KR20230121462A - Laundry treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A laundry handling apparatus capable of performing both washing and drying, comprising: a container, a drum rotatably provided inside the container, and air disposed in a lower region of the container and supplied to the drum. a heat pump that heats the container; a recovery duct connected to the container and recovering air that has been dried in the drum to the heat pump; A trap for collecting incoming water, wherein the recovery duct includes a connection part coupled to an upper region of the container, a first duct part providing a flow path through which air introduced into the connection part moves downward, and the first duct part. A clothes handling device including a second duct part providing a passage through which air passing through the duct part moves in parallel with an upper surface of the heat pump, and the trap being formed in a container shape and disposed on a lower surface of the second duct part. Provided.

Description

Garment handling device {LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS}

It relates to the clothes handling apparatus of the present invention. More specifically, it relates to a laundry treatment apparatus capable of performing both washing and drying.

In general, a laundry treatment device may include a washing machine, a dryer, a device for refreshing clothes, and the like. Recently, for ease of use, a washing machine for washing and drying in one drum has been introduced.

In the washing machine for drying, a washing process and a drying process may be sequentially performed. For example, after laundry is loaded into the drum, a washing process may be performed first, and then a drying process may be performed.

For the drying process, high-temperature air must be supplied into the drum, and recently, a drying method using a heat pump has been widely used. A heat pump can be understood as using the cooling cycle of an air conditioner in reverse, and requires components such as an evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, and compressor.

Unlike conventional washing machines, such washing machines for drying are equipped with a supply duct for supplying air from a heat pump to a drum and a recovery duct for recovering air that has been dried. The supply duct may be connected to a gasket provided on the side of an inlet through which laundry may be input, and the recovery duct may be connected to a container (or referred to as a tub) capable of accommodating a drum therein.

Such a clothes treatment device is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0117214 (hereinafter referred to as 'prior art').

However, in the laundry treatment apparatus according to the prior art, during the dehydration process, water scattered through the through hole of the drum due to rotation of the drum flows into the recovery duct, causing water to accumulate in the duct, thereby deteriorating drying performance. , a sanitary environment is created, and there is a problem that water penetrates to the heat pump and causes a malfunction.

The problem to be solved by the present specification is to provide a structure capable of collecting water flowing into the recovery duct, thereby improving drying performance, improving the sanitary environment in the duct, and preventing failure of the heat pump due to water infiltration. It is to provide a clothes handling device that can do this.

A laundry treatment apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above objects includes a container; a drum rotatably provided inside the container; a heat pump disposed in a lower region of the container and heating air supplied to the drum; a recovery duct connected to the container and recovering air dried in the drum to the heat pump; and a trap formed on the recovery duct and collecting water scattered from the drum and passing through the recovery duct.

At this time, the recovery duct includes a connection part coupled to the upper region of the container, a first duct part providing a flow path through which the air introduced into the connection part moves downward, and the air passing through the first duct part is used to heat the heat. A second duct part providing a passage movable in parallel with the upper surface of the pump, and the trap may be formed in a container shape and disposed on the lower surface of the second duct part.

Through this, drying performance may be improved, the environment in the duct may be hygienically improved, and failure of the heat pump due to water penetration may be prevented.

Also, a lower surface of the second duct unit may be formed to be inclined toward the trap.

In addition, an upstream portion of the lower surface of the second duct unit may form a downward slope along the air flow, and a downstream portion of the air flow may form an upward slope along the air flow.

In addition, a cover formed to cover an upper portion of the trap may be included, and a first edge, which is an upstream edge of the cover in an air flow direction, may be continuously formed with a lower surface of the second duct unit adjacent thereto.

In addition, it includes a cover formed to cover the top of the trap, and at least a portion of a second edge, which is an edge on a downstream side of the air flow direction of the cover, is disposed higher than a lower surface of the second duct unit adjacent thereto, so that the second edge A step may be formed between an edge and a lower surface of the second duct unit, the cover may include a side portion formed by the step, and a gap may be formed between the side portion and the lower surface of the second duct unit.

In addition, a cover formed to cover an upper portion of the trap may be included, and the cover may include an opening through which the second duct unit communicates with the trap so that water may flow into the trap from the second duct unit. there is.

In addition, the opening may be formed such that a plurality of holes extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction are arranged in the air flow direction.

