WO2022025551A1

WO2022025551A1 - Laundry treating apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2022025551A1
Application number: PCT/KR2021/009618
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yeeseok BAE; Junyoung Kim; Soohong LEE
Original assignee: Lg Electronics Inc.
Priority date: 2020-07-29
Filing date: 2021-07-26
Publication date: 2022-02-03
Also published as: KR20220014623A

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus that may reduce a process of assembling a duct cover along which air discharged from a drum flows, and may mount a washer capable of washing an evaporator on the duct cover.

Description

LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS

The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus.

In recent years, a laundry treating apparatus that performs a drying process capable of removing moisture from laundry has appeared. A conventional laundry treating apparatus was able to not only drastically shorten a drying time of the laundry by supplying hot air to a drum accommodating the laundry therein, but also sterilize and disinfect the laundry.

A conventional laundry treating apparatus was able to use an electric heater to supply hot air to the drum. It was possible to generate hot air by heating air flowed into the drum by installing a heater on the duct in communication with the drum.

Recently, a laundry treating apparatus that heats air flowed into the drum with a heat pump system has appeared. Such laundry treating apparatus was able to condense moisture by cooling air discharged from the laundry through an evaporator, and re-heat the air through a condenser to generate hot air that has a high temperature and is dry.

The laundry treating apparatus having the heat pump system had advantages in that energy efficiency is higher than that of the laundry treating apparatus using the electric heater, installation is simple, and repair and replacement are easy.

However, the conventional laundry treating apparatus has a problem in that foreign matters such as lint and the like are attached to the evaporator because air discharged from the laundry directly collides with the evaporator. There was a problem in that the foreign matters attached to the evaporator interferes with heat exchange between a cold refrigerant flowing through the evaporator and air discharged from the drum, thereby reducing a drying efficiency.

In particular, there was a problem in that, when the foreign matters remaining in the evaporator are corrupted by bacteria and the like, even the laundry accommodated in the drum is contaminated.

Referring to Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2012-0110498, a laundry treating apparatus capable of washing the evaporator with water has appeared.

The laundry treating apparatus was able to automatically remove the foreign matters attached to the evaporator by supplying water to the evaporator, and thus, was possible to prevent a user from having to directly wash the evaporator.

FIG. 1 shows a duct structure of a conventional laundry treating apparatus.

A conventional laundry treating apparatus has a base 3 on which a heat pump system may be seated. The base 3 may have a mounting portion 39 in which a compressor may be installed. Each of an inlet duct 33 through which air discharged from the drum is introduced, a heating duct 35 in which the air introduced from the inflow duct 33 is cooled and then heated, and an air supply duct 31 that supplies the air heated in the heating duct 35 to the drum may be disposed on each side of the mounting portion 39.

The evaporator and a condenser may be accommodated in the heating duct 35, and a cover 36 on which a water flowing portion 6 that supplies water to the evaporator is installed may be disposed on the heating duct 35.

The inflow duct 33 may include a guide duct 352 extending from the cover 36 to flow air to a space defined below the cover 36.

The guide duct 352 may be formed separately from the cover 36 and disposed in front of the cover 36. The guide duct 352 may collide with the water introduced from the water flowing portion 6 and guide the water to the evaporator.

The guide duct 352 may include a suction duct 3521 defining therein a flow passage along which the air flows, and a conversion rib 3522 extending downward from the suction duct 3521 to convert a flowing direction of the water.

A washing pipe 631 that guides the water from the water flowing portion 6 to the evaporator is coupled to a washing hole 651 defined by passing through the cover 36. The water introduced into the washing hole 651 flows in a direction a toward the conversion duct 3522. Thereafter, the water that has collided with the conversion duct 3522 may flow in a direction b and be guided to a surface of the evaporator.

As a result, the water flowing in the direction a may collide with the conversion duct 3522 and then may be temporarily stored in the conversion duct 3522 and spread uniformly to be supplied in the direction b. Accordingly, the water may be evenly supplied to the surface of the evaporator, so that the foreign matters attached to the evaporator may be removed.

However, the conventional laundry treating apparatus had inconvenience of manufacturing the guide duct 352 and the cover 36 as separate components, and assembling the guide duct 352 and the cover 36 with each other.

In particular, there was a problem in that the air of the drum may leak into a portion where the guide duct 352 and the cover 36 are in contact with each other.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may reduce a process of assembling a duct cover along which air discharged from a drum flows.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may mount a washer capable of washing an evaporator on a duct cover along which air discharged from a drum flows.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may simplify production and assembly processes of a duct.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus having a discharge portion that may supply water evenly onto a surface of an evaporator.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus in which a discharge portion is mounted and installed on a duct cover.

The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may supply water supplied from the discharge portion in a manner of being dispersed over a larger area.

In order to solve the above problems, a laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure includes a cabinet for forming an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus, a drum accommodated in the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein, a circulating flow passage constructed to re-supply air discharged from the drum into the drum, a fan disposed inside the circulating flow passage to flow air, a heat-exchanger including an evaporator installed inside the circulating flow passage and cooling air discharged from the drum, and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from the evaporator and heating air, a water flowing portion coupled to the heat-exchanger or the circulating flow passage to flow water condensed in the evaporator, and a discharge portion coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water and discharge received water to the evaporator to remove foreign matters attached to the evaporator.

The discharge portion may include an inflow hole coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water, and a discharge slit for discharging water supplied from the inflow hole to the evaporator, and the inflow hole and the discharge slit may be spaced apart from each other so as to be blocked from facing each other.

The discharge portion may further include a flow passage body having the inflow hole defined on one side and the discharge slit defined on the other side, wherein the flow passage body provides therein a space for water to flow. The discharge slit may be defined by passing through one surface of the flow passage body such that water flowing along the flow passage body is discharged in a different direction from a flowing direction thereof.

The flow passage body may include a flowing duct for guiding water introduced from the inflow hole to the discharge slit, and the flowing duct may increase in a cross-sectional dimension from the inflow hole to the discharge slit.

The flow passage body may include a blocking surface for guiding water flowing along the flowing duct to the discharge slit by collision.

The flow passage body may further include a conversion duct extending from a distal end of the flowing duct to the blocking surface.

The conversion duct may include an extension surface extending to the blocking surface at an angle different from an extension angle of the flowing duct from the inflow hole toward the discharge slit.

The conversion duct may include an expansion surface constructed such that a cross-sectional dimension thereof increases toward the discharge slit.

The discharge portion may include a flow passage controlling portion disposed inside the flow passage body to control the flowing direction of water.

The flow passage controlling portion may include an inclined portion inclined such that water introduced into the flow passage body flows to the discharge slit.

The flow passage controlling portion may include a curved portion formed as an inner surface of the flow passage body is curved such that water introduced into the flow passage body flows to both ends of the discharge slit.

The flow passage controlling portion may include a plurality of partition ribs for partitioning an interior of the flow passage body.

The plurality of partition ribs may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other such that a distance between respective ends thereof on a side facing toward the discharge slit is greater than a distance between respective ends thereof on a side opposite to the side facing toward the discharge slit.

The discharge portion may further include a step portion disposed inside the flow passage body and constructed to protrude along a longitudinal direction of the discharge slit.

The step portion may be constructed to protrude from one surface of the discharge slit.

The discharge portion may include an extension duct extending from the flow passage body to be in communication with the discharge slit to discharge water supplied from the discharge slit.

