US20170362769A9 - Clothes dryer - Google Patents
Clothes dryer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20170362769A9 US20170362769A9 US15/211,520 US201615211520A US2017362769A9 US 20170362769 A9 US20170362769 A9 US 20170362769A9 US 201615211520 A US201615211520 A US 201615211520A US 2017362769 A9 US2017362769 A9 US 2017362769A9
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- filter
- filter cartridge
- frame
- lateral
- outside
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/20—General details of domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/22—Lint collecting arrangements
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- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/02—Domestic laundry dryers having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/02—Domestic laundry dryers having dryer drums rotating about a horizontal axis
- D06F58/04—Details
- D06F58/06—Mountings for the rotating drums
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/20—General details of domestic laundry dryers
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/20—General details of domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/206—Heat pump arrangements
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to a clothes dryer.
- a clothes dryer is an apparatus that supplies dry air into a drum in which clothes are placed in order to dry the clothes.
- the clothes dryer may be classified as an exhaust type clothes dryer that exhausts air discharged from a drum out of the clothes dryer or a circulation type clothes dryer that circulates air discharged from a drum and resupplies the circulated air into the drum.
- a filter cartridge is provided in a circulation channel in order to prevent foreign matter, such as lint or dust, floating in the air discharged from the drum from being introduced into the drum again.
- the filter cartridge is configured so as to be separable from the clothes dryer such that a user separates the filter cartridge from the clothes dryer and removes foreign matter from the filter cartridge.
- the filter cartridge may be configured to have a dual filter structure in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge such that air passes through the inside filter cartridge, by which the air is primarily filtered, and then the air passes through the outside filter cartridge, by which the air is secondarily filtered.
- the inside filter cartridge includes an inside front filter for filtering air that is introduced into the cartridge through an inlet port formed in the top surface thereof and flows forward and an inside rear filter for filtering air that is introduced into the cartridge through the inlet port and flows rearward.
- the outside filter cartridge includes an outside front filter and an outside rear filter provided at the front surface and the rear surface thereof so as to be aligned with the inside front filter and the inside rear filter, respectively.
- the filters are provided in the circulation channel in the state in which the filters overlap one another, with the result that the circulation channel may be narrowed.
- the capacity of the drum is increased, it is difficult to increase the width of the space, in which the filter cartridges are mounted, in the forward and rearward direction.
- the inside and outside filters are sequentially arranged in the forward and rearward direction, therefore, a stream of air may not smoothly pass through the filters.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure
- FIG. 2 is a view showing the internal structure of the clothes dryer of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a view showing a drum supporter in the state in which a filter cartridge is mounted in the drum supporter;
- FIG. 4 is a view showing the state in which the filter cartridge is separated from the drum supporter
- FIG. 5 is a view showing the state in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge
- FIG. 6 is a view showing the state in which an interference protrusion of the inside filter cartridge interferes with a restraint protrusion of the outside filter cartridge;
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inside filter cartridge
- FIG. 8A is a view showing the inside surface of the inside filter cartridge in the state in which the inside filter cartridge is unfolded
- FIG. 8B is a view showing the outside surface of the inside filter cartridge in the state in which the inside filter cartridge is unfolded;
- FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of the outside filter cartridge.
- FIG. 10 is a view showing the outside surface of the outside filter cartridge in the state in which the outside filter cartridge is unfolded.
- a clothes dryer may include a casing 1 having an opening formed in the front thereof such that clothes can be introduced through the opening, a door 2 for opening and closing the opening, a drum 4 rotatably provided in the casing 1 , and a drum supporter 5 for supporting the drum 4 .
- the casing 1 may include a base 11 placed on the floor on which the clothes dryer is installed, a cabinet 12 supported by the base 11 , the cabinet 12 having an open front surface and an open top surface, a top plate 13 disposed on the open top surface of the cabinet 12 , and a front cover 14 disposed on the open front surface of the cabinet 12 , the front cover 14 having an opening through which laundry is introduced.
- the casing 1 may be provided at the upper part of the front surface thereof with a control panel 32 , which includes an input unit for allowing various kinds of control commands for controlling the operation of the clothes dryer to be input and a display unit for displaying the state of operation of the clothes dryer.
- a control panel 32 which includes an input unit for allowing various kinds of control commands for controlling the operation of the clothes dryer to be input and a display unit for displaying the state of operation of the clothes dryer.
- the clothes dryer may further include a steam supply unit (not shown) for supplying steam into the drum 4 .
- a water tank for storing water to be supplied to the steam supply unit may be received in a drawer 31 .
- the drum supporter 5 may be provided with an introduction port 5 a , through which clothes are introduced into the drum 4 .
- the introduction port 5 a communicates with the opening in the front cover 14 .
- the drum supporter 5 may be provided with a ring-shaped support surface or a ring-shaped groove for supporting the front end of the drum 4 .
- the drum supporter 5 may be provided with a discharge port 52 h for discharging air from the drum 4 , and a discharge duct 53 for guiding the air discharged through the discharge port 52 h .
- the air discharged from the drum 4 through the discharge port 52 h is guided along the discharge duct 53 , is guided along a connection duct 81 , which is connected to the discharge duct 53 , and reaches a blowing fan 82 .
- Reference symbol 53 h shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 indicates the outlet of the discharge duct 53 .
- the connection duct 81 is connected to the outlet of the discharge duct 53 .
- a stream of air that flows in the lateral direction may be formed in the discharge duct 53 depending on the position of the blowing fan 82 or the shape of the discharge duct 53 .
- the blowing fan 82 is located so as to be spaced apart from the discharge port 52 h in the lateral direction. Consequently, the discharge duct 53 includes a section 53 s for guiding the air discharged through the discharge port 52 h in the lateral direction.
- the drum supporter 5 may include an introduction surface 52 , which defines the introduction port 5 h .
- the introduction surface 52 may extend from the front surface 51 of the drum supporter 5 , in which the introduction port 5 h is formed, to the drum 4 .
- the introduction surface 52 may constitute a portion of a ring extending around the introduction port 5 h .
- the introduction surface 52 may be formed to have a ring shape that wholly defines the introduction port 5 h .
- the introduction surface 52 may be formed to have a shape corresponding to a part in which a filter cartridge 7 is mounted, i.e. a portion of the lower part of the introduction port 5 h .
- the discharge port 52 h is formed in the introduction surface 52 such that the discharge port 52 h is open upward.
- a back panel 6 supports the rear end of the drum 4 .
- the back panel 6 is provided with an air supply port 6 h for supplying dry air into the drum 4 .
- the back panel 6 may be provided with a ring-shaped support surface or a ring-shaped groove for supporting the rear end of the drum 4 .
- a motor 83 may be provided to rotate the drum 4 .
- the drum 4 may be driven in a belt drive fashion.
- a belt (not shown) wound around the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4 is moved by a pulley (not shown), which is rotated by the motor 83 , such that the drum 4 is rotated.