In addition, the trap may include a discharge port through which water collected therein may be discharged.

Also, the discharge port may be formed at a lower end of the trap.

In addition, the lower surface of the trap may be formed to be inclined toward the discharge port.

The container may further include a drain pump disposed below the container and discharging water condensed and collected in the evaporator of the heat pump, and a discharge pipe connecting the drain pump and the discharge port.

A laundry treatment apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above object is a laundry treatment apparatus capable of both washing and drying, including an upper cabinet, a container provided inside the upper cabinet, and the like. , Clothes treatment module including a drum rotatably provided inside the container; a heat pump module including a lower cabinet and a heat pump disposed inside the lower cabinet, and disposed below the laundry treatment module; a recovery duct connected to the container and recovering air dried in the drum to the heat pump; and a trap formed on the recovery duct and collecting water scattered from the drum and passing through the recovery duct.

At this time, the recovery duct includes a connection part disposed inside the upper cabinet and coupled to the upper region of the container, and a first duct part extending vertically from rear surfaces of the upper cabinet and the lower cabinet and connected to the connection part , A second duct part extending forward from the inside of the lower cabinet and connected to the first duct part, and the trap may be formed in a container shape and disposed on a lower surface of the second duct part.

In addition, the trap includes a discharge port through which water collected therein is discharged, and the laundry treatment apparatus is a drain pump disposed inside the lower cabinet and discharges water condensed and collected in the evaporator of the heat pump. and a discharge pipe connecting the discharge port and the drain pump.

Through this specification, drying performance can be improved, the environment in the duct can be hygienically improved, and failure of the heat pump due to water penetration can be prevented.

1 and 2 are perspective views of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present specification.
3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification.
4 is a cross-sectional view of some components of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification.
5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating some components of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification in an enlarged manner.
6 is a side view of some components of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification cut along line AA′ of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification, taken along line BB′ of FIG. 5 .
FIG. 9 illustrates some components of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification viewed from point P in FIG. 5 .
10 is a perspective view illustrating one configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification.
11 is a plan view showing various shapes that one component of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification may have.

The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present disclosure, but they may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technologies, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there are also terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the corresponding description. Therefore, terms used in the present disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the general content of the present disclosure, not simply the name of the term.

The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used together in consideration of ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinct from each other by themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments included in the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments included in the present disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments included in the present disclosure, the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present disclosure , it should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no other element exists in the middle.

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

Terms such as “comprise” or “having” described throughout the specification are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features It should be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not precluded.

The expression of "at least one of a, b, and c" described throughout the specification means 'a alone', 'b alone', 'c alone', 'a and b', 'a and c', 'b and c' ', or 'all a, b, and c'.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are perspective views of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present specification.

The laundry treatment device 100 according to one embodiment of the present specification may include the laundry treatment module 110 and the heat pump module 120, but may be implemented except for some of them, or may include additional components. not even excluded

Hereinafter, in the present specification, the laundry treatment apparatus 100 capable of performing both washing and drying processes will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a refresh process of refreshing dry clothes by using hot air, cool air, or steam may be additionally performed after the drying process.

Hereinafter, in the present specification, the heat pump module 120 is coupled to the lower part of the clothes treatment module 110 to add a drying function to the clothes treatment module 110, and the clothes are removed from the outside of the cabinets 111 and 121 by a duct. The laundry treatment device 100 to which the treatment module 110 and the heat pump module 120 are connected will be described as an example. However, it is not limited thereto, and the laundry treatment device 100 may be formed as a single module and the duct may not be exposed to the outside.

Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction in which the door 102 is formed in the upper cabinet 111 may be referred to as the front, and based on this, the rear and the side may be defined.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the laundry treatment device 100 may include a laundry treatment module 110 . The laundry treatment module 110 may be understood as a part in which laundry is actually input and washing and drying processes are performed.

The clothes handling module 110 may include an upper cabinet 111 . Inside the upper cabinet 111, components such as the container 112 and the drum 114, in which laundry is substantially put in and a washing operation or a drying operation is performed, may be accommodated.

An input port 101 may be formed in the upper cabinet 111 . Laundry may be supplied into the drum 114 through the inlet 101 .

The clothes handling module 110 may include a door 102 . The door 102 may be rotatably coupled to the front of the upper cabinet 111 . The door 102 may open and close the inlet 101 .

