous detection of the full water level.

The second protrusion 86392 is formed in an area where the condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 and the condensed water rotating inside the water collecting body 862 join together. The second protrusion 86392 starts from the edge of the water collecting cover 863 and is formed to curve toward the center of the water collecting cover 863 inward. The second protrusion 86392 is generally formed in an arc shape. The second protrusion 86392 starts from the outside of the second sensor installation part 8633b and extends curvedly in the direction of the rotational flow of condensate. The second protrusion 86392 guides the flow of condensed water to flow in the circumferential direction of the water collecting body 862 . In addition, the second protrusion 86392 guides the condensed water that has rotated inside the water collecting body 862 to maintain the rotational flow. The second protrusion 86392 guides the condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 and the condensed water rotating inside the water collecting body 862 to merge in an area where the same water flow is formed.

The flow rate of the condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 is generally fast. On the other hand, the flow rate of the condensed water that has rotated the water collecting body 862 is relatively slow. When a water flow with a fast flow rate and a water flow with a slow flow rate meet, vortices may be formed, and bubbles may be generated by the vortex. The second protrusion 86392 may move a confluence section of the flow of condensed water flowing into the water collecting body 862 and the water flow of the condensed water that has rotated the water collecting body 862 to the downstream to eliminate generation of vortex.

The third protrusion 86393 prevents bubbles from upstream of the water stream from contacting the first electrode 864a. The third protrusion 86393 is located upstream of the first sensor mounting portion 8633a in the water flow direction. The third protrusion 86393 prevents the rotating water flow from directly contacting the first electrode 864a. The third protrusion 86393 may prevent bubbles rotating along the water flow from contacting the first electrode 864a. The third protrusion 86393 may be inclined with respect to an imaginary straight line connecting the first electrode 864a and the second electrode 864b. The third protrusion 86393 may be inclined in a direction of guiding water to flow toward the inside of the water collecting body 862 .

The fourth protrusion 86394 is installed upstream of the third protrusion 86393. The fourth protrusion 86394 branches the rotational water flowing into the water level sensor 864. The fourth protrusion 86394 guides the flow rate of the water flow toward the third protrusion 86393 to increase. The water flow with a higher flow rate in the fourth protrusion 86394 may remove bubbles stagnant in the third protrusion 86393. The fourth protrusion 86394 may extend in the rotational flow direction of the condensed water. The fourth protrusion 86394 may be formed to be curved inward of the water collecting cover 863 .

20 to 23 are diagrams for explaining a method of coupling the collecting cover body 8631 and the rotating body cover member 8632 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

20 is an exploded perspective view of a water collection cover body 8631 and a rotating body cover member 8632 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 21 is a perspective view of the rotary cover member 8632 viewed from the bottom according to an embodiment of the present invention. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21 .

A pump through-hole 86345 is formed in the central region of the water collecting cover body 8631. More specifically, a pump through-hole 86345 is formed in the central region of the pump support portion 8634. The drain passage 8637 is spaced apart from one side of the pump through hole 86345. The first coupling portion 86346 protrudes outward from the pump through hole 86345 and the drain passage 8637. The first coupling part 86346 is formed on the pump support part 8634. A guide protrusion 86341 is formed outside the first coupling portion 86346. Recessed first air grooves 86349a and 86349b are formed in the first coupler 86346. In an embodiment, two first air grooves 86349a and 86349b are formed. The first air groove 86349a is combined with the second air grooves 86329a and 86329b to be described later to form air holes 86348a and 86348b. The first air grooves 86349a and 86349b include a 1-1 air groove 86349a and a 1-2 air groove 86349b. The 1-1 air groove 86349a is combined with the 2-1 air groove 86329a to form a first air hole 86348a (see FIG. 24). The 1-2nd air groove 86349b is combined with the 2-2nd air groove 86329b to form a second air hole 86348b (see FIG. 24).

A through hole 86321 is formed in the rotating body cover member 8632. The through hole 86321 may be located on a vertical extension of the pump through hole 86345. The rotating body cover member 8632 includes a rotating body accommodating portion 86322 and an extension portion 86325. The rotating body accommodating portion 86322 forms a space for accommodating the rotating body 887 of the pump 880. The extension portion 86325 is a portion extending from the rotating body accommodating portion 86322 toward the drain passage 8637. Condensed water flowing from the water collecting body 862 through the through hole 86321 to the rotating body accommodating part 86322 is discharged to the drain passage 8637 through the extension part 86325.