The discharge portion may further include a flow passage body having the inflow hole defined on one side and the discharge slit defined on the other side, wherein the flow passage body provides therein a space for water to flow, and the discharge slit may be defined by passing through a free end of the flow passage body such that water flowing along the flow passage body is discharged in a flowing direction.

The flow passage body may include a flowing duct for guiding water introduced from the inflow hole to the discharge slit, and a bent portion constructed by bending a portion of the flowing duct, wherein the bent portion temporarily collects water flowing along the flowing duct.

The flow passage body may be disposed in parallel with an inflow surface of the evaporator, wherein air of the circulating flow passage is introduced through the inflow surface.

In order to solve the above problems, a laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure includes a cabinet for forming an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus, a drum accommodated in the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein, a circulating flow passage constructed to re-supply air discharged from the drum into the drum, a fan disposed inside the circulating flow passage to flow air, a heat-exchanger including an evaporator installed inside the circulating flow passage and cooling air discharged from the drum, and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from the evaporator and heating air; a water flowing portion coupled to the heat-exchanger or the circulating flow passage to flow water condensed in the evaporator, and a discharge portion coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water and discharge received water to the evaporator to remove foreign matters attached to the evaporator.

The circulating flow passage may include a connection duct, wherein the evaporator and the condenser are accommodated therein and coupled to each other, and a mounting duct coupled to a top of the connection duct to shield the evaporator and the condenser, wherein the water flowing portion is coupled to the mounting duct.

The discharge portion may be mounted on a top of the mounting duct.

The mounting duct may include a mounting cover coupled to the connection duct to shield the evaporator and the condenser, and a cover through-hole exposing at least a portion of the evaporator through the mounting cover.

The discharge portion may include a flow passage body coupled to a top of the mounting cover to supply water to the cover through-hole.

The discharge portion may include a flow passage connecting pipe extending in parallel with the mounting cover from the flow passage body, and the flow passage body may be constructed to guide water supplied from the flow passage connecting pipe to the cover through-hole.

The cover through-hole may include a plurality of cover through-holes disposed along a long-side direction of the evaporator, and the flow passage body may include a plurality of flow passage bodies to be respectively coupled to the plurality of cover through-holes.

The flow passage body may include a plurality of flow passage bodies extending from an installation body coupled to the mounting cover.

The present disclosure may reduce the process of assembling the duct cover along which the air discharged from the drum flows.

The present disclosure may mount the washer capable of washing the evaporator on the duct cover along which the air discharged from the drum flows.

The present disclosure may simplify the production and assembly processes of the duct.

The present disclosure may have the discharge portion that may supply the water evenly onto the surface of the evaporator.

The present disclosure may have the effect that the discharge portion is mounted and installed on the duct cover.

The present disclosure may supply the water supplied from the discharge portion in the manner of being dispersed over the larger area.

FIG. 1 shows a duct structure of a conventional laundry treating apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows a structure of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows an internal configuration of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows a structure of a base of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 shows a function of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of a structure of a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 shows an installation structure of a duct and a discharge portion of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same and similar reference numerals are assigned to the same and similar components even in different embodiments, and the description thereof is replaced by the first description. As used herein, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed herein, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and it should be noted that the technical idea disclosed herein should not be construed as being limited by the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a laundry treating apparatus and a method for controlling the same will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. A component of the apparatus or the method for controlling the same to be described below is only for describing an example thereof, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the specification.

FIG. 2 shows basic features of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, a cabinet 1 includes a front panel 11 defining a front surface of the laundry treating apparatus. The front panel 11 has an inlet 111 defined therein to communicate with a drum 2 and a door 112 pivotally coupled to the cabinet to open and close the inlet 111.

A control panel 117 is disposed on the front panel 11. The control pane l17 may include an input unit 118 for receiving a control command from a user, and a display 119 for outputting information such as a control command selectable by the user. A main controller that controls a command for performing a drying process of the laundry treating apparatus may be installed.

The input unit 118 may be configured to include a power supply request unit for requesting power supply to the laundry treating apparatus, a course input unit for allowing the user to select a desired course among a plurality of courses, and an execution request unit for requesting start of a course selected by the user. The display 119 may be configured to include at least one of a display panel capable of outputting a text and a figure, and a speaker capable of outputting an audio signal and a sound.

In one example, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may include a water storage 7 constructed to separately store therein moisture generated in the process of drying the laundry. The water storage 7 may include a storage body 72 constructed to be withdrawn from one side of the front panel 11 to the outside. The storage body 72 may be constructed to collect condensate delivered from a washing pump to be described later. The user may withdraw the storage body 72 from the cabinet 1 to remove the condensate therefrom, and then, mount the storage body 72 in the cabinet 1 again. Therefore, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may be placed in any places where a sewer or the like is not installed.

In one example, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a steam supplier 200 capable of supplying steam to the laundry or into the cabinet. The steam supplier 200 may be constructed to generate the steam by receiving fresh water rather than the condensate. The steam supplier 200 may be constructed to generate the steam by heating the water, using ultrasonic waves, or vaporizing the water.

Because the steam supplier 200 is constructed to generate the steam by receiving a certain amount of water, the steam supplier 200 may occupy a certain volume. In this connection, the door and the control panel 117 are installed on the front panel 11 of the cabinet, and a duct that supplies or discharges air to/from the drum, a water supply, and the like may be installed on the rear panel 12 of the cabinet, so that the steam supplier 200 may be advantageously installed on the side panel 14 of the cabinet.

In addition, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may include a steam controller 800 constructed to separately control the steam supplier 200. The steam controller 800 may be installed on the control panel 117, but may be constructed as a separate control panel to prevent overloading of the control panel 117 and to prevent increase a production cost.

The steam controller 800 may be disposed adjacent to the steam supplier 200. The steam controller 800 may be disposed on the side panel 14 on which the steam supplier 200 is installed to reduce a length of a control line or the like connected to the steam supplier 200.

Because the steam supplier 200 supplies the steam that may contact the laundry, it is preferable to generate the steam with the fresh water. Because the water collected in the water storage 7 is generated from the laundry, there is a high possibility that lint or foreign matters are contained in the water collected in the water storage 7. Thus, the water collected in the water storage 7 may not be suitable for generating the steam.

Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may supply the water to the steam supplier 200, but may include a water supplier 300 constructed separately from the water storage 7. The water supplier 300 may be constructed to store the fresh water therein, or receive the fresh water from the outside and supply the fresh water to the steam supplier 200.

For example, the water supplier 300 may include an external water supplier 500 that may receive water from an external water supply source and deliver the water to the steam supplier 200, and an internal water supplier 400 that may separately store the fresh water therein and supply the fresh water to the steam supplier 200.

The internal water supplier 400 may further include a water tank 420 that is constructed separately from the water storage 7 to store the fresh water therein, a water pump 430 constructed to supply the water in the water tank 420 to the steam supplier 200, and a tank housing 410 that seats the water tank 420 and the water pump 430 inside the cabinet.

The laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may also be constructed such that the water tank 420 and the steam supplier 200 are installed at different vertical levels, so that the water in the water tank 420 is supplied to the steam supplier 200 by a self load.

When the difference in the installation vertical level between the water tank 420 and the steam supplier 200 is not secured, it may be desirable to additionally install the water pump 430. In addition, when the water pump 430 is additionally disposed, there is an advantage in that a space inside the cabinet 1 may be more densely utilized.

The external water supplier 500 may include a direct water valve 520 connected to the external water supply source to receive the water.