The clothes handling module 110 may include a control panel 103 . The control panel 103 may be provided on the front of the upper cabinet 111 . The control panel 103 may be provided for a user interface. A user may perform various inputs through the control panel 103, and various information according to the operation of the clothes handling apparatus 100 may be displayed.

The clothes handling module 110 may include a detergent box 104 . The detergent box 104 may be provided on the front of the clothes treatment module 110 . After the detergent box 104 is drawn forward, detergent and/or fabric softener may be supplied into the laundry treatment device 100 . The detergent box 104 is provided with a handle, and the user can slide the detergent box 104 forward through the handle.

The clothes handling device 100 may include a heat pump module 120 . The heat pump module 120 may be disposed below the clothes treatment module 110 .

The heat pump module 120 may include a lower cabinet 121 . Inside the lower cabinet 121, components for heating air for a drying process, such as a heat pump 122 and a blowing unit 123, may be accommodated.

The heat pump module 120 may include a filter mounting hole 105 . The filter mounting hole 105 can be opened and closed from the lower cabinet 121 . By opening the filter mounting port 105, the filter 146 disposed inside the recovery duct 140, which will be described later, can be withdrawn or inserted.

It may be understood that the laundry treatment module 110 of the laundry treatment apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present specification has a structure similar to a conventional washing machine that only performs a washing operation, and the laundry treatment module 110 As the heat pump module 120 capable of supplying high-temperature air for the drying process is coupled, the laundry treatment device 100 may have a drying function as well as a washing function. In this way, since the clothes treatment module 110 can be manufactured in an existing washing machine production line and combined with the heat pump module 120 to have both washing and drying functions, production efficiency can be greatly improved.

In addition, as described above, as the heat pump module 120 is installed in the clothes treatment module 110, the supply duct 130 connecting the clothes treatment module 110 and the heat pump module 120 and the recovery A duct 140 may be provided. At this time, referring to FIG. 2 , when the clothes treatment module 110 and the heat pump module 120 are coupled, for ease of installation of the duct, a part of the supply duct 130 And, a part of the recovery duct 140 may be exposed to the rear of the upper cabinet 111 and the lower cabinet 121.

3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification. 4 is a cross-sectional view of some components of a laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present specification.

The laundry treatment device 100 according to an embodiment of the present specification includes a laundry treatment module 110, a heat pump module 120, a supply duct 130, a recovery duct 140, and a trap 150. It may include, but may be implemented except for some of them, and does not exclude other additional configurations.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the clothes handling module 110 may include a container 112 . The container 112 may be provided inside the upper cabinet 111 . Water for washing operation may be stored inside the container 112 . The container 112 can be understood to be a configuration commonly referred to as a tub.

The container 112 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. The container 112 may be disposed in parallel with the bottom surface of the laundry handling device 100 in the longitudinal direction or at a predetermined angle. A container opening 112a communicating with the input port 101 of the upper cabinet 111 may be formed at the front of the container 112 .

The clothes handling module 110 may include a support damper 113 . The support damper 113 may be coupled to a lower portion of the container 112 . The support damper 113 may support the container 112 with respect to the inner structure of the upper cabinet 111 in the direction of gravity. The container support damper 113 may be formed of a damper structure whose length can be elastically changed. Through this, vibration generated from rotation of the drum 114 may be attenuated.

The clothes handling module 110 may include a drum 114 . The drum 114 may be provided inside the container 112 . Laundry may be put into the drum 114 through the inlet 101 of the upper cabinet 111 .

The drum 114 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. The drum 114 may be disposed in parallel with the bottom surface of the laundry treatment device 100 in the longitudinal direction or at a predetermined angle. The drum 114 may be arranged so that its axis is parallel to the axis of the container 112 . In front of the drum 114, a drum opening 114a into which laundry can be put may be formed.

A plurality of through holes 114b may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drum 114 . Air and washing water may be moved in and out between the inside of the drum 114 and the inside of the container 112 through the through hole 114b. For example, during the spin-drying process, the wash water contained in the laundry may be separated from the washed water by centrifugal force caused by the rotational motion of the drum 114, and the separated wash water may flow through the through hole 114 b to the drum 114. may scatter to the outside of the

The drum 114 may be rotatably provided inside the container 112 . The drum 114 may be rotated by a drive unit 115 provided at the rear of the container 112 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , the driving unit 115 includes a stator 115a fixed to the rear surface of the container 112, a rotor 115b rotating by electromagnetic action with the stator 115a, and a rear surface of the container 112. It may include a rotational shaft 115c that passes through and connects the drum 114 and the rotor 115b.