The rotating body cover member 8632 includes an extension portion 86323. The extension portion 86323 is formed by extending from the rotating body accommodating portion 86322 and the extension portion 86325. A second coupling portion 86326 is formed on the bottom of the extension portion 86323. The second coupling portion 86326 and the first coupling portion 86346 may be fused to each other. In the second coupling part 86326, recessed second air grooves 86329a and 86329b are formed. In an embodiment, two second air grooves 86329a and 86329b are formed. The second air grooves 86329a and 86329b include a 2-1 air groove 86329a and a 2-2 air groove 86329b. The 2-1 air groove 86329a is combined with the 1-1 air groove 86349a to form a first air hole 86348a. The 2-2nd air groove 86329b is combined with the 1-2nd air groove 86349b to form a second air hole 86348b.

22 and 23 are views explaining that the first coupling portion 86346 of the water collecting cover body 8631 and the second coupling portion 86326 of the rotary cover member 8632 are heat-sealed. This will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23 .

The first coupling portion 86346 and the second coupling portion 86326 are heated to a temperature slightly higher than the melting temperature by using the hot plate H. When the first coupling portion 86346 and the second coupling portion 86326 are sufficiently melted, the hot plate H is removed. After the hot plate H is removed, the first coupling portion 86346 and the second coupling portion 86326 are mutually pressurized and then cooled until they are hardened.

A first hollow portion 86327 and a second hollow portion 86328 are formed on both sides of the first coupling portion 86346 as a center.

A third hollow portion 86347 and a fourth hollow portion 86348 are formed on both sides of the second coupling portion 86326 as a center. The first hollow forming portion 86327 and the third hollow forming portion 86347 are combined with the first coupling portion 86346 and the second coupling portion 86326 fused to each other to form the first hollow portion 86344a. The second hollow forming portion 86328 and the fourth hollow forming portion 86348 are combined with the first coupling portion 86346 and the second coupling portion 86326 fused together to form the second hollow portion 86344b.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the first coupling portion 86346 of the water collecting cover body 8631 and the second coupling portion 86326 of the rotary cover member 8632 are heat-sealed, there is no need to provide a separate sealing member.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E of FIG. 9 to describe a pump applied to a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 25 is a cross-section of the line F-F of FIG. 8; A pump 880 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 and 25 .

The pump 880 includes a pump motor 882 and a rotating body 887. The pump 880 may be supported by the water collecting cover 863. The pump 880 may be supported by the pump support part 8634 of the water collecting cover 863.

The pump motor 882 provides power to rotate the rotating body 887. The pump motor 882 is accommodated inside the pump housing 881. The pump motor 882 includes a pump motor rotor 883 and a pump motor stator 884. A rotating shaft 885 is coupled to the pump motor rotor 883. The rotating shaft 885 is coupled to the pump motor rotor 883 to rotate. The pump motor stator 884 generates a rotating magnetic field. The pump motor rotor 883 includes a plurality of magnets with N poles and S poles alternately arranged. The pump motor rotor 883 may be rotated by the pump motor stator 884 . The pump motor 882 may be provided as an inner rotor type.

A rotating shaft 885 of the pump motor 882 may be exposed to the outside of the pump housing 881 . A pump sealing member 888 is provided at a portion where the rotary shaft 885 is exposed from the pump housing 881. The pump sealing member 888 protects the pump motor 882 by preventing water from penetrating into the pump housing 881 .

The rotating body 887 discharges water to the drain passage 8637. The drain passage 8637 is connected to the passage switching valve 870 by a hose (not shown). When the pump motor 882 operates, the water collected in the water collecting body 862 is discharged through the drain passage 8637.

Due to the rotation of the rotating body 887, bubbles due to cavitation are generated around the rotating body 887. Air bubbles need to be evacuated. The generated air bubbles are discharged through the air holes 86329a and 86329b. The discharged air bubbles move while being guided by the first guide projection 86341-1 and the second guide projection 86341-2 as described above.

26 is a view showing the bottom surface of the water collecting cover 863 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Focus on explaining the differences. 15 to 25, the air hole 86329 is formed at two locations as an example, but the air hole 86329 may be formed at one location. As the number of air holes 86329 is adjusted, the number of guide protrusions 86341 may also be adjusted. One guide protrusion 86341 may be formed near the air hole 86329. A description of the guide protrusion 86341 and the air hole 86329 is replaced with the above description.