In addition, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a determination unit 700 that determines whether to supply the water to the steam supplier 200 by preferentially using which of the external water supplier 500 and the internal water supplier 400. The determination unit 700 may be structurally constructed to determine which of the external water supplier 500 and the internal water supplier 400 is preferentially used.

In one example, the water tank 420 may be constructed to store the fresh water therein. It is preferable that the water tank 420 is constructed to be exposed to the outside of the cabinet 1 to be frequently filled with the fresh water.

However, because both the water tank 420 and the water storage 7 are constructed to store the water therein, the user may be confused. To this end, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may be constructed such that the water tank 420 and the water storage 7 are exposed from the cabinet in different directions and at different locations. For example, the water tank 420 may be constructed to be exposed through the top panel 13, and the water storage 7 may be constructed to be exposed through the front panel 11. Therefore, even when both the water tank 420 and the water storage 7 are arranged, the confusion of the user may be prevented.

The water tank 420 may have a relatively smaller volume than the water storage 7 because the water tank 420 must store the fresh water therein and a freshness of the stored water must be maintained. Accordingly, the user may distinguish the water tank 420 and the water storage 7 from each other by the volume difference.

Because the water tank 420 has the smaller volume than the water storage 7, the water tank 420 may be easily withdrawn upward. Accordingly, the water tank 420 may be constructed to be withdrawn upward from the top panel 13. As a result, because the withdrawal directions of the water tank 420 and the water storage 7 are different from each other, the possibility of user confusion may be further reduced.

The top panel 13 of the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may include a tank withdrawal hole 131 defined therein constructed such that the water tank 420 may be exposed to the outside or the water tank 420 may be withdrawn to the outside of the cabinet. The tank withdrawal hole 131 may have a cross-sectional area corresponding to or slightly larger than a cross-sectional area of the water tank 420.

The top panel 13 may further include a withdrawal cover 132 constructed to shield the tank withdrawal hole 131 to prevent the water tank 420 from being arbitrarily withdrawn. The withdrawal cover 132 may include one or more panel coupling portions 1321 constructed to be coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the tank withdrawal hole 131. The panel coupling portion 1321 may extend from one side of the withdrawal cover 132 so as to pivotably couple the withdrawal cover 132 to the top panel 13. The panel coupling portion 1321 and the top panel 13 may be coupled to each other in a hinge coupling scheme.

In one example, the withdrawal cover 132 may have a panel handle 1323 that may be gripped by the user on a surface thereof, and the panel handle 132 may be defined as a groove that is concave downward from the withdrawal cover 132. In addition, the withdrawal cover 132 may further include a panel fixing portion 1332 detachably coupled to an outer peripheral surface of the top panel 13 or the tank withdrawal hole 131. The panel fixing portion 1332 may be coupled to the top panel 13 or the tank withdrawal hole 131 in a push button scheme.

The laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a filter capable of removing foreign matters from circulating air. The front panel 11 may have a filter mounting hole 113 defined therein through which the filter is withdrawn or inserted.

As shown in FIG. 3, the laundry treating apparatus 100 includes a cabinet 1, a drum 2 rotatably disposed inside the cabinet to define therein a space for storing the laundry therein, a duct 3 that defines a flow passage for re-supplying air discharged from the drum 2 to the drum 2, and a heat-exchanger 4 that dehumidifies and heats the air introduced into the duct 3 and then re-supplies the dehumidified and heated air to the drum 2.

When the drum 2 is constructed as a cylindrical drum body 21 with an open front surface and an open rear surface, a first support 17 that rotatably supports the front surface of the drum 2 to be rotatable, and a second support 19 that supports the rear surface of the drum 2 to be rotatable may be arranged inside the cabinet 1.

The first support 17 may be configured to include a first fixed body 171 fixedly disposed inside the cabinet 1, a drum inlet 173 constructed to extend through the first fixed body and communicating the inlet 112 and the inside of the drum body 21 with each other, and a first support body 175 disposed on the first fixed body 171 and inserted into the front surface (a first open surface) of the drum body 21.

The first fixed body 171 may have any shape as long as the drum inlet 173 may be defined therein and the first support body 175 may be disposed thereon. The first support body 175 may be formed in a pipe shape protruding from the first fixed body 171 toward the drum body 21. A diameter of the first support body 175 may be larger than a diameter of the drum inlet 173 and may be smaller than a front surface diameter of the drum body 21. In this case, the drum inlet 173 may be located inside a space defined by the first support body 175.

The first support 17 may be constructed to further include a connection body 177 for connecting the inlet 111 and the drum inlet 173 with each other. The connection body 177 may be formed in a shape of a pipe extending from the drum inlet 173 to the inlet 111. The connection body 177 may have an air discharge hole 178 defined therein that communicates with a duct 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the air discharge hole 178 is a flow passage along which air inside the drum body 21 may flow to the circulating flow passage 3, which may be embodied as a through-hole constructed to extend through the connection body 177.

The second support 19 may be constructed to include a second fixed body 191 fixedly disposed inside the cabinet 1, and a second support body 195 disposed on the second fixed body 191 and inserted into the rear surface (a second open surface) of the drum body 21. An air inlet 198 is defined in the second support 19 and extends through the second fixed body 191 and communicates the inside of the drum body 21 with the inside of the cabinet 1. In this case, the duct 3 may be constructed to connect the air discharge hole 178 and the air inlet 198 to each other.

The drum body 21 in a hollow cylindrical shape may be rotated by various types of drivers. FIG. 3 shows a case in which a driver 28 includes a motor 23 fixedly disposed inside the cabinet 1, a pulley 25 rotated by the motor, and a belt 27 connecting a circumferential surface of the pulley 25 and a circumferential surface of the drum body 21 with each other as an example.

In this case, the first support 17 may have a first roller 179 that supports a circumferential surface of the drum body 21 to be rotatable, and the second support 19 may have a second roller 199 that supports the circumferential surface of the drum body to be rotatable.

The duct 3 may be constructed to include an air discharge duct 31 connected to the air discharge hole 178, an air supply duct 33 connected to the air inlet 198, and a connection duct 35 connecting the air discharge duct and the air supply duct to each other.

The heat-exchanger 4 may be embodied as various devices as long as the devices may sequentially perform dehumidification and heating of the air introduced into the circulating flow passage 3. For example, the heat-exchanger 4 may be embodied as a heat pump system.

The heat-exchanger 4 may include a fan 49 that flows air along the duct 3, a first heat-exchanger (heat-absorber) 41 that removes moisture from the air introduced into the duct 3, and a second heat-exchanger (heat-emitter) 43 which is disposed inside the duct 3 and heats the air that has passed through the first heat-exchanger 41.

The fan 49 may be constructed to include an impeller 491 disposed inside the duct 3 and an impeller motor 493 rotating the impeller 491 (see FIG. 4). The impeller 491 may be disposed anywhere in the air discharge duct 31, the connection duct 35, and the air supply duct 33. FIG. 3 shows as an example a case in which the impeller 491 is disposed in the air supply duct 33 (a case in which the impeller 491 is located at the rear of the heat-emitter).

The evaporator 41 is embodied as a plurality of metal plates arranged along a long-side direction (a Y-axis direction) of the connection duct 35 or a plurality of metal plates arranged along a height direction (a Z-axis direction) of the connection duct. The condenser 43 may be embodied as a plurality of metal plates arranged along a long-side direction of the connection duct or a height direction of the connection duct. The evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 are sequentially arranged in the connection duct 35 in a direction from the air discharge duct 31 toward the air supply duct 33, and are connected to each other via a refrigerant pipe 48 which defines a circulating flow passage of a refrigerant (see FIG. 4).