The stator 115a may be fixed to the bearing housing 115d provided on the rear surface of the container 112, and the rotor 115b includes a rotor magnet 115ba provided on a radially outer side of the stator 115a, and a rotation shaft ( 115c) may include a rotor housing 115bb connecting the rotor housing 115bb.

The drum 114 may include a lifter 114c. The lifter 114c may protrude from the inner circumferential surface of the drum 114 . The lifter 114c may agitate laundry when the drum 114 rotates.

The clothes handling module 110 may include a water supply hose 116 . Water supply hose 116 may be coupled to container 112 . The water supply hose 116 may supply water for washing from the outside of the laundry treatment device 100 to the inside of the container 112 .

The clothes treatment module 110 may include a drainage part 117 . The drainage part 117 may be coupled to the lower part of the container 112 . The drainage unit 117 may perform a function of draining wash water accommodated in the container 112 . The drainage unit 117 includes a washing machine drain pump 117a disposed below the container 112, a first drain pipe 117b connecting the container 112 and the washing machine drain pump 117a, and the drain pump @ to the outside. It may include a second drain pipe (117c) to allow water to escape.

The clothes handling module 110 may include a gasket 118 . The gasket 118 may be disposed between the inlet 101 of the upper cabinet 111 and the container opening 112a. The gasket 118 may seal between the inlet 101 of the upper cabinet 111 and the container opening 112a. In addition, the gasket 118 may absorb vibration transmitted from the container 112 to the upper cabinet 111 .

The heat pump module 120 may include a heat pump 122 . The heat pump 122 may be disposed in a lower area of the container 112 . Specifically, the heat pump 122 may be disposed inside the lower cabinet 121 of the heat pump module 120 . The heat pump 122 may heat air supplied to the drum 114 .

The heat pump 122 can be understood as using the cooling cycle in reverse. Thus, heat pump 122 may include an evaporator, condenser, expansion valve, and compressor.

The heat pump module 120 may include a blowing unit 123 . The blowing unit 123 may be disposed inside the lower cabinet 121 . The blowing unit 123 may be disposed adjacent to the heat pump 122 . For example, the blowing unit 123 may be adjacent to the rear of the heat pump 122 . The blowing unit 123 may blow air heated by the heat pump 122 to the recovery duct 140 .

The heat pump module 120 may include a drain pump 124 . A drain pump 124 may be disposed under the container 112 . The drain pump 124 may be disposed inside the lower cabinet 121 . The drain pump 124 may discharge water collected by being condensed in the evaporator of the heat pump 122 to the outside.

The laundry treatment device 100 may include a supply duct 130 . One end of the supply duct 130 may be coupled to the blowing unit 123 . The other end of the supply duct 130 may be coupled to the gasket 118 . A middle portion of the supply duct 130 may extend upward and downward from rear surfaces of the lower cabinet 121 and the upper cabinet 111 .

The supply duct 130 may provide a passage through which high-temperature air blowing from the blowing unit 123 can move. Specifically, the high-temperature air blown from the blowing unit 123 can move to the gasket 118 through the supply duct 130 and is supplied to the inner space of the container 112 through a supply hole formed in the gasket 118. It can be.

The laundry treatment device 100 may include a collection duct 140 . The recovery duct 140 may be connected to the container 112 . The recovery duct 140 may recover air that has been dried in the drum 114 to the heat pump 122 .

The recovery duct 140 may provide a flow path through which dried air may flow from the drum 114 to the heat pump 122 . Specifically, the dried air blown out from the drum 114 may be recovered by the heat pump 122 through the recovery duct 140 .

The recovery duct 140 may include a connection part 141 . The connection part 141 may be coupled to an upper region of the container 112 . Through this, it is possible to minimize the inflow of water splashed from the drum 114 into the recovery duct 140 during a dehydration process or the like. The connection part 141 may be understood as a part disposed inside the upper cabinet 111 and not exposed to the outside.