- a plurality of rollers 55 may be provided at the drum supporter 5 and the back panel 6 so as to support the outer circumferential surface of the drum 4 during the rotation of the drum 4 .
- the clothes dryer includes a circulation channel for guiding air, discharged from the drum 4 through the discharge port 52 h , into the drum.
- the circulation channel includes the discharge duct 53 and the connection duct 81 .
- the circulation channel may further include a channel for guiding the air, blown by the blowing fan 82 , to the air supply port 6 h of the back panel 6 .
- the blowing fan 82 blows air such that the air flows along the circulation channel.
- the motor 83 which rotates the drum 4 , is also used to rotate the blowing fan 82 .
- an additional motor may be provided to drive the blowing fan 82 .
- the clothes dryer may further include a heat generation unit for heating air that flows along the circulation channel.
- the heat generation unit may be realized by various kinds of well-known means.
- the clothes dryer heats air using a heat pump.
- the heat pump is configured such that a refrigerant is compressed, expanded, evaporated, and condensed while the refrigerant is moved along the closed circulation channel. Heat generated when the refrigerant is condensed is used to heat air.
- a compressor 84 for compressing the refrigerant and a condenser 85 for condensing the refrigerant are shown in FIG. 2
- an expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant may be further provided.
- an electric heater or a thermoelectric device may be used as the heat generation unit.
- a filter cartridge 7 for filtering air is provided in the circulation channel.
- the filter cartridge 7 is configured to have a dual filter structure including an inside filter cartridge 71 and an outside filter cartridge 74 . Air discharged from the drum 4 sequentially passes through the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 , and is then suctioned into the blowing fan 82 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 is supported by the drum supporter 5 in the state in which the outside filter cartridge 74 is inserted in the discharge port 52 h .
- the drum supporter 50 may have a location surface 54 defined in the discharge duct 53 , and the outside filter cartridge 74 may be located on the location surface 54 .
- the upper end of the outside filter cartridge 74 (the bottom surface, which is the surface opposite the top surface 745 shown in FIG. 9A ) may be located on the location surface 54 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 is disposed at a lower position than the introduction surface 52 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 may be completely received in the discharge duct 53 such that the outside filter cartridge 74 is not exposed through the discharge port 52 h.
- An opening 74 h through which the inside filter cartridge 71 passes, is formed in the top surface 745 (see FIG. 9A ) of the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may be received in or separated from the outside filter cartridge 74 through the opening 74 h.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 is configured to have a structure including a mesh M for filtering air and an inside filter frame 710 for fixing the mesh M.
- the outside filter cartridge 74 is configured to have a structure including a mesh M for filtering air and an outside filter frame 740 for fixing the mesh M.
- the mesh M may be located at various positions on each of the filter cartridges 71 and 74 .
- a mesh located at the front of each of the filter cartridges 71 and 74 will be referred to as a front mesh
- a mesh located at the side of each of the filter cartridges 71 and 74 will be referred to as a side mesh
- a mesh located at the rear of each of the filter cartridges 71 and 74 will be referred to as a rear mesh, as needed.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are separate members.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are mounted in the drum supporter 5 in the state in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is received in the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may be provided with an interference protrusion 715 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 may be provided with a restraint protrusion 745 .
- the restraint protrusion 745 restrains the interference protrusion 715 such that the outside filter cartridge 74 is moved simultaneously with the inside filter cartridge 71 when the inside filter cartridge 71 is pulled in the direction in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is withdrawn through the opening 74 h in the state in which the outside filter cartridge 74 is supported by the drum supporter 5 .
- a user may directly remove the filter cartridge 7 from the drum supporter 5 .
- the interference protrusion 715 is caught by the restraint protrusion 745 , with the result that the interference protrusion 715 is restrained by the restraint protrusion 745 , and the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are separated from the drum supporter 5 while the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are moved simultaneously.
- both the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 may be separated from the drum supporter 5 . Consequently, it is possible to fundamentally solve the problem of the outside filter cartridge 74 remaining in the clothes dryer due to the user's carelessness during the removal of foreign matter from the filter cartridge 7 as in the conventional art.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may not be exposed (i.e. it is not necessary for the user to notice the inside filter cartridge 71 ) when the filter cartridge 7 is separated from the drum supporter 5 as long as the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are connected to each other. Consequently, the inside filter cartridge 71 may be completely mounted in the discharge duct 53 .
- the interference protrusion 715 and the restraint protrusion 745 may be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is moved such that the inside filter cartridge 71 can be moved by a predetermined distance in the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 is moved by a predetermined distance d, and then the interference protrusion 715 interferes with the restraint protrusion 745 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 and the outside filter cartridge 74 are simultaneously separated from the drum supporter 5 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 includes an outside front filter 75 and an outside rear filter 76 , which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion.
- the outside front filter 75 and the outside rear filter 76 are mounted in the drum supporter 5 in the state in which the outside front filter 75 and the outside rear filter 76 are folded so as to be coupled to each other.
- the outside front filter 75 and the outside rear filter 76 may be unfolded such that the inside filter cartridge 71 can be pulled out from the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- the user may forcibly pull the inside filter cartridge 71 in the state in which the user does not unfold the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- at least one selected from between the interference protrusion 715 and the restraint protrusion 745 may be provided with a first inclined part 715 a , the protruding height of which is gradually decreased in the direction in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is separated from the outside filter cartridge 74 (e.g. in the forward direction), and a second inclined part 715 b , the protruding height of which is gradually decreased in the direction in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is inserted into the outside filter cartridge 74 (e.g. in the downward direction).
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may be somewhat deformed due to the characteristics of the material (e.g. the synthetic resin) of the inside filter cartridge 71 .
- the first inclined part 715 a may overcome the interference with the restraint protrusion 745 , and may move over the restraint protrusion 745 .
- the second inclined part 715 b may overcome the interference with the restraint protrusion 745 , and may move over the restraint protrusion 745 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 includes an inside front filter 72 and an inside rear filter 73 , which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion.
- the inside front filter 72 and the inside rear filter 73 are received in the outside filter cartridge 74 in the state in which the inside front filter 72 and the inside rear filter 73 are folded so as to be coupled to each other.
- the inside front filter 72 may include a front surface, on which is mounted a front mesh for filtering air that is introduced through an inlet port formed in the top surface thereof and flows forward.
- the inside rear filter 73 may include a rear surface, on which is mounted a rear mesh for filtering air that is introduced through the inlet port and flows rearward.
- the interference protrusion 715 may be formed on at least one selected from between the front surface of the inside front filter 72 and the rear surface of the inside rear filter 73 .
- the interference protrusions 715 may include a first interference protrusion 715 a , which protrudes forward from the front surface of the inside front filter 72 , and a second interference protrusion 715 b , which protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the inside rear filter 73 .
- the restraint protrusions 745 may include a first restraint protrusion 745 a , which protrudes toward the front surface (or an inside front part 721 ) of the inside front filter 72 so as to correspond to the first interference protrusion 715 a , and a second restraint protrusion 745 b , which protrudes toward the rear surface (or an inside rear part 731 ) of the inside front filter 72 so as to correspond to the second interference protrusion 715 b.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may have a top surface 745 , which is defined by at least one selected from between a top surface 755 of the inside front filter 72 and a top surface 765 of the inside rear filter 73 .