The refrigerant moves along a refrigerant pipe 48 by a compressor 45 located outside the circulating flow passage 3. The refrigerant pipe 48 is equipped with a pressure regulator 47 that controls a pressure of the refrigerant that has passed through the heat-emitter 43.

The evaporator 41 may refer to means for cooling the air and evaporating the refrigerant by delivering the heat of the air flowing into the air discharge duct 31 to the refrigerant. The condenser 43 may refer to means for heating the air and condensing the refrigerant by delivering the heat of the refrigerant passing through the compressor 45 to the air. In this case, moisture contained in the air may be collected on a bottom surface of the connection duct 35 along a surface of the evaporator 41 as the air passes through the evaporator 41.

A water collector is disposed in the laundry treating apparatus 100 to collect the water removed from the air passing through the evaporator 41.

The water collected in the water collector may be collected in the water storage 7 and then be collectively discharged later. The water storage 7 may include a storage body 72 detachably disposed in the cabinet 1 to define therein a space for storing the water therein, and an inlet 722 constructed to penetrate the storage body 72 to introduce the water discharged from the water storage supply pipe 633 into the storage body 72.

The storage body 72 may be constructed as a drawer-shaped tank extended from the cabinet 1. In this case, the front panel 11 of the cabinet must have a water storage mounting hole defined therein into which the storage body 72 is inserted. A panel 71 is fixed to the front surface of the storage body 72, The panel 71 may be constructed to be detachably coupled to the water storage mounting hole to form a portion of the front panel 11.

A groove 711 into which a user's hand is inserted may be further defined in the panel 71. In this case, the panel 71 will also perform a function of a handle of extending the storage body 72 from the cabinet or retracting the storage body 72 into the cabinet.

The inlet 722 may be defined to receive the water discharged from a nozzle 722a fixed to the cabinet 1. The nozzle 722a may be fixed to the top panel 13 of the cabinet to be positioned above the inlet 722 when the storage body 72 is inserted into the cabinet 1.

The water storage 7 having the above-described structure may discard the water inside the storage body 72 by overturning or inclining the storage body 72 in a direction in which the inlet 722 is located after the user extends the storage body 72 from the cabinet 1. A communication hole 721 constructed to penetrate a top surface of the storage body 72 may be further defined such that the water inside the storage body 72 is easily discharged through the inlet 722.

The steam supplier 200 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the water storage 7. As described above, the steam supplier 200 may be constructed to be connected to the internal water supplier 400 and an external water supplier 500 to receive the water to form the steam. The external water supplier 500 may include a direct water valve 520 adjacent to the rear panel 13 or fixed to the rear panel 13, and a direct water pipe 510 that supplies the water delivered from the direct water valve 520 to the steam supplier 200. The direct water valve 520 may be constructed to be coupled to the external water supply source. For example, the direct water valve 520 may be coupled with a water supply pipe extending to the rear surface of the cabinet. Therefore, the steam supplier 200 may be constructed to receive the water directly through the direct water valve 520. Therefore, even when the internal water supplier 400 is omitted, or when the water is not stored in the internal water supplier 400, the steam supplier 200 may receive the water through the direct water valve 520 whenever necessary. The direct water valve 520 may be directly controlled by the steam controller 800.

In one example, the steam supplier 200 may be disposed adjacent to the direct water valve 520. Therefore, residual water may be prevented from remaining unnecessarily in the direct water pipe 510, and the water may be immediately supplied when necessary.

The internal water supplier 400 may include the water tank 420 for storing the water therein, the water pump 430 that may receive the water from the water tank 420 and supply the water to the steam supplier 200, and a tank housing 410 that defined therein a space for mounting the water tank 420 and the water pump 430 therein. The water pump 430 and the water tank 420 may be arranged at a vertical level corresponding to that of the steam supplier 200. The tank withdrawal hole 131 may be installed in a region of the top panel 13 corresponding to a portion where the water tank 420 is installed. Therefore, the water pump 430 may be prevented from being unnecessarily exposed through the tank withdrawal hole 131 as much as possible. The withdrawal cover 132 may be pivotably coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the tank withdrawal hole 131 to prevent the water tank 420 from being unnecessarily exposed to the outside.

The steam supplier 200 may receive the water through the water supplier 300 to generate the steam and then supply the water to the drum 2 or the duct 3 through the steam discharge pipe 213. The steam discharge pipe 213 may directly communicate with the drum 2 to supply the steam into the drum 2, and may communicate with the duct 3 or the second support 19 to indirectly supply the steam into the drum 2.

The steam discharge pipe 213 may be in communication with the air supply duct 33 when being connected to the duct 3, and may be in communication with the air inlet 198 when being connected to the second support 19. Therefore, the steam may be more smoothly introduced into the drum 2 using a power of the blower fan 49.

The steam supplier 200 may be controlled to generate the steam when a steam supply mode using the steam is performed during the drying process. The steam supply mode may correspond to a series of drying courses of sterilizing the laundry, increasing a temperature inside the drum during the drying process of the laundry, or removing wrinkles from the laundry at the end of the drying process of the laundry. The steam supplier 200 may be controlled to receive the water from the external water supplier 500 as well as the internal water supplier 400 as necessary to supply the steam into the drum 2 or the like.

In one example, the heat-exchanger 4 is constructed to condense the moisture of the air circulating in the evaporator 41. Therefore, even when the air circulates in the drum 2, because the moisture contained therein is removed by the evaporator 41, the air may continuously dry the laundry inside the drum 2.

The moisture condensed in the evaporator 41 may be collected primarily in the water collector 37 and then secondly collected in the water storage 7. The water collector 37 may be located inside the connection duct 35 and may be separately disposed in a space spaced apart from the connection duct 35.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show an embodiment in which the water collector 37 may be disposed inside the connection duct 35, but this is for illustration only. The water collector 37 may have any structure as long as the water collector 37 is able to collect the condensate.

The water collector 37 may be embodied as a water collector body 371 which is fixed to the bottom surface of the connection duct 35 and communicates with the inside of the connection duct. To prevent the heat-absorber and the heat-

emitter

41 and 43 from contacting the water (condensate) stored in the water collector body 371, a heat-exchanger support 372 may be further disposed inside the water collector body 371. The heat-exchanger support 372 may include a support plate 373 which the heat-absorber and the heat-

emitter

41 and 43 contact, a spacer 375 that maintains a spacing between the support plate 373 and the bottom surface of the water collector body 371, and a support plate through-hole 376 constructed to pass through the support plate 373.

The support plate through-hole 376 may be defined only in a portion of the support plate 373 on which the evaporator 41 is supported, or may be defined in portions thereof on which the heat-absorber is supported and the heat-emitter is supported, respectively. When the support plate through-hole 376 is defined under the condenser 43, water that has moved to the condenser 43 along the support plate 373 may be discharged to the water collector body 371 (thus, preventing decrease in heat transfer efficiency that occurs when the heat-emitter contacts the water).

In order to minimize accumulation of foreign matters (lint) discharged from the drum body 21 on the evaporator 41 and the condenser 43, a filtration unit for filtering air may be further disposed in the laundry treating apparatus 100. FIG. 3 shows a case in which the filtration unit is constructed as a first filtration unit 5 disposed in the connection duct 35 and a second filtration unit 8 disposed in the air discharge duct 31 as an example.