The recovery duct 140 may include a first duct unit 142 . The first duct unit 142 may be connected to the connection unit 141 . The first duct unit 142 may extend vertically from rear surfaces of the upper cabinet 111 and the lower cabinet 121 . The first duct unit 142 may be understood as a part formed outside the clothes treatment module 110 and the heat pump module 120 .

The first duct unit 142 may provide a flow path through which air introduced into the connection unit 141 moves downward. After drying in the container 112 and/or the drum 114, the air blowing through the connection part 141 may move downward through the first duct part 142. That is, the first duct unit 142 may guide air blown out after drying in the clothes treatment module 110 to a portion where the heat pump module 120 is disposed.

The recovery duct 140 may include a second duct unit 143 . The second duct unit 143 may be connected to the first duct unit 142 . The second duct unit 143 may extend forward from the inside of the heat pump module 120 . The second duct unit 143 may be understood as a portion disposed inside the lower cabinet 121 .

The second duct unit 143 may provide a flow path through which air passing through the first duct unit 142 moves parallel to the top surface of the heat pump 122 (eg, in a horizontal direction). Air guided along the first duct unit 142 to a portion where the heat pump module 120 is disposed may flow into the heat pump module 120 along the second duct unit 143 .

The recovery duct 140 may include a third duct unit 144 . The third duct unit 144 may be connected to the second duct unit 143 . The third duct part 144 may be a part that is bent and extended laterally from the second duct part 143 . The third duct unit 144 may be disposed inside the lower cabinet 121 .

The third duct unit 144 may provide a flow path through which air passing through the second duct unit 143 moves laterally. Air passing through the second duct unit 143 may be guided toward the heat pump 122 through the third duct unit 144 .

The third duct unit 144 may be formed adjacent to the front surface of the lower cabinet 121 . A filter mounting hole 105 through which the filter 146 can be drawn out and installed may be formed on a surface of the third duct unit 144 adjacent to the front surface of the lower cabinet 121 . Referring to FIG. 1 , the filter mounting hole 105 may be exposed to the outside of the front side of the lower cabinet 121, and when the user opens the filter mounting hole 105, the inside of the third duct unit 144 may be exposed to the outside.

A filter 146 may be disposed inside the third duct unit 144 . The filter 146 may be formed to block the passage of the third duct unit 144 . The filter 146 may be disposed at an angle to the flow of air passing through the third duct portion 144 . Through this, since the contact area between the air passing through the third duct unit 144 and the filter 146 can be increased, foreign substances can be more effectively filtered out of the air.

As the filter mounting hole 105 is opened, the filter 146 together with the inner space of the third duct unit 144 may be exposed to the outside. Through this structure, the user can easily replace the filter 146.

The recovery duct 140 may include a recovery part 145 . The recovery unit 145 may connect the third duct unit 144 and the heat pump 122 . Air passing through the third duct unit 144 may be recovered to the heat pump 122 through the recovery unit 145 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3 , air flow during the drying process will be described.

When the washing process including the spin-drying process is completed in the laundry treatment module 110, the drying process may be performed immediately thereafter.

Air may be heated by the heat pump 122 , and high-temperature air heated by the heat pump 122 may be blown to the supply duct 130 by the blowing unit 123 .

The air blown by the blower unit 123 comes out to the rear of the lower cabinet 121 along the flow path formed inside the supply duct 130, and then rides on the back of the lower cabinet 121 and the upper cabinet 111. can move upwards.

The high-temperature air guided to the upper region of the upper cabinet 111 along the supply duct 130 passes through the gasket 118 along the upper region of the container 112 from the inside of the upper cabinet 111 of the supply duct 130. It may be guided to the gasket 118 along a portion extending to the place where there is.

High-temperature air may be introduced into the inner space of the container 112 through the gasket 118, and the introduced air may be used to dry laundry.

The dried air comes out to the rear of the upper cabinet 111 along the connection part 141 of the recovery duct 140 coupled to the upper area of the container 112, and then along the first duct part 142 to the upper cabinet ( 111) and the rear surface of the lower cabinet 121 to move downward.

The air guided to the height where the lower cabinet 121 is disposed through the first duct part 142 may flow into the lower cabinet 121 again through the second duct part 143, and the air is removed. It can pass through the second duct part 143 and the third duct part 144. In this process, as the air passes through the filter 146 installed in the third duct unit 144, foreign substances included in the air may be filtered out.