- An inlet port 7 h (see FIG. 5 ), through which the air discharged from the drum 4 is introduced, may be formed in the top surface 745 .
- the top surface of the inside filter cartridge 71 may include lattice ribs 725 and 735 for dividing the inlet port 7 h into several small regions.
- the lattice ribs 725 and 735 are advantageous in increasing the rigidity of the inside filter cartridge 71 .
- the lattice ribs 725 and 735 prevent small objects, such as coins or lighters, from being introduced into the inside filter cartridge 71 even when the small objects are present in the drum 4 .
- the inside filter cartridge 71 includes a mesh M and an inside filter frame 710 for fixing the mesh M.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may be made of a synthetic resin, which may be somewhat deformable.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may be formed as a single member by injection molding.
- the inside filter cartridge 71 may have at least one opening P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , and P 4 , on which the mesh M is mounted.
- the top surface of the inside filter cartridge 71 may be configured to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the introduction surface 52 , i.e. a curved shape, such as an approximate arc shape.
- the top surface of the inside filter cartridge 71 and the introduction surface 52 provide a sense of unity, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the inside filter cartridge 71 and reducing interference between the clothes in the drum and the inside filter cartridge 71 .
- the inside filter frame 710 may include an inside front frame 720 and an inside rear frame 730 , which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion.
- the inside front frame 720 may be provided with openings P 1 and P 2 , on which a front mesh is mounted, and the inside rear frame 730 may be provided with openings P 3 and P 4 , on which a rear mesh is mounted.
- the inside filter frame 710 may be made of a synthetic resin.
- the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 may be formed as a single member.
- the inside front filter 72 includes an inside front frame 720 and a front mesh M
- the inside rear filter 73 includes an inside rear frame 730 and a rear mesh M.
- the inside filter frame 710 may include an inside front part 721 , in which the openings P 1 and P 2 , on which the front mesh is mounted, are formed, an inside rear part 731 , in which the openings P 3 and P 4 , on which the rear mesh is mounted, are formed, and a pair of inside lateral parts 712 and 713 , which extend from the opposite sides of the inside front part 721 toward the inside rear part 731 .
- the inside front part 721 may be formed at the inside front frame 720
- the inside rear part 731 may be formed at the inside rear frame 730
- the inside lateral parts 712 and 713 may be formed by at least one selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 .
- the inside lateral part 712 may be formed by a front lateral part 722 , which extends rearward from the inside front part 721
- a rear lateral part 732 which extends forward from the inside rear part 731
- the inside lateral part 713 may be formed in the same manner as the inside lateral part 712 .
- the upper part 721 a of the inside front part 721 protrudes further forward than the lower part of the inside front part 721 , in which the openings P 1 and P 2 are formed, so as to define a surface 721 b that faces downward
- the upper part of the inside rear part 731 protrudes further rearward than the lower part of the inside rear part 731 , in which the openings P 3 and P 4 are formed, so as to define a surface 731 b that faces downward.
- the surfaces 721 b and 731 b are formed so as to correspond to the top surface 745 (see FIG. 9A ) of the outside filter cartridge 74 such that the surfaces 721 b and 731 b are located on the top surface 745 .
- the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
- the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 may be connected to each other via a connection part 711 .
- a plurality of connection parts 711 may be arranged at intervals.
- the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 may be turned about the connection part 711 such that the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 are unfolded or folded.
- the inside front filter 72 and the inside rear filter 73 may be separably coupled to each other. Such coupling between the inside front filter 72 and the inside rear filter 73 may be achieved using only the elasticity of the material for the inside front filter 72 and the inside rear filter 73 without an additional fastening member.
- a hook 736 may be formed on any one selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 , and an appropriate coupling part, to which the hook 736 is coupled, may be formed in the other selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 .
- a stopper protrusion 728 may be formed on any one selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 such that the stopper protrusion 728 prevents the other selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 from being unfolded at more than a predetermined angle.
- a unfolding limit protrusion 738 may be formed on the other selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 such that the unfolding limit protrusion 738 interferes with the stopper protrusion 728 when the other selected from between the inside front frame 720 and the inside rear frame 730 is unfolded at the predetermined angle.
- the unfolding angle of the inside filter cartridge 71 is limited so as not to exceed the predetermined angle (for example, 180 degrees), thereby preventing damage to the connection part 711 .
- the inside filter frame 710 may be provided at the top surface thereof with a mark 727 that indicates the direction in which the inside filter cartridge 71 is mounted.
- the mark 727 is formed in the shape of an arrow. The direction indicated by the arrow corresponds to the front of the drum 4 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 may include an outside front filter 75 for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge 71 and flows forward, an outside rear filter 76 for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge 71 and flows rearward, and a lateral filter 78 for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge 71 and flows in the lateral direction.
- the blowing fan 82 is located so as to be spaced apart from the discharge port 52 h in the lateral direction, a section for guiding air in the lateral direction is formed in the discharge duct 53 .
- the lateral filter 78 filters air that flows in the lateral direction.
- the outside front filter 75 , the outside rear filter 76 , and the lateral filter 78 may each include a mesh M.
- the meshes M may be mounted on openings P 1 ′, P 2 ′, P 3 ′, P 4 ′, P 7 ′, and P 8 ′, which are formed in the respective filters 75 , 76 , and 78 .
- the lateral filter 78 may be formed in least one of the opposite lateral surfaces of the outside filter cartridge 74 .
- the lateral filter 78 may be formed in one of the lateral surfaces of the outside filter cartridge 74 at which the blowing fan 82 is located, and the other of the lateral surfaces may be closed. Consequently, air that flows toward the blowing fan 82 in the circulation channel passes through the lateral filter 78 , by which the air is filtered.
- the outside filter cartridge 74 may include a mesh M for filtering air and an outside filter frame 740 for fixing the mesh M.
- the outside filter frame 740 may include an outside front frame 750 , an outside rear frame 760 , and a lateral frame 780 , which connects the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion. Referring to FIG.
- the outside front frame 750 may be provided with openings P 1 ′ and P 2 ′, on which a front mesh is mounted
- the outside rear frame 760 may be provided with openings P 3 ′ and P 4 ′, on which a rear mesh is mounted
- the lateral frame 780 may be provided with openings P 7 ′ and P 8 ′, on which a lateral mesh is mounted.
- the openings P 1 ′, P 2 ′, P 3 ′, and P 4 ′ in the outside filter frame 740 correspond to the openings P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , and P 4 in the inside filter frame 710 , respectively.
- the outside front filter 75 includes an outside front frame 750 and a front mesh M
- the outside rear filter 76 includes an outside rear frame 760 and a rear mesh M
- the lateral filter 78 includes a lateral frame 780 and a lateral mesh M.