The second filtration unit 8 may be constructed as means for filtering the air flowing into the air discharge duct 31 from the drum body 21, and the first filtration unit 5 may be constructed as means disposed between the second filtration unit 8 and the heat-absorber 41 to filter the air that has passed through the second filtration unit. A diameter of a filtration hole defined in the first filtration unit 5 may be set smaller than a diameter of a filtration hole defined in the second filtration unit 8.

The second filtration unit 8 may include a frame 81 detachably inserted into the air discharge duct 31 through the air discharge hole 178, and a filter (a fourth filter) 83 disposed in the frame to filter the air.

The first filtration unit 5 may be detachably disposed in the connection duct 35. In this case, the front panel 11 of the cabinet may have a filter mounting hole 113 (see FIG. 1) through which the first filtration unit 5 is withdrawn and a mounting hole door 114 that opens and closes the filter mounting hole, and a duct through-hole 34 (see FIG. 3) into which the first filtration unit 5 is inserted may be defined in the duct 3. Accordingly, the user may remove foreign matters remaining in the first filtration unit 5 and wash the first filtration unit after separating the first filtration unit 5 from the laundry treating apparatus when necessary.

The first filtration unit 5 may be constructed to include filtration unit body 51, 53, 57, and 58 inserted into the filter mounting hole 113 and the duct through-hole 34 and positioned between the second filtration unit 8 and the heat-absorber 41, and filters 531, 551, and 571 arranged in the filtration unit body to filter fluids (the air and the water) flowing to the evaporator 41 and the water collector body 371.

The filtration unit body may be in various shapes based on a shape of a cross-section (a Y-Z plane and a X-Z plane) of the connection duct 35. FIG. 1 shows a case in which the filtration unit body is in a shape similar to a hexahedron.

In this case, the filtration unit body may include a front surface 51 in a shape capable of closing the duct through-hole 34, a rear surface 53 positioned between the front surface and the evaporator 41, a bottom surface 55 constructed to connect the front surface with the rear surface, and a first side surface 57 and a second side surface 58 respectively forming left and right surfaces of the filtration unit body.

The front surface 51 may have a lock 513 disposed thereon detachably coupled to a lock fastener 16 disposed on the cabinet. The lock 513 may be constructed as a bar pivotably coupled to the front surface 51 of the filtration unit body, and the lock fastener 16 may be constructed to define a groove in which a free end of the bar is received.

Preferably, each lock 513 is disposed on each of opposite sides of the front surface 51, and each lock fastener 16 is disposed on each of opposite sides of the filter mounting hole 113.

A handle 511 may be further disposed on the front surface 51 to facilitate inserting the filtration unit body into the connection duct 35 or separating the filtration unit body from the connection duct 35.

A first filter 531 and a second filter 551 for filtering the fluids (the air and the water) introduced into the filtration unit body may be respectively arranged on the rear surface 53 and the bottom surface 55. The rear surface 53 has a rear surface through-hole defined therein that communicates an interior of the filtration unit body with an internal space of the duct 3, and the first filter 531 is disposed in the rear surface through-hole. The bottom surface 55 has a bottom surface through-hole defined therein that communicates the interior of the filtration unit body with the internal space of the duct 3, and the second filter 551 is disposed in the bottom surface through-hole. Therefore, the first filter 531 becomes means for filtering the fluids (the air and the water) supplied to the evaporator 41, and the second filter 551 becomes means for filtering the fluids supplied to the water collector body 371.

The first side surface 57 and the second side surface 58 may be constructed to connect the front surface 51, the rear surface 53, and the bottom surface 55 with each other.

The first filtration unit 5 having the above-described structure may be constructed to communicate with the air discharge duct 31 through the top surface or the second side surface 58 of the filtration unit body.

The first filtration unit 5 may be connected to the air discharge duct 31 through a top surface through-hole constructed to penetrate the top surface of the filtration unit body and a side surface through-hole constructed to penetrate the second side surface 58.

The first filter 531 may be constructed to be inclined at 90 degrees to 100 degrees toward a front surface of the evaporator 41 with respect to the bottom surface 55 of the filtration unit body. This is to allow foreign matters remaining in the first filter to easily flow to the bottom surface 55 when the water is sprayed on the first filter 531 through a water flowing portion 6 to be described later.

The second filter 551 may be constructed to be inclined downward by 10 to 20 degrees from the front surface 51 toward the first filter 531 (The second filter may be constructed to be inclined upward by 10 to 20 degrees in a direction in which the filter mounting hole is located from a bottom of the first filter). When the second filter 551 is constructed to be inclined downward toward the first filter 531, because a connection point of the first filter 531 and the second filter 551 will be the lowest point in the space defined in the first filtration unit, the foreign matters of the first filtration unit 5 may be concentrated at the connection point of the first filter 531 and the second filter 551. When the foreign matters are concentrated at the connection point of the first filter 531 and the second filter 551, the user will be able to more easily remove the foreign matters inside the first filtration unit 5.

However, when the foreign matters are concentrated at the connection point of the first filter 531 and the second filter 551, a long time may be required for the water sprayed through the water flowing portion 6 to be discharged to the collector body 371. In order to solve such problem, as shown in FIG. 1, the first side surface 57 may further include a bypass hole defined therein for communicating the interior of the first filtration unit 5 to the water collector body 371 and a third filter 571 disposed in the bypass hole. As shown in FIG. 3, the bypass hole and the third filter 571 may be located at a position higher than an uppermost end of the second filter 551 and lower than an uppermost end of the first filter 531. Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus may minimize a phenomenon that the water sprayed to the first filtration unit 5 is not able to be re-collected into the water collector body 371 due to the foreign matters remaining in the first filtration unit 5.

In one example, the laundry treating apparatus 100 may include the water flowing portion 6 that uses the water stored in the water collector body 371, and a discharge portion 900 coupled to the water flowing portion 6 to receive the water and wash the evaporator 41 or the first filtration unit 5.

That is, the water stored in the water collector body 371 may be separately collected into the water storage 7 or may be selectively flowed to the water flowing portion 6.

The water flowing portion 6 may be constructed as means for washing at least one of the first filter 531, the second filter 551, the third filter 571, and the evaporator 41 by spraying the water stored in the collector body 371 to the first filtration unit 5.

The water flowing portion 6 may be disposed on the duct 3 to supply water to a discharge portion 900 that supplies water to the first filtration unit 5 or the evaporator 41. The water flowing portion 6 may include a washing pump 61 that flows the water stored in the water collector body 371 to the discharge portion 900.

The washing pump 61 may be connected to the water collector body 371 through a first connection pipe 611, and may be connected to the discharge portion 900 through a second connection pipe 613. When the laundry treating apparatus is constructed to flow the water of the water collector body 371 to the discharge portion 900 and the water storage 7 with only one washing pump 61, the laundry treating apparatus 100 may further include a flow passage switcher 63. In this case, the flow passage switcher 63 may be constructed to be connected to the washing pump 61 through the second connection pipe 613, the discharge portion 900 may be constructed to be connected to the flow passage switcher 63 through a sprayer supply pipe 631, and the water storage 7 may be constructed to be connected to the flow passage switcher 63 through a water storage supply pipe 633.

In this case, the water storage supply pipe 633 must be constructed to connect a nozzle 722a and the flow passage switcher 63 with each other.

The flow passage switcher 63 has a valve for controlling opening and closing of the sprayer supply pipe 631 and opening and closing of the water storage supply pipe 633. Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus 100 may supply the water stored in the water collector body 371 to the discharge portion 900 or to the water storage 7 by controlling the valve disposed on the flow passage switcher 63.