Air that has passed through the third duct unit 144 and/or filter 146 may be introduced into the heat pump 122 through the recovery unit 145, and the air is heated again by the heat pump 122. It can be blown into the supply duct 130 by the water blowing unit 123 .

5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating some configurations of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present specification. 6 is a side view of some components of the laundry treatment device according to an embodiment of the present specification. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification cut along the line AA′ of FIG. 5 . FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification cut along line BB′ of FIG. 5 . FIG. 9 is a view illustrating some components of the laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification viewed from point P in FIG. 5 . 10 is a perspective view illustrating one configuration of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification. 11 is a plan view illustrating various shapes that one component of a laundry treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present specification may have.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9 , the laundry treatment device 100 may include a trap 150 . The trap 150 may be formed on the recovery duct 140 . The trap 150 may be formed in a container shape capable of accommodating the collected water and disposed on the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 . The trap 150 may be formed upstream of the filter 146 on the flow path of the recovery duct 140 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , water scattered from the drum 114 and passed through the recovery duct 140 may be collected in the trap 150 . Specifically, referring to FIG. 4 , a through hole 114b through which water can escape is formed in the drum 114. When the drum 114 rotates during the spin-drying process, the water contained in the laundry is separated from the laundry by centrifugal force. After being formed, it may be scattered into the inner space of the container 112 through the through hole 114b. Water scattered in this process may flow into the recovery duct 140 through the connection part 141 connected to the upper part of the container 112 . As described above, since the trap 150 can collect the water passing into the recovery duct 140, the air flow in the recovery duct 140 becomes smooth, thereby improving the drying performance and further increasing the inside of the recovery duct 140. It is possible to create a hygienic environment, and it is possible to prevent a malfunction of the heat pump 122 due to water penetration into the heat pump 122 .

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 , in one embodiment, the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 may be formed to be inclined toward the trap 150 .

For example, the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 may be formed to protrude at least partially in a direction toward the trap 150 at a position in contact with the trap 150 . For example, the lower surface of the second duct part 143 forms a curve in a direction protruding in a direction toward the trap 150, or an inclined surface (eg, an inclined surface such that it protrudes relative to a specific axial direction within the trap). first and second inclined surfaces) may be formed.

Specifically, based on the upper surface of the second duct unit 143, the upstream part (eg, the first inclined surface) on the air flow among the lower surfaces of the second duct unit 143 may be formed downhill along the air flow. In addition, a downstream portion (eg, a second inclined surface) on the air flow of the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 may be formed downward along the air flow.

In this way, by forming the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 to be inclined toward the trap 150, water passing through the second duct unit 143 can be collected toward the trap 150 more easily. For example, water passed through the second duct unit 143 may flow into the trap 150 while passing through the second inclined surface even if it is not immediately collected in the trap 150 while passing through the first inclined surface.

Trap 150 may include a discharge port 151 . Water collected inside the trap 150 may be discharged from the trap 150 through the discharge port 151 .

The discharge port 151 may be formed at the lower end of the trap 150 . For example, the discharge port 151 may protrude laterally from the lower end of any one of the side surfaces of the trap 150 . Through this, all of the water collected inside the trap 150 may be discharged to the outside of the trap 150 without remaining. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 , the discharge port 151 may protrude downward from the trap 150 .

The discharge port 151 may be formed on a surface closest to the drain pump 124 . Specifically, since the water collected in the trap 150 can be discharged to the outside of the laundry treatment apparatus 100 using the drain pump 124 that discharges the water collected in the condenser, the discharge port 151 is the drain pump. It may be advantageous to form on the side closest to (124).

Referring to FIG. 6 , the lower surface of the trap 150 may be inclined toward the discharge port 151 . Through this, since the water collected in the trap 150 can flow to the discharge port 151 due to the gradient of the lower surface of the trap 150, the water collected in the trap 150 effectively drains the discharge port 151. can be released through

The clothes handling device 100 may include a cover 160 . The cover 160 may be formed to cover the top of the trap 150 . The cover 160 may be formed to be substantially continuous with the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 adjacent to the trap 150 . Through the structure of the cover 160, it is possible to prevent vortexes from being formed by the internal passage of the second duct unit 143 and the internal space of the trap 150 discontinuously formed, and thus the drying efficiency is improved. can

Referring to FIG. 7 , the first edge 161, which is an upstream edge of the cover 160 in the air flow direction, may be continuously formed with the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 adjacent thereto. Through this, the air flowing inside the second duct unit 143 can smoothly flow to the next area of the trap 150 along the upper surface of the cover 160 .