- a lateral opening 78 h is formed between the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 .
- the lateral frame 780 is coupled to any one selected from between the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 , for example the outside rear frame 760 , in an unfoldable or foldable fashion, and is coupled to the other selected from between the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 , for example the outside front frame 750 , in the state in which the lateral frame 780 and the outside rear frame 760 are folded.
- the outside front frame 750 to which the lateral frame 780 is coupled, is provided with a fixing holder 758 for fixing the lateral frame 780 .
- two fixing holders 758 protrude from the lateral surface of the outside front frame 750 in the lateral direction such that the lateral frame 780 is fixed by the fixing holders 758 in the state in which the opening 78 h is closed by the lateral frame 780 .
- the lateral frame 780 may be provided with an opening tab 781 .
- the opening tab 781 is pulled in the state in which the lateral frame 780 is fixed by the fixing holder 758 , the coupling between the lateral frame 780 and the fixing holder 758 is released, and the lateral frame 780 is unfolded.
- the uncoupling between the lateral frame 780 and the fixing holder 758 is achieved as the result of elastic deformation of the fixing holder 758 , which is made of a synthetic resin material.
- connection of the lateral frame 780 to the outside rear frame 760 in an unfoldable fashion and the coupling of the lateral frame 780 to the outside front frame 750 in the state of being folded about the connection part 741 will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- the outside filter frame 740 may be made of a synthetic resin.
- the outside front frame 750 , the outside rear frame 760 , and a bottom frame 770 and the lateral frame 780 , which connect the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 to each other, may be formed as a single member.
- the connection part 741 (see FIG. 10 ) for connecting the respective frames 750 , 760 , 770 , and 780 , which constitute the outside filter frame 740 , to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion substantially has the same structure as the connection part 711 for connecting the frames constituting the inside filter frame 710 to each other.
- the outside filter frame 740 may include an outside front part 751 , in which the openings P 1 ′ and P 2 ′, on which the front mesh is mounted, is formed, an outside rear part 761 , in which the openings P 3 ′ and P 4 ′, on which the rear mesh is mounted, is formed, and a pair of outside lateral parts 742 and 743 , which extend from the opposite sides of the outside front part 751 toward the outside rear part 761 .
- the outside front part 751 may be formed at the outside front frame 750
- the outside rear part 761 may be formed at the outside rear frame 760
- the outside lateral parts 742 and 743 may be formed by at least one selected from between the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 .
- the outside lateral part 743 may be formed by a front lateral part 753 , which extends rearward from the outside front part 751 , and a rear lateral part 763 , which extends forward from the outside rear part 761 .
- the outside lateral part 742 may be formed in the same manner as the outside lateral part 743 .
- the front lateral part 753 and the rear lateral part 763 may partially overlap each other.
- a coupling protrusion 769 may be formed on any one selected from between the front lateral part 753 and the rear lateral part 763 , and a coupling recess (not shown), into which the coupling protrusion 769 is inserted, may be formed in the other selected from between the front lateral part 753 and the rear lateral part 763 .
- the coupling protrusion 769 is inserted into the coupling recess.
- the outside filter frame 740 is assembled as follows.
- the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 are turned upward with respect to the bottom frame 770 , and then the outside front frame 750 and the outside rear frame 760 are coupled to each other using the coupling protrusion 769 .
- the lateral frame 780 is turned with respect to the outside rear frame 760 , and then the outside front frame 750 and the lateral frame 780 are coupled to each other using the holder 758 .
- the outside filter cartridge 74 may further include a bottom filter 77 for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge 71 and flows downward.
- the bottom frame 770 may be provided with openings P 5 ′ and P 6 ′, on which a bottom mesh M is mounted.
- the bottom filter 77 may include the bottom frame 770 and the bottom mesh M.
- the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure includes a filter cartridge configured to have a dual filter structure in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge, wherein filters are provided at the front surface, the rear surface, and the lateral surface of the outside filter cartridge. Consequently, the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of improving filtering performance.
- the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of achieving the smooth flow of air in a duct (or a channel) having a small width in the forward and rearward direction even when the filter cartridges are disposed in the duct.
- the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of improving the flow of air such that the air flows to the blowing fan even in a structure in which the blowing fan is off-center due to the limited space defined in a casing.
- a conventional problem for example the turbulent flow of air in the discharge duct
- a clothes dryer including a rotatable drum, a drum supporter for supporting the drum, the drum supporter being provided with a discharge port for discharging air from the drum, a circulation channel for guiding air discharged through the discharge port into the drum, and a filter cartridge for filtering air in the circulation channel
- the filter cartridge includes an inside filter cartridge for filtering air discharged from the drum and an outside filter cartridge disposed in the circulation channel in a state of being supported by the drum supporter, the inside filter cartridge being separably received in the outside filter cartridge through an opening formed in the top surface of the outside filter cartridge, the outside filter cartridge including a front filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows forward, a rear filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows rearward, and a lateral filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows in the lateral direction
- any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc. means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure.
- the appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
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Abstract
Description
- This application claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Application No. 10-2015-0102000, filed on Jul. 17, 2015, whose entire disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference.
- 1. Field
- The present disclosure relates to a clothes dryer.
- 2. Background
- A clothes dryer is an apparatus that supplies dry air into a drum in which clothes are placed in order to dry the clothes. The clothes dryer may be classified as an exhaust type clothes dryer that exhausts air discharged from a drum out of the clothes dryer or a circulation type clothes dryer that circulates air discharged from a drum and resupplies the circulated air into the drum.
- In the circulation type clothes dryer, a filter cartridge is provided in a circulation channel in order to prevent foreign matter, such as lint or dust, floating in the air discharged from the drum from being introduced into the drum again. The filter cartridge is configured so as to be separable from the clothes dryer such that a user separates the filter cartridge from the clothes dryer and removes foreign matter from the filter cartridge.
- The filter cartridge may be configured to have a dual filter structure in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge such that air passes through the inside filter cartridge, by which the air is primarily filtered, and then the air passes through the outside filter cartridge, by which the air is secondarily filtered.
- Generally, the inside filter cartridge includes an inside front filter for filtering air that is introduced into the cartridge through an inlet port formed in the top surface thereof and flows forward and an inside rear filter for filtering air that is introduced into the cartridge through the inlet port and flows rearward. In the same manner, the outside filter cartridge includes an outside front filter and an outside rear filter provided at the front surface and the rear surface thereof so as to be aligned with the inside front filter and the inside rear filter, respectively.
- In the above structure, however, the filters are provided in the circulation channel in the state in which the filters overlap one another, with the result that the circulation channel may be narrowed. In particular, even if the capacity of the drum is increased, it is difficult to increase the width of the space, in which the filter cartridges are mounted, in the forward and rearward direction. In the conventional structure in which the inside and outside filters are sequentially arranged in the forward and rearward direction, therefore, a stream of air may not smoothly pass through the filters.