The sprayer supply pipe 631 may be coupled to the connection duct 35, and may be coupled to one surface corresponding to a top surface of the evaporator 41. Accordingly, the water supplied to the sprayer supply pipe 631 may be discharged to the evaporator 41 or the first filtration unit 5, and foreign matters attached to the evaporator 41 or the first filtration unit 5 may be removed.

In one example, the water flowing portion 6 may be constructed to receive fresh water directly from the water supplier 300 as well as the water condensed in the evaporator 41. In this case, a pipe directly connecting the water supplier 300 with the water flowing portion 6 may be disposed. For example, a separate pipe connecting the steam supplier 200 with the water flowing portion 6 may be further disposed.

In one example, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure is preferably constructed to include a water collector water level sensor 91 that measures a level of the water in the collector body 371 and transmits the water level information to the controller. When the water collector water level sensor 91 is disposed, the laundry treating apparatus may determine a time point for flowing the water stored in the water collector body 371 to the storage body 72. Thus, the water in the water collector body 371 may be prevented from flowing back to the connection duct 35.

The water collector water level sensor 91 may be configured as any device capable of sensing the level of the water inside the water collector body 371. FIG. 3 shows a sensor with multiple electrodes having different lengths (with multiple electrodes electrically connected with each other based on the water level) as an example.

A dryness sensor may be disposed in the laundry treating apparatus 100 so as to determine a time point for stopping an operation of the heat-exchanger 4 by determining dryness of the laundry. The dryness sensor may be configured as at least one of an electrode sensor 95 configured to be in contact with the laundry to measure an amount of moisture contained in the laundry, and a humidity sensor that measures humidity of the air flowing from the drum 2 to the duct 3.

The electrode sensor may be configured to include a first electrode 951 and a second electrode 953 which may be fixed to the first fixed body 171 and contact the laundry in the drum body 21. Because the dryness increases, the amount of moisture contained in the laundry will decrease (an electrical resistance of the laundry increases), the laundry treating apparatus 100 may determine the dryness of the laundry by observing the electrical resistance measured when the two electrodes 951 and 953 are connected to each other through the laundry. In one example, as the dryness of the laundry increases, the amount of moisture contained in the air flowing into the circulating flow passage 3 will decrease, so that the laundry treating apparatus 100 may determine the dryness of the laundry by observing the humidity of the air introduced into the duct 3 through the humidity sensor.

In addition, the laundry treating apparatus 100 may further include a temperature sensor 96 that measures a temperature of the air flowed into the duct 3. The temperature sensor 96 may be constructed to be fixed to a top surface of the connection duct 35 and be positioned between the first filter 531 and the second filter 551.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment including the connection duct 35 and the water collector 37 arranged on the bottom surface of the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 4, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include a base 39 that defines the duct 3 and on which the heat-exchanger 4 may be installed.

A portion of the air discharge duct 31 may be installed on the base 39, and the air discharge duct 31 and the air supply duct 33 may be respectively installed at both ends of the connection duct 35.

The evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 may be installed in the connection duct 35.

The base 39 may include an apparatus installation portion 392 in which an apparatus such as a compressor and the like may be installed on one side of the connection duct 35.

The apparatus installation portion 392 may include a compressor installation portion 393 in which the compressor 45 may be installed, a fan installation portion 391 in which a blower fan may be seated, and a driver installation portion 392a in which a driver may be installed.

In one example, the water collector 37 may be further disposed in the apparatus installation portion 392. The water collector 37 may not be disposed beneath the connection duct 35, but may be separated by a partition wall 38 and disposed at one side of the connection duct 35.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 4, the connection duct 35 may include a heat-absorber mounting portion 372 in which the evaporator 41 may be installed, and a heat-emitter mounting portion 523 in which the heat-emitter may be mounted.

As the drying process proceeds, when the heat-exchanger 4 is driven, the air passing through the evaporator 41 is cooled and the moisture contained therein is condensed. When the moisture is condensed, water may accumulate in the vicinity of the heat-absorber mounting portion 372 as shown.

A vertical level of a bottom surface of the connection duct 35 may decrease toward the water collector 37. The partition wall 38 may be constructed to block the air flowing along the connection duct 35 from flowing to the apparatus installation portion 392, but may include a communication hole 381 defined therein to allow the condensed water to flow to the water collector 37.

The water condensed to the communication hole 381 may flow to the water collector 37 and be collected in the water collector 37. The washing pump 61 may be installed in the water collector 37. To this end, the water collector 37 may further include a pump fixing portion 535 in which the washing pump 61 is seated and fixed. The pump fixing portion 535 may be constructed to space a bottom surface of the washing pump 61 and the water collector 37 from each other by a predetermined distance.

Therefore, when sufficient water is collected in the water collector 37, the water may be removed by driving the washing pump 61. The flow passage switcher 63 may be controlled to spray the supplied water to the discharge portion 900 or to flow the supplied water to the water storage 7.

In addition, the water sprayed from the discharge portion 900 and washed the evaporator 41 may also be controlled to be re-introduced into the water collector 37 and flow back to the water storage 7.

In this connection, a flow direction of the air may be set differently depending on driving of the fan. In this case, positions of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 may be changed, and the air discharge duct 31 may function as the air supply duct 33, and the air supply duct 33 may function as the air discharge duct 31.

Each of the evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 may include a plurality of heat exchange fins P. The plurality of heat exchange fins P may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other, so that the air may flow between the plurality of heat exchange fins P.

In one example, because the evaporator 41 is disposed upstream on the flow passage of the condenser 43, the foreign matters discharged from the drum may be intensively attached to the heat exchange fins P of the evaporator 41, and in particular, may be most attached to the inflow surface of the heat exchange fins P.

Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may further include the discharge portion 900 that is coupled to the water flowing portion 6 to flow water to the evaporator 41 to induce the removal of the foreign matters.

In one example, when the first filtration unit 5 is disposed, the discharge portion 900 may supply water only to the first filtration unit 5, or may supply water to both the first filtration unit 5 and the evaporator 41. The discharge portion 900 supplying water to the evaporator 41 may include supplying water to the first filtration unit 5.

Hereinafter, the discharge portion 900 will be mainly described as supplying water to the evaporator 41, but supplying water to the first filtration unit 5 may also be applied in the same principle.

The discharge portion 900 may be fixed to the connection duct 35, and the connection duct 35 may be fixed by being coupled to a distal end of the discharge portion 900.

The discharge portion 900 may be constructed to intensively supply water to one surface of the evaporator 41 that may first come into contact with the air discharged from the drum. That is, because the most foreign matters will be attached to the inflow surface of the evaporator 41, the intensive supply of water to the inflow surface may have the highest cleaning efficiency. For example, when the air is introduced into a front surface of the evaporator 41, the discharge portion 900 may supply water to an upper portion of the front surface of the evaporator 41. Accordingly, a large amount of foreign matters attached to the inflow surface of the evaporator 41 may be washed away.

The discharge portion 900 may be formed in a nozzle shape, or may be formed in a diffuser shape.

The discharge portion 900 has an outlet area greater than an inlet area to induce water to spread widely, so that water may be evenly sprayed onto the inflow surface of the evaporator 41. As a result, water may be uniformly supplied to an entirety of cooling fins P attached to the evaporator 41 in multiple layers.