Meanwhile, in one embodiment, at least a part of the second edge 162 corresponding to the downstream edge of the cover 160 in the air flow direction may be disposed higher than the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 adjacent thereto. Accordingly, a step may be formed between the second edge 162 and the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 .

For example, in the upper edge of the trap 150, at least a part of the upper edge in the air flow direction may be formed higher than the downstream edge, and the first edge 161 of the cover 160 is the second duct adjacent thereto. Since the cover 160 may be horizontally disposed while being continuously formed with the lower surface of the portion 143, there is a step between the second edge 162 of the cover 160 and the lower surface of the second duct portion 143 in contact. can be formed.

The cover 160 may include an opening 166 composed of a plurality of holes 167 . The opening 166 and the second duct portion 143. The trap 150 can communicate. Water introduced into the second duct unit 143 may flow from the second duct unit 143 to the trap 150 through the opening 166 . Various shapes of the opening 166 will be described later with reference to FIG. 11 .

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 10 , the cover 160 may include a side portion 163 . The side portion 163 may be formed by a step formed between the second edge 162 of the cover 160 and the lower surface of the second duct portion 143 . That is, it can be understood that the side part 163 is a part of the side wall of the cover 160 exposed to the internal passage of the second duct part 143 by a step.

A gap 164 may be formed between the side portion 163 and the lower surface of the second duct portion 143 . 7 and 9, the water passing through the trap 150 among the water flowing into the second duct unit 143 is returned to the trap 150 direction due to the inclination of the lower surface of the second duct unit 143 (i.e., , upstream direction). In this way, the water flowing down the lower surface of the second duct part 143 passes through the gap 164 formed between the side part 163 and the lower surface of the second duct part 143 to the inside of the trap 150. can be introduced into

The cover 160 may include a support part 165 . The support part 165 may extend downward from the side part 163 . The support part 165 may be formed in plurality and may be arranged in a direction crossing the air flow direction. The support part 165 may divide the gap 164 into a plurality. The support part 165 may compensate for a structural weakness caused by the formation of the gap 164 between the second edge of the cover 160 and the lower surface of the second duct part 143 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the laundry treatment device 100 may include a discharge pipe 170 . The discharge pipe 170 may connect the drain pump 124 and the discharge port 151 . As described above, the water collected in the trap 150 may share the drainage pump 124 for discharging the water collected in the condenser, and for this purpose, the discharge pipe 170 is a discharge port formed in the trap 150 ( 151) and the drainage pump 124 may be connected.

11 illustrates various aspects of an opening 166 formed in cover 160 .

Referring to FIG. 11 , the opening 166 may include a plurality of holes 167 extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction. A plurality of holes 167 may be arranged in the direction of air flow. Through this structure, water passed through the second duct unit 143 can be better collected by the trap 150 when it proceeds in the direction of the air flow.

For example, referring to (A) of FIG. 11 , the opening 166 may be formed in a shape in which holes 167 extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction are arranged in the air flow direction.

Also, referring to (B) of FIG. 11, the opening 166 has at least one plurality of holes 167 extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction, arranged in a direction crossing the air flow direction, and The holes 167 may be formed in a shape in which the holes 167 are arranged in a zigzag pattern in the air flow direction.

In addition, referring to (C) of FIG. 11, the opening 166 has at least one plurality of holes 167 extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction, arranged in a direction crossing the air flow direction, such a hole ( 167) may be formed in a shape that is arranged side by side in the air flow direction.

Meanwhile, the opening 166 according to various embodiments of the present invention is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 11, and is formed in a combination of the shapes shown in (a) to (c) of FIG. 11, or not shown in FIG. It can also be formed in other shapes.

Certain embodiments or other embodiments herein described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct from each other. Any of the above-described embodiments or other embodiments of the present specification may be used in combination or combination of respective configurations or functions.