- The embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 2 is a view showing the internal structure of the clothes dryer ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a view showing a drum supporter in the state in which a filter cartridge is mounted in the drum supporter; -
FIG. 4 is a view showing the state in which the filter cartridge is separated from the drum supporter; -
FIG. 5 is a view showing the state in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge; -
FIG. 6 is a view showing the state in which an interference protrusion of the inside filter cartridge interferes with a restraint protrusion of the outside filter cartridge; -
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the inside filter cartridge; -
FIG. 8A is a view showing the inside surface of the inside filter cartridge in the state in which the inside filter cartridge is unfolded; -
FIG. 8B is a view showing the outside surface of the inside filter cartridge in the state in which the inside filter cartridge is unfolded; -
FIGS. 9A and 9B are perspective views of the outside filter cartridge; and -
FIG. 10 is a view showing the outside surface of the outside filter cartridge in the state in which the outside filter cartridge is unfolded. - Advantages and features of the present disclosure and a method of achieving the same will be more clearly understood from embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments but may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments are provided merely to complete disclosure of the present disclosure and to fully provide a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains with the category of the disclosure. The disclosure is defined only by the category of the claims. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the specification to refer to the same or like elements.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 4 , a clothes dryer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include acasing 1 having an opening formed in the front thereof such that clothes can be introduced through the opening, adoor 2 for opening and closing the opening, adrum 4 rotatably provided in thecasing 1, and adrum supporter 5 for supporting thedrum 4. - The
casing 1 may include abase 11 placed on the floor on which the clothes dryer is installed, acabinet 12 supported by thebase 11, thecabinet 12 having an open front surface and an open top surface, atop plate 13 disposed on the open top surface of thecabinet 12, and afront cover 14 disposed on the open front surface of thecabinet 12, thefront cover 14 having an opening through which laundry is introduced. - The
casing 1 may be provided at the upper part of the front surface thereof with acontrol panel 32, which includes an input unit for allowing various kinds of control commands for controlling the operation of the clothes dryer to be input and a display unit for displaying the state of operation of the clothes dryer. - The clothes dryer may further include a steam supply unit (not shown) for supplying steam into the
drum 4. In addition, a water tank for storing water to be supplied to the steam supply unit may be received in adrawer 31. - The
drum supporter 5 may be provided with an introduction port 5 a, through which clothes are introduced into thedrum 4. The introduction port 5 a communicates with the opening in thefront cover 14. Thedrum supporter 5 may be provided with a ring-shaped support surface or a ring-shaped groove for supporting the front end of thedrum 4. - The
drum supporter 5 may be provided with adischarge port 52 h for discharging air from thedrum 4, and adischarge duct 53 for guiding the air discharged through thedischarge port 52 h. The air discharged from thedrum 4 through thedischarge port 52 h is guided along thedischarge duct 53, is guided along aconnection duct 81, which is connected to thedischarge duct 53, and reaches a blowingfan 82.Reference symbol 53 h shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 indicates the outlet of thedischarge duct 53. Theconnection duct 81 is connected to the outlet of thedischarge duct 53. - A stream of air that flows in the lateral direction may be formed in the
discharge duct 53 depending on the position of the blowingfan 82 or the shape of thedischarge duct 53. In this embodiment, as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4 , the blowingfan 82 is located so as to be spaced apart from thedischarge port 52 h in the lateral direction. Consequently, thedischarge duct 53 includes asection 53 s for guiding the air discharged through thedischarge port 52 h in the lateral direction. - The
drum supporter 5 may include anintroduction surface 52, which defines theintroduction port 5 h. Theintroduction surface 52 may extend from thefront surface 51 of thedrum supporter 5, in which theintroduction port 5 h is formed, to thedrum 4. Theintroduction surface 52 may constitute a portion of a ring extending around theintroduction port 5 h. Theintroduction surface 52 may be formed to have a ring shape that wholly defines theintroduction port 5 h. In this embodiment, theintroduction surface 52 may be formed to have a shape corresponding to a part in which afilter cartridge 7 is mounted, i.e. a portion of the lower part of theintroduction port 5 h. Thedischarge port 52 h is formed in theintroduction surface 52 such that thedischarge port 52 h is open upward. - A
back panel 6 supports the rear end of thedrum 4. Theback panel 6 is provided with anair supply port 6 h for supplying dry air into thedrum 4. Theback panel 6 may be provided with a ring-shaped support surface or a ring-shaped groove for supporting the rear end of thedrum 4. - A
motor 83 may be provided to rotate thedrum 4. Thedrum 4 may be driven in a belt drive fashion. In this case, a belt (not shown) wound around the outer circumferential surface of thedrum 4 is moved by a pulley (not shown), which is rotated by themotor 83, such that thedrum 4 is rotated. A plurality ofrollers 55 may be provided at thedrum supporter 5 and theback panel 6 so as to support the outer circumferential surface of thedrum 4 during the rotation of thedrum 4. - The clothes dryer includes a circulation channel for guiding air, discharged from the
drum 4 through thedischarge port 52 h, into the drum. The circulation channel includes thedischarge duct 53 and theconnection duct 81. Although not shown, the circulation channel may further include a channel for guiding the air, blown by the blowingfan 82, to theair supply port 6 h of theback panel 6. The blowingfan 82 blows air such that the air flows along the circulation channel. In this embodiment, themotor 83, which rotates thedrum 4, is also used to rotate the blowingfan 82. Alternatively, an additional motor may be provided to drive the blowingfan 82. - The clothes dryer may further include a heat generation unit for heating air that flows along the circulation channel. The heat generation unit may be realized by various kinds of well-known means. In this embodiment, the clothes dryer heats air using a heat pump. The heat pump is configured such that a refrigerant is compressed, expanded, evaporated, and condensed while the refrigerant is moved along the closed circulation channel. Heat generated when the refrigerant is condensed is used to heat air. Although a
compressor 84 for compressing the refrigerant and acondenser 85 for condensing the refrigerant are shown inFIG. 2 , an expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant may be further provided. In some embodiments, an electric heater or a thermoelectric device may be used as the heat generation unit. - Referring to
FIGS. 3 to 10 , afilter cartridge 7 for filtering air is provided in the circulation channel. Thefilter cartridge 7 is configured to have a dual filter structure including aninside filter cartridge 71 and anoutside filter cartridge 74. Air discharged from thedrum 4 sequentially passes through theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74, and is then suctioned into the blowingfan 82. - More specifically, the
outside filter cartridge 74 is supported by thedrum supporter 5 in the state in which theoutside filter cartridge 74 is inserted in thedischarge port 52 h. Referring toFIG. 4 , the drum supporter 50 may have alocation surface 54 defined in thedischarge duct 53, and theoutside filter cartridge 74 may be located on thelocation surface 54. Specifically, the upper end of the outside filter cartridge 74 (the bottom surface, which is the surface opposite thetop surface 745 shown inFIG. 9A ) may be located on thelocation surface 54. In the state in which theoutside filter cartridge 74 is located on thelocation surface 54, theoutside filter cartridge 74 is disposed at a lower position than theintroduction surface 52. Theoutside filter cartridge 74 may be completely received in thedischarge duct 53 such that theoutside filter cartridge 74 is not exposed through thedischarge port 52 h. - An