However, even when a y-axis directional dimension t1 of an outlet of the discharge portion 900 is greater than a y-axis directional dimension t2 of an inlet, the water discharged from the discharge portion 900 is not automatically sprayed over the y-axis directional dimension t1 of the outlet. Therefore, the water in the discharge portion 900 does not spread evenly on a surface of the evaporator 41 and has a large room to be discharged as it is with the introduced y-axis directional dimension t2.

In addition, the discharge portion 900 may be disposed on a top surface of the evaporator 41. That is, the water discharged from the discharge portion 900 may be induced to be supplied to the evaporator 41 by a self load.

However, as liquid flows and a flow rate thereof increases, a diameter thereof gradually becomes smaller. Accordingly, the y-axis directional dimension t2 of the water passed through the discharge portion 900 may become smaller as a distance from the discharge portion 900 increases, and thus, water w may not be evenly supplied to the surface of the evaporator 41. As a result, all foreign matters attached to the surface of the evaporator 41 may not be removed.

Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may be constructed such that the water supplied from the discharge portion 900 may be evenly sprayed onto the surface of the evaporator 41 and all foreign matters may be removed.

The discharge portion 900 may be constructed such that a direction in which water is introduced is different from a direction in which water is discharged.

The discharge portion 900 may be constructed such that the introduced water is sprayed in a changed direction, so that the introduced water may be induced to flow along an inner surface of the discharge portion 900.

As a result, the introduced water may be prevented from freely falling or being discharged as it is without being in contact with the surface of the discharge portion 900, and may be induced to be dispersed along the surface of the discharge portion while being in contact with the inner surface of the discharge portion 900.

Therefore, when an area of the outlet of the discharge portion 900 is greater than that of the inlet of the discharge portion 900, the water introduced into the discharge portion 900 may be discharged over a larger area than the introduced area.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 6, the discharge portion 900 may include a flow passage connecting pipe 930 coupled with the water flowing portion 6 to receive water, and a flow passage body 920 that is coupled with the flow passage connecting pipe 930 and through which the water flows.

The flow passage connecting pipe 930 may be coupled to a top surface of the flow passage body 920 in a longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 may be induced to directly collide with the inner surface of the flow passage body 920.

The flow passage connecting pipe 930 may further include a fixing rib 932 that may be fixed to the flow passage body 920 or fixed to the connection duct 35. The fixed rib 932 may be coupled to a fixed rigid body such as the connection duct 35 to fix a position of the flow passage connecting pipe 930 even when water flows into the flow passage connecting pipe 930. Accordingly, the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may be prevented from being separated from the flow passage body 920.

The fixing rib 932 may be formed in a plate shape, and may have a fixing hole 9321 defined therein through which a fastening member capable of fixing the fixing rib 932 may pass.

The flow passage body 920 may extend such that an area thereof increases from a portion thereof coupled to the flow passage connecting pipe 930 toward a distal end thereof. Accordingly, the water introduced into the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may fill an interior of the flow passage body 920 or spread over a larger area while flowing along the flow passage body 920.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 6, the flow passage body 920 may further include an inflow hole 9211 that receives water as the flow passage connecting pipe 930 is coupled thereto or passes therethrough, and a discharge slit 923 that is defined to be spaced apart from the inflow hole 9211 and through which the introduced water is discharged.

The inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other such that the inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 are blocked from facing each other. The inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 may be disposed such that the inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 are prevented from facing each other in a straight line.

Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 from being directly discharged to the discharge slit 923 without being in contact with the flow passage body 920. As a result, the water introduced from the inflow hole 9211 may flow to the discharge slit 923 after spreading inside the flow passage body 920.

The inflow hole 9211 may be defined on one side of the flow passage body 920, and the discharge slit 923 may be defined on the other side of the flow passage body 920. When the inflow hole 9211 is defined through an upper portion, which is one side, of the flow passage body 920, the inflow hole 9211 may be defined through a lower portion, which is the other side, of the flow passage body 920.

The inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 may be spaced apart from each other as far apart as possible to induce water to flow along the flow passage body 920. The inflow hole 9211 may be defined in a circular shape.

The flow passage body 920 may be formed in a duct shape with an empty interior and through which water may flow.

The flow passage body 920 may include a coupling body 921 to which the flow passage connecting pipe 930 is coupled, and a flowing duct 922 constructed to extend from the coupling body 921 such that a cross-sectional area thereof increases. The inflow hole 9211 may pass through the coupling body 921, and the flowing duct 922 may be constructed to increase in y-axis directional dimension from the coupling body 921 to the discharge slit 923.

The coupling body 921 may form one end of the flow passage body 920, and the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may be coupled thereto and supported thereon. The flowing duct 922 may extend from a distal end of the coupling body 921 to increase in area in a diffuser shape. The discharge slit 923 may pass through a distal end of the flowing duct 922. The discharge slit 923 may be defined in a slit shape having a y-axis directional dimension greater than an x-axis directional dimension, and may be manufactured to have a y-axis directional dimension corresponding to a y-axis directional dimension of the distal end of the flowing duct 922.

The discharge slit 923 may be defined in a direction different from the direction in which the flowing duct 922 extends from the coupling body 921. That is, the discharge slit 923 may pass through one surface of the flowing duct 922 such that water is discharged in a direction different from that of the water flowing through the flowing duct 922.

In one example, a blocking surface 924 for flowing the water flowing along the flowing duct 922 to the discharge slit 923 may be disposed at the distal end of the flowing duct 922. The blocking surface 924 may serve to shield an interior of the flow passage body 920, and may be disposed at the distal end of the flow passage body 920.

The blocking surface 924 may serve to temporarily store the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 in the flow passage body 920. The blocking surface 924 may induce water flowing along the flowing duct 922 to collide therewith and flow to the discharge slit 923.

In addition, the inflow hole 9211 may be defined at a free end of the coupling body 921, but may be defined to be spaced apart from the free end of the coupling body 921 such that more water introduced may stay in the flow passage body 920.

The inflow hole 9211 may pass through the coupling body 921, but may further pass through a portion of the flowing duct 922 beyond the coupling body 921 in order to secure a larger flow rate.

The water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 may flow along the flowing duct 922. In this connection, even when the flow rate of water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 is high and a speed thereof is high, the flow rate and the speed may be lowered as the water flows along the flowing duct 922. Water with the lowered speed may be more smoothly dispersed along a surface of the flowing duct 922.

Because the flowing duct 922 continues to widen toward the discharge slit 923, the introduced water may be further slowed down, and the water may be further dispersed along the long-side direction of the flowing duct 922.

Accordingly, the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 may be discharged to the discharge slit 923, and may be dispersed along the long-side direction of the discharge slit 923 and discharged.

Moreover, when the inflow hole 9211 is spaced apart from one end of the coupling body 921, a portion of the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 flows back to one end of the coupling body 921. In this connection, the water flowed back may further lower the speed of the introduced water by interfering with the flow of the introduced water, and the water may lose more kinetic energy and may spread more evenly in the flowing duct 922.

Furthermore, because an area of *?*the discharge slit 923 is relatively small, the water that has collided with the blocking surface 924 may not be discharged directly to the discharge slit 923 and may be collected from the blocking surface 924. Accordingly, the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 may not be immediately discharged to the discharge slit 923, but may stay in the flow passage body 920 for a certain time and may be evenly discharged while filling the entire y-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923.

In addition, the blocking surface 924 may further reduce the kinetic energy of the water flowing along the flowing duct 922 while colliding with the water flowing along the flowing duct 922, and may change the flowing direction of the water flowing along the flowing duct 922 to a direction toward the discharge slit 923.