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 (22)

cabinet;
a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes;
a base disposed under the drum; and
A first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling the air; includes,
The base is:
a circulation flow path portion in which air of the drum is circulated and the first heat exchanger is disposed;
A water collection unit communicating with the circulation passage unit and collecting water condensed in the first heat exchanger;
The catchment unit:
a water collecting body forming a space in which water is stored;
a pump including a rotating body transferring the water to the outside of the water collecting body;
a water collecting cover covering the open upper surface of the water collecting body and including a first part disposed around the rotating body;
an air hole formed in the first portion; and
and a protrusion extending downward from the water collecting cover and at least a portion of which intersects an extending direction of the air hole. According to claim 1,
The protrusion is generally formed in an arc shape,
One side of the protruding portion extends inward in a radial direction to form a closed surface. According to claim 1,
The protruding part extends to a position lower than the bottom of the air hole. According to claim 1,
The protruding part starts upstream of the air hole and extends downstream of the air hole based on a rotational flow direction of water flowing through the water collecting body. According to claim 1,
The collecting cover,
It is recessed downward and includes a pump support for supporting the pump,
The protruding part is formed on the lower surface of the pump support part. According to claim 5,
The protruding part is formed in an area that does not deviate from the bottom surface of the pump support part. According to claim 1,
The air hole,
a first air hole; and
Including a second air hole formed in the opposite direction of the first air hole,
the protrusion,
a first guide protrusion formed adjacent to the first air hole and disposed to cross an extending direction of the first air hole; and
and a second guide protrusion formed adjacent to the second air hole and disposed to cross an extending direction of the second air hole. According to claim 7,
The first guide protrusion and the second guide protrusion are provided in point symmetry with each other. According to claim 1,
The protruding portion includes a portion in which a protruding height decreases as the distance from the air hole increases. According to claim 1,
The protrusion is formed to be curved in a radially inward direction. According to claim 1,
The collecting cover,
a water collecting cover body closing the open upper surface of the water collecting body;
A rotating body cover member accommodating at least a portion of the rotating body, forming at least a portion of the first portion, and coupled to the collecting cover body;
A first air groove is formed on the bottom surface of the water collecting cover body,
The laundry treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second air groove forming the air hole is formed in combination with the first air groove in the rotating body cover member. According to claim 11,
The clothes handling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a hollow is formed in a coupling surface between the collecting cover body and the rotating cover member. According to claim 12,
The hollow is formed along the coupling surface. According to claim 11,
The clothes handling apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the water collection cover body and the rotating body cover member are bonded by thermal fusion. According to claim 1,
The circumference of the water collecting body is formed in a substantially circular shape,
The base is
and a connection passage extending in a tangential direction around the water collecting body and communicating with the circulation passage part. According to claim 15,
The connection passage is formed on one rear side of the water collecting body,
The one side is the side where the water collecting body faces the circulation passage part. According to claim 1,
The base is
The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a washing passage part disposed above the circulation passage part to receive the water from the pump and discharge it to the first heat exchanger. According to claim 1,
The collecting part is provided biased to one side from the center of the base,
The collector,
The laundry treatment apparatus further comprising a water level sensor provided at a position close to the inner direction among the inner and outer directions of the base. According to claim 1,
A side panel constituting the cabinet is disposed on one side of the water collecting unit, and the circulation passage unit is disposed on the other side,
The collector,
and a water level sensor provided closer to the circulation passage than the side panel. According to claim 1,
The bottom area of the water collecting body is larger than the bottom area of the pump,
The pump is located in a central region of the water collecting body. cabinet;
a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes;
a base disposed under the drum;
a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air;
including,
The base is:
a circulation flow path portion in which air of the drum is circulated and the first heat exchanger is disposed;
A water collection unit communicating with the circulation passage unit and collecting water condensed in the first heat exchanger;
The catchment unit:
a water collecting body forming a space in which water is stored;
a pump including a rotating body transferring the water to the outside of the water collecting body;
a water collecting cover that covers the open upper surface of the water collecting body, is recessed downward, and includes a pump support part for supporting the pump and a first part disposed around the rotating body;
an air hole formed in the first portion;
and a protruding portion extending downward from a bottom surface of the pump support portion and at least a portion of which intersects an extending direction of the air hole. cabinet;
a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet and accommodating clothes;
a base disposed under the drum;
a first heat exchanger seated on the base and cooling air;
including,
The base is:
a circulation flow path portion in which air of the drum is circulated and the first heat exchanger is disposed;
A water collection unit communicating with the circulation passage unit and collecting water condensed in the first heat exchanger;
The catchment unit:
a water collecting body forming a space in which water is stored;
a pump including a rotating body transferring the water to the outside of the water collecting body;
a water collecting cover covering the open upper surface of the water collecting body and including a first part disposed around the rotating body;
an air hole formed in the first portion;
a water level sensor positioned outside the first part;
and a protrusion extending downward from the water collecting cover and at least a portion of which is positioned between the air hole and the water level sensor.

Images