opening 74 h, through which theinside filter cartridge 71 passes, is formed in the top surface 745 (seeFIG. 9A ) of theoutside filter cartridge 74. Theinside filter cartridge 71 may be received in or separated from theoutside filter cartridge 74 through theopening 74 h. - The
inside filter cartridge 71 is configured to have a structure including a mesh M for filtering air and aninside filter frame 710 for fixing the mesh M. Theoutside filter cartridge 74 is configured to have a structure including a mesh M for filtering air and anoutside filter frame 740 for fixing the mesh M. The mesh M may be located at various positions on each of thefilter cartridges filter cartridges filter cartridges filter cartridges - The
inside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are separate members. Theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are mounted in thedrum supporter 5 in the state in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is received in theoutside filter cartridge 74. - The
inside filter cartridge 71 may be provided with aninterference protrusion 715. Theoutside filter cartridge 74 may be provided with arestraint protrusion 745. Therestraint protrusion 745 restrains theinterference protrusion 715 such that theoutside filter cartridge 74 is moved simultaneously with theinside filter cartridge 71 when theinside filter cartridge 71 is pulled in the direction in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is withdrawn through theopening 74 h in the state in which theoutside filter cartridge 74 is supported by thedrum supporter 5. - In order to remove foreign matter, such as lint or dust, from the
filter cartridge 7, a user may directly remove thefilter cartridge 7 from thedrum supporter 5. When theinside filter cartridge 71 is withdrawn from theoutside filter cartridge 74, theinterference protrusion 715 is caught by therestraint protrusion 745, with the result that theinterference protrusion 715 is restrained by therestraint protrusion 745, and theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are separated from thedrum supporter 5 while theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are moved simultaneously. Even when the user lifts up only theinside filter cartridge 71 in the state in which the user does not notice theoutside filter cartridge 74, therefore, both theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 may be separated from thedrum supporter 5. Consequently, it is possible to fundamentally solve the problem of theoutside filter cartridge 74 remaining in the clothes dryer due to the user's carelessness during the removal of foreign matter from thefilter cartridge 7 as in the conventional art. - In addition, the
inside filter cartridge 71 may not be exposed (i.e. it is not necessary for the user to notice the inside filter cartridge 71) when thefilter cartridge 7 is separated from thedrum supporter 5 as long as theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are connected to each other. Consequently, theinside filter cartridge 71 may be completely mounted in thedischarge duct 53. - Meanwhile, the
interference protrusion 715 and therestraint protrusion 745 may be spaced apart from each other in the direction in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is moved such that theinside filter cartridge 71 can be moved by a predetermined distance in theoutside filter cartridge 74. As shown inFIG. 6A , during the withdrawal of thefilter cartridge 7, theinside filter cartridge 71 is moved by a predetermined distance d, and then theinterference protrusion 715 interferes with therestraint protrusion 745. As a result, theinside filter cartridge 71 and theoutside filter cartridge 74 are simultaneously separated from thedrum supporter 5. - The
outside filter cartridge 74 includes anoutside front filter 75 and an outsiderear filter 76, which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion. Theoutside front filter 75 and the outsiderear filter 76 are mounted in thedrum supporter 5 in the state in which theoutside front filter 75 and the outsiderear filter 76 are folded so as to be coupled to each other. In the state in which theoutside filter cartridge 74 is separated from thedrum supporter 5, theoutside front filter 75 and the outsiderear filter 76 may be unfolded such that theinside filter cartridge 71 can be pulled out from theoutside filter cartridge 74. - According to the circumstances, however, the user may forcibly pull the
inside filter cartridge 71 in the state in which the user does not unfold theoutside filter cartridge 74. In order to prevent theinterference protrusion 715 or therestraint protrusion 745 from breaking even in this case, at least one selected from between theinterference protrusion 715 and therestraint protrusion 745 may be provided with a firstinclined part 715 a, the protruding height of which is gradually decreased in the direction in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is separated from the outside filter cartridge 74 (e.g. in the forward direction), and a secondinclined part 715 b, the protruding height of which is gradually decreased in the direction in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is inserted into the outside filter cartridge 74 (e.g. in the downward direction). - In the above structure, even when the
inside filter cartridge 71 is pulled in the state in which theoutside filter cartridge 74 is not unfolded, theinside filter cartridge 71 may be somewhat deformed due to the characteristics of the material (e.g. the synthetic resin) of theinside filter cartridge 71. When sufficient force is applied to theinside filter cartridge 71, therefore, the firstinclined part 715 a may overcome the interference with therestraint protrusion 745, and may move over therestraint protrusion 745. On the other hand, during the insertion of theinside filter cartridge 71 into theoutside filter cartridge 74, the secondinclined part 715 b may overcome the interference with therestraint protrusion 745, and may move over therestraint protrusion 745. - Referring to
FIGS. 6 to 8 , theinside filter cartridge 71 includes aninside front filter 72 and an insiderear filter 73, which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion. The insidefront filter 72 and the insiderear filter 73 are received in theoutside filter cartridge 74 in the state in which the insidefront filter 72 and the insiderear filter 73 are folded so as to be coupled to each other. - The inside
front filter 72 may include a front surface, on which is mounted a front mesh for filtering air that is introduced through an inlet port formed in the top surface thereof and flows forward. The insiderear filter 73 may include a rear surface, on which is mounted a rear mesh for filtering air that is introduced through the inlet port and flows rearward. Theinterference protrusion 715 may be formed on at least one selected from between the front surface of the insidefront filter 72 and the rear surface of the insiderear filter 73. - A plurality of
interference protrusions 715 may be formed. Referring toFIG. 8B , theinterference protrusions 715 may include afirst interference protrusion 715 a, which protrudes forward from the front surface of the insidefront filter 72, and asecond interference protrusion 715 b, which protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the insiderear filter 73. - A plurality of
restraint protrusions 745 may also be formed. The restraint protrusions 745 may include a first restraint protrusion 745 a, which protrudes toward the front surface (or an inside front part 721) of the insidefront filter 72 so as to correspond to thefirst interference protrusion 715 a, and a second restraint protrusion 745 b, which protrudes toward the rear surface (or an inside rear part 731) of the insidefront filter 72 so as to correspond to thesecond interference protrusion 715 b. - The
inside filter cartridge 71 may have atop surface 745, which is defined by at least one selected from between atop surface 755 of the insidefront filter 72 and atop surface 765 of the insiderear filter 73. Aninlet port 7 h (seeFIG. 5 ), through which the air discharged from thedrum 4 is introduced, may be formed in thetop surface 745. - The top surface of the
inside filter cartridge 71 may includelattice ribs inlet port 7 h into several small regions. Thelattice ribs inside filter cartridge 71. In addition, thelattice ribs inside filter cartridge 71 even when the small objects are present in thedrum 4. - The
inside filter cartridge 71 includes a mesh M and aninside filter frame 710 for fixing the mesh M. As shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B , theinside filter cartridge 71 may be made of a synthetic resin, which may be somewhat deformable. Theinside filter cartridge 71 may be formed as a single member by injection molding. Theinside filter cartridge 71 may have at least one opening P1, P2, P3, and P4, on which the mesh M is mounted. - The top surface of the