For example, configuration A described in a specific embodiment and/or drawing may be combined with configuration B described in another embodiment and/or drawing. That is, even if the combination between the components is not directly explained, it means that the combination is possible except for the case where the combination is impossible.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of this specification should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of this specification are included in the scope of this specification.

100: clothes handling device 101: inlet
102: door 103: control panel
104: detergent box 105: filter mounting hole
110: clothes handling module 111: upper cabinet
112: container 112a: container opening
113: support damper 114: drum
114a: drum opening 114b: through hole
114c: lifter 115: driving unit
115a: stator 115b: rotor
115ba: rotor magnet 115bb: rotor housing
115c: rotation shaft 115d: bearing housing
116: water supply hose 117: drain
117a: washing machine drain pump 117b: first drain pipe
117c: second drain pipe 118: gasket
120: heat pump module 121: lower cabinet
122: heat pump 123: blowing unit
124: drainage pump 130: supply duct
140: recovery duct 141: connection
142: first duct part 143: second duct part
144: third duct unit 145: recovery unit
146: filter 150: trap
151: discharge port 160: cover
161: first edge 162: second edge
163: side part 164: gap
165: support 166: opening
167: hole 170: discharge pipe

Claims (13)

In a laundry treatment device capable of both washing and drying,
container;
a drum rotatably provided inside the container;
a heat pump disposed in a lower region of the container and heating air supplied to the drum;
a recovery duct connected to the container and recovering air dried in the drum to the heat pump; and
A trap formed on the recovery duct and collecting water scattered from the drum and passing through the recovery duct;
The recovery duct includes a connection part coupled to the upper region of the container, a first duct part providing a flow path through which air introduced into the connection part moves downward, and air passing through the first duct part is passed through the upper part of the heat pump. A second duct part providing a flow path movable in parallel with the surface,
The trap is formed in a container shape and disposed on a lower surface of the second duct unit. According to claim 1,
A lower surface of the second duct unit is formed to be inclined toward the trap. According to claim 2,
Of the lower surface of the second duct, an upstream portion of the air flow is formed downward along the air flow, and a downstream portion of the air flow is formed upward along the air flow. According to claim 1,
And a cover formed to cover the top of the trap,
A first edge, which is an upstream edge of the cover in the air flow direction, is formed continuously with the lower surface of the second duct unit adjacent thereto. According to claim 1,
And a cover formed to cover the top of the trap,
At least a portion of the second edge, which is a downstream edge in the air flow direction of the cover, is disposed higher than the lower surface of the second duct unit adjacent thereto, so that a step is formed between the second edge and the lower surface of the second duct unit,
The cover includes a side portion formed by the step,
A gap is formed between the side part and the lower surface of the second duct part. According to claim 1,
And a cover formed to cover the top of the trap,
The cover includes an opening communicating the second duct part and the trap so that water flows from the second duct part to the trap. According to claim 6,
Wherein the opening is formed such that a plurality of holes extending in a direction crossing the air flow direction are arranged in the air flow direction. According to claim 1,
The trap includes a discharge port through which water collected therein can be discharged. According to claim 8,
The discharge port is formed at a lower end of the trap. According to claim 8,
A lower surface of the trap is formed to be inclined toward the discharge port. According to claim 8,
and a drain pump disposed below the container and discharging collected water condensed in the evaporator of the heat pump, and a discharge pipe connecting the drain pump and the discharge port. In a laundry treatment device capable of both washing and drying,
a clothes handling module including an upper cabinet, a container provided inside the upper cabinet, and a drum rotatably provided inside the container;
a heat pump module including a lower cabinet and a heat pump disposed inside the lower cabinet, and disposed below the laundry treatment module;
a recovery duct connected to the container and recovering air dried in the drum to the heat pump; and
A trap formed on the recovery duct and collecting water scattered from the drum and passing through the recovery duct;
The recovery duct includes a connection part disposed inside the upper cabinet and coupled to an upper region of the container, a first duct part extending vertically from rear surfaces of the upper cabinet and the lower cabinet and connected to the connection part; A second duct part extending forward from the inside of the cabinet and connected to the first duct part,
The trap is formed in a container shape and disposed on a lower surface of the second duct unit. According to claim 12,
The trap includes a discharge port through which water collected therein can be discharged,
The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a drain pump disposed inside the lower cabinet and discharging collected water condensed in the evaporator of the heat pump, and a discharge pipe connecting the discharge port and the drain pump.

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