inside filter cartridge 71 may be configured to have a shape corresponding to the shape of theintroduction surface 52, i.e. a curved shape, such as an approximate arc shape. The top surface of theinside filter cartridge 71 and theintroduction surface 52 provide a sense of unity, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance to theinside filter cartridge 71 and reducing interference between the clothes in the drum and theinside filter cartridge 71. - The
inside filter frame 710 may include an insidefront frame 720 and an insiderear frame 730, which are connected to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion. The insidefront frame 720 may be provided with openings P1 and P2, on which a front mesh is mounted, and the insiderear frame 730 may be provided with openings P3 and P4, on which a rear mesh is mounted. Theinside filter frame 710 may be made of a synthetic resin. The insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 may be formed as a single member. - The inside
front filter 72 includes an insidefront frame 720 and a front mesh M, and the insiderear filter 73 includes an insiderear frame 730 and a rear mesh M. - Referring to
FIGS. 8A and 8B , theinside filter frame 710 may include an insidefront part 721, in which the openings P1 and P2, on which the front mesh is mounted, are formed, an insiderear part 731, in which the openings P3 and P4, on which the rear mesh is mounted, are formed, and a pair of insidelateral parts front part 721 toward the insiderear part 731. - The inside
front part 721 may be formed at the insidefront frame 720, the insiderear part 731 may be formed at the insiderear frame 730, and the insidelateral parts front frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730. For example, the insidelateral part 712 may be formed by a frontlateral part 722, which extends rearward from the insidefront part 721, and a rearlateral part 732, which extends forward from the insiderear part 731. The insidelateral part 713 may be formed in the same manner as the insidelateral part 712. - Referring to
FIG. 7 , theupper part 721 a of the insidefront part 721 protrudes further forward than the lower part of the insidefront part 721, in which the openings P1 and P2 are formed, so as to define asurface 721 b that faces downward, and the upper part of the insiderear part 731 protrudes further rearward than the lower part of the insiderear part 731, in which the openings P3 and P4 are formed, so as to define asurface 731 b that faces downward. Thesurfaces FIG. 9A ) of theoutside filter cartridge 74 such that thesurfaces top surface 745. - The inside
front frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 may be connected to each other via aconnection part 711. A plurality ofconnection parts 711 may be arranged at intervals. The insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 may be turned about theconnection part 711 such that the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 are unfolded or folded. - The inside
front filter 72 and the insiderear filter 73 may be separably coupled to each other. Such coupling between the insidefront filter 72 and the insiderear filter 73 may be achieved using only the elasticity of the material for the insidefront filter 72 and the insiderear filter 73 without an additional fastening member. To this end, ahook 736 may be formed on any one selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730, and an appropriate coupling part, to which thehook 736 is coupled, may be formed in the other selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730. - A
stopper protrusion 728 may be formed on any one selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 such that thestopper protrusion 728 prevents the other selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 from being unfolded at more than a predetermined angle. In addition, a unfoldinglimit protrusion 738 may be formed on the other selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 such that the unfoldinglimit protrusion 738 interferes with thestopper protrusion 728 when the other selected from between the insidefront frame 720 and the insiderear frame 730 is unfolded at the predetermined angle. As a result, the unfolding angle of theinside filter cartridge 71 is limited so as not to exceed the predetermined angle (for example, 180 degrees), thereby preventing damage to theconnection part 711. - The
inside filter frame 710 may be provided at the top surface thereof with amark 727 that indicates the direction in which theinside filter cartridge 71 is mounted. In this embodiment, themark 727 is formed in the shape of an arrow. The direction indicated by the arrow corresponds to the front of thedrum 4. - Referring to
FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10 , theoutside filter cartridge 74 may include anoutside front filter 75 for filtering air that passes through theinside filter cartridge 71 and flows forward, an outsiderear filter 76 for filtering air that passes through theinside filter cartridge 71 and flows rearward, and alateral filter 78 for filtering air that passes through theinside filter cartridge 71 and flows in the lateral direction. In particular, since the blowingfan 82 is located so as to be spaced apart from thedischarge port 52 h in the lateral direction, a section for guiding air in the lateral direction is formed in thedischarge duct 53. Thelateral filter 78 filters air that flows in the lateral direction. - The
outside front filter 75, the outsiderear filter 76, and thelateral filter 78 may each include a mesh M. The meshes M may be mounted on openings P1′, P2′, P3′, P4′, P7′, and P8′, which are formed in therespective filters - The
lateral filter 78 may be formed in least one of the opposite lateral surfaces of theoutside filter cartridge 74. For example, thelateral filter 78 may be formed in one of the lateral surfaces of theoutside filter cartridge 74 at which the blowingfan 82 is located, and the other of the lateral surfaces may be closed. Consequently, air that flows toward the blowingfan 82 in the circulation channel passes through thelateral filter 78, by which the air is filtered. - The
outside filter cartridge 74 may include a mesh M for filtering air and anoutside filter frame 740 for fixing the mesh M. Theoutside filter frame 740 may include anoutside front frame 750, an outsiderear frame 760, and alateral frame 780, which connects theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760 to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion. Referring toFIG. 10 , theoutside front frame 750 may be provided with openings P1′ and P2′, on which a front mesh is mounted, the outsiderear frame 760 may be provided with openings P3′ and P4′, on which a rear mesh is mounted, and thelateral frame 780 may be provided with openings P7′ and P8′, on which a lateral mesh is mounted. The openings P1′, P2′, P3′, and P4′ in theoutside filter frame 740 correspond to the openings P1, P2, P3, and P4 in theinside filter frame 710, respectively. - The
outside front filter 75 includes anoutside front frame 750 and a front mesh M, the outsiderear filter 76 includes an outsiderear frame 760 and a rear mesh M, and thelateral filter 78 includes alateral frame 780 and a lateral mesh M. - A
lateral opening 78 h is formed between theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760. Thelateral frame 780 is coupled to any one selected from between theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760, for example the outsiderear frame 760, in an unfoldable or foldable fashion, and is coupled to the other selected from between theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760, for example theoutside front frame 750, in the state in which thelateral frame 780 and the outsiderear frame 760 are folded. Theoutside front frame 750, to which thelateral frame 780 is coupled, is provided with a fixingholder 758 for fixing thelateral frame 780. In this embodiment, two fixingholders 758 protrude from the lateral surface of theoutside front frame 750 in the lateral direction such that thelateral frame 780 is fixed by the fixingholders 758 in the state in which theopening 78 h is closed by thelateral frame 780. - The
lateral frame 780 may be provided with anopening tab 781. When theopening tab 781 is pulled in the state in which thelateral frame 780 is fixed by the fixingholder 758, the coupling between thelateral frame 780 and the fixingholder 758 is released, and thelateral frame 780 is unfolded. At this time, the uncoupling between thelateral frame 780 and the fixingholder 758 is achieved as the result of elastic deformation of the fixingholder 758, which is made of a synthetic resin material. - Hereinafter, the connection of the
lateral frame 780 to the outsiderear frame 760 in an unfoldable fashion and the coupling of thelateral frame 780 to theoutside front frame 750 in the state of being folded about theconnection part 741 will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. - The
outside filter frame 740 may be made of a synthetic resin. Theoutside front frame 750, the outsiderear frame 760, and abottom frame 770 and thelateral frame 780, which connect theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760 to each other, may be formed as a single member. Meanwhile, the connection part 741 (seeFIG. 10 ) for connecting therespective frames outside filter frame 740, to each other in an unfoldable or foldable fashion substantially has the same structure as theconnection part 711 for connecting the frames constituting theinside filter frame 710 to each other. - Referring to
FIGS. 9 and 10 , theoutside filter frame 740 may include an outsidefront part 751, in which the openings P1′ and P2′, on which the front mesh is mounted, is formed, an outsiderear part 761, in which the openings P3′ and P4′, on which the rear mesh is mounted, is formed, and a pair of outsidelateral parts front part 751 toward the outsiderear part 761. - The outside
front part 751 may be formed at theoutside front frame 750, the outsiderear part 761 may be formed at the outsiderear frame 760, and the outsidelateral parts outside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760. For example, the outsidelateral part 743 may be formed by a frontlateral part 753, which extends rearward from the outsidefront part 751, and a rearlateral part 763, which extends forward from the outsiderear part 761. The outsidelateral part 742 may be formed in the same manner as the outsidelateral part 743. - In the state in which the
outside filter frame 740 is assembled, the frontlateral part 753 and the rearlateral part 763 may partially overlap each other. In the overlapping region, acoupling protrusion 769 may be formed on any one selected from between the frontlateral part 753 and the rearlateral part 763, and a coupling recess (not shown), into which thecoupling protrusion 769 is inserted, may be formed in the other selected from between the frontlateral part 753 and the rearlateral part 763. In the state in which theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760 are folded, thecoupling protrusion 769 is inserted into the coupling recess. - In the state in which the
outside filter frame 740 is unfolded, theoutside filter frame 740 is assembled as follows. Theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760 are turned upward with respect to thebottom frame 770, and then theoutside front frame 750 and the outsiderear frame 760 are coupled to each other using thecoupling protrusion 769. Subsequently, thelateral frame 780 is turned with respect to the outsiderear frame 760, and then theoutside front frame 750 and thelateral frame 780 are coupled to each other using theholder 758. - The
outside filter cartridge 74 may further include abottom filter 77 for filtering air that passes through theinside filter cartridge 71 and flows downward. Thebottom frame 770 may be provided with openings P5′ and P6′, on which a bottom mesh M is mounted. In this case, thebottom filter 77 may include thebottom frame 770 and the bottom mesh M. - As is apparent from the above description, the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure includes a filter cartridge configured to have a dual filter structure in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge, wherein filters are provided at the front surface, the rear surface, and the lateral surface of the outside filter cartridge. Consequently, the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of improving filtering performance.
- In particular, the flow of air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and is discharged through the lateral surface of the outside filter cartridge is improved. Consequently, the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of achieving the smooth flow of air in a duct (or a channel) having a small width in the forward and rearward direction even when the filter cartridges are disposed in the duct.
- In addition, the clothes dryer according to the present disclosure has the effect of improving the flow of air such that the air flows to the blowing fan even in a structure in which the blowing fan is off-center due to the limited space defined in a casing.
- It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a clothes dryer including a filter cartridge configured to have a dual filter structure in which an inside filter cartridge is received in an outside filter cartridge, wherein filters are provided at the front surface, the rear surface, and the lateral surface of the outside filter cartridge in order to improve the filtering performance of the outside filter cartridge, and, in particular, to improve the flow of air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and is discharged through the lateral surface of the outside filter cartridge.
- It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a clothes dryer including a duct for guiding the flow of air in the lateral direction such that the air flows to a blowing fan even in a structure in which the blowing fan is off-center due to the limited space defined in a casing, wherein a filter cartridge having a lateral filter is mounted in the duct.
- It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide a clothes dryer configured to have a structure in which a discharge duct for guiding the air discharged from a drum is provided in front of the drum in order to solve a conventional problem, for example the turbulent flow of air in the discharge duct, caused as the result of the gap between the filters and the inside surface of the discharge duct being further narrowed in a conventional dual filter structure in which the filters are sequentially disposed in the forward and rearward direction in the state in which the width of the discharge duct in the forward and rearward direction is narrow.
- In accordance with the present disclosure, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a clothes dryer including a rotatable drum, a drum supporter for supporting the drum, the drum supporter being provided with a discharge port for discharging air from the drum, a circulation channel for guiding air discharged through the discharge port into the drum, and a filter cartridge for filtering air in the circulation channel, wherein the filter cartridge includes an inside filter cartridge for filtering air discharged from the drum and an outside filter cartridge disposed in the circulation channel in a state of being supported by the drum supporter, the inside filter cartridge being separably received in the outside filter cartridge through an opening formed in the top surface of the outside filter cartridge, the outside filter cartridge including a front filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows forward, a rear filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows rearward, and a lateral filter for filtering air that passes through the inside filter cartridge and flows in the lateral direction
- Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
- Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims (20)
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KR1020150102000A KR102460252B1 (en) | 2015-07-17 | 2015-07-17 | Fabric dryer |
KR10-2015-0102000 | 2015-07-17 |
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US20170362769A9 true US20170362769A9 (en) | 2017-12-21 |
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US15/211,520 Active US9951464B2 (en) | 2015-07-17 | 2016-07-15 | Clothes dryer |
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EP (1) | EP3118366B1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR102460252B1 (en) |
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AU (1) | AU2016295074B2 (en) |
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2015
- 2015-07-17 KR KR1020150102000A patent/KR102460252B1/en active IP Right Grant
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2016
- 2016-07-15 US US15/211,520 patent/US9951464B2/en active Active
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- 2016-07-15 AU AU2016295074A patent/AU2016295074B2/en active Active
- 2016-07-18 CN CN201610565822.3A patent/CN106350977B/en active Active
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CN106350977A (en) | 2017-01-25 |
US9951464B2 (en) | 2018-04-24 |
WO2017014496A1 (en) | 2017-01-26 |
KR102460252B1 (en) | 2022-10-27 |
AU2016295074A1 (en) | 2018-03-08 |
US20170016172A1 (en) | 2017-01-19 |
KR20170009657A (en) | 2017-01-25 |
AU2016295074B2 (en) | 2019-07-25 |
EP3118366B1 (en) | 2018-03-14 |
EP3118366A1 (en) | 2017-01-18 |
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