Accordingly, the water may be further dispersed and discharged through the entire discharge slit 923.

As a result, even when the flow rate of the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 is high, and a diameter of the inflow hole 9211 is smaller than the y-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923, the water may be evenly distributed and discharged through the discharge slit 923. In addition, water may be evenly distributed over an entire region of the discharge slit 923 and discharged without being supplied more to a specific portion of the discharge slit 923.

Therefore, when the discharge slit 923 is defined in parallel with the inflow surface of the evaporator 41, the water may be evenly sprayed on the surface of the evaporator 41, and a blind spot may be further reduced.

The flowing duct 922 may be disposed in parallel with the top surface of the evaporator 41, and the discharge slit 923 may be defined face a portion of the top surface or the inflow surface of the evaporator 41 or to face toward the front of the inflow surface of the evaporator 41. In addition, the inflow hole 9211 may be defined at the upper portion of the flow passage body 920.

Accordingly, the water introduced into the top of the discharge portion 900 may be discharged toward the evaporator 41 after flowing a predetermined distance along the top surface of the evaporator 41.

Referring to (c) in FIG. 6, the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may include a washing inflow pipe 931 coupled to the discharge portion 900 to receive water, a fixing rib 932 that fixes the washing inflow pipe 931, and an inserted pipe 934 extended from the washing inflow pipe 931 and inserted into the flow passage body 920. The washing inflow pipe 931 and the inserted pipe 934 may be formed integrally.

The inserted pipe 934 is disposed inside the flow passage body 920, thereby preventing water from leaking to the outside of the flow passage body 920.

All other embodiments to be described below will omit duplicated descriptions of components the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and focus on differences therebetween.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 7, the discharge portion 900 may include the flow passage connecting pipe 930 and the flow passage body 920 at the same time.

The discharge portion 900 may further include a conversion duct 925 extending from the distal end of the flowing duct 920 to the blocking surface 924.

The conversion duct 925 may be constructed to convert an extending angle or y-axis directional dimension from the flowing duct 920. Accordingly, the conversion duct 925 may change the direction or distribution of water flowing along the flowing duct 920.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 7, the conversion duct 925 may include an extension surface 9251 extending from the distal end of the flowing duct 920 to the blocking surface 924 at an angle different from an angle at which the flowing duct 920 extends from the coupling surface 921 toward the blocking surface 924.

In other words, based on the longitudinal direction of the flow passage body 920, the flowing duct 920 may include the extension surface 9251 extending at an angle different from an angle at which the flowing duct 920 extends from the inflow hole 9211 toward the discharge slit 923.

The extension surface 9251 may be constructed to reduce a rate at which the flowing duct 920 is expanded. For example, the extension surface 9251 may be formed in a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped duct.

Accordingly, the water flowing at the angle at which the flowing duct 920 extends may change the direction thereof to the direction toward the discharge slit 923 while flowing along the extension surface 9251.

In other words, as water flows along the extension surface 9251, the flowing direction of water may become more uniform.

Accordingly, it is possible to prevent water from being concentrated to a specific point of the discharge slit 923 or from being dispersed in various directions after passing through the discharge slit 923. Therefore, water may be evenly discharged over the entire y-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923, and the discharged water may flow toward the evaporator 41 in a more uniform direction.

FIG. 8 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 8, the discharge portion 900 may further include the conversion duct 925 extending from the distal end of the flowing duct 922 to the blocking surface. The conversion duct 925 may further include an expansion surface 9252 constructed to increase in an area from the inflow hole 9211 toward the discharge slit 923.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 8, the expansion surface 9252 may extend to the blocking surface 924 at an angle different from the angle at which the flowing duct 922 is extended, like the extension surface 9251.

In addition, the expansion surface 9252 may be constructed such that a cross-section thereof increases in y-axis directional dimension as a distance to the discharge slit 923 reduces. The expansion surface 9252 may be constructed such that an area thereof gradually expands in the vertical direction.

When the flowing duct 922 and the extension surface 9251 control the flow of water flowing in the longitudinal direction of the flow passage body 920, the expansion surface 9252 may control the flow of water flowing in a height direction of the flow passage body 920.

As a result, as the water flowing inside the flow passage body 920 flows toward the discharge slit 923, the speed thereof may be reduced in the vertical and front and rear directions and may be evenly distributed in the long-side direction of the discharge slit 923.

As a result, water may be discharged more uniformly at a uniform speed through the discharge slit 923 to evenly wash the foreign matters attached to the evaporator 41.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion 900.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 9, the discharge portion 900 may further include a flow passage controlling portion 926 disposed inside the flow passage body 920 to control the flowing direction of the water.

When the flow passage body 920 is disposed in parallel with the top surface of the evaporator 41 or disposed on the connection duct 35, because of the flowing duct 922 and the like, there is a risk that power for flowing water may be lost.

In addition, when a bottom surface of the flow passage body 920 is disposed in parallel with the ground, rather, water may remain inside the flow passage body 920 to cause corruption.

Therefore, the discharge portion 900 according to the present disclosure may induce the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 to be discharged to the discharge slit 923, and may prevent the residual water from being generated through the flow passage controlling portion 926.

The flow passage controlling portion 926 may include an inclined portion 9261 that allows the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 to flow more smoothly to the discharge slit 923.

The inclined portion 9261 may extend from the coupling body 921 to the discharge slit 923.

The inclined portion 9261 may be formed separately from the flow passage body 920 and coupled to the flow passage body 920. In addition, the inclined portion 9261 may be formed integrally with the flow passage body 920 and disposed on one surface of the flow passage body 920 to have a variable thickness.

The inclined portion 9261 may have the largest height at an inner surface of the coupling body 921, and have the smallest height at an inner surface adjacent to the discharge slit 923.

As a result, water injected into a washing inserted pipe 933 may flow to the discharge slit 923 by gravity along the inclined portion 9261 and may be completely discharged.

In addition, the inclined portion 9261 may have a straight cross-section.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 9, the flow passage controlling portion 926 may include a curved portion 9262 constructed to be curved such that the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 flows to both ends of the discharge slit 923. The curved portion 9262 may be disposed on the inclined portion 9261. In addition, only the curved portion 9262 may be disposed inside the flow passage body 920.

The curved portion 9262 may be constructed such that a vertical level of the both ends of the discharge slit 923 is lower than that of a center of the discharge slit 923.

Accordingly, it is possible to induce the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 to be dispersed toward the both ends of the discharge slit 923 by gravity. As a result, even when the flowing duct 922 or the conversion duct 925 is constructed relatively short, water may be dispersed toward the both ends of the discharge slit 923 by the curved portion 9262.

In one example, the washing inserted pipe 933 may be bent downward from the washing inflow pipe 931 to further add the kinetic energy to the sprayed water.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion 920.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 10, the flow passage controlling portion 926 may include a plurality of partition ribs 9263 partitioning the interior of the flow passage body 920. The plurality of partition ribs 9263 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other such that a distance between respective ends thereof on a side facing toward the discharge slit 923 is greater than a distance between respective ends thereof on an opposite side.

The partition rib 9263 may extend from the coupling body 921 to the discharge slit 923.

However, the partition rib 9263 may extend from the flowing duct 922 to the discharge slit 923, and may extend from a middle portion of the flowing duct 922 to the discharge slit 923.

Therefore, before flowing along the flowing duct 922 or in the process of flowing along the flowing duct 922, water flowing to the both ends of the discharge slit 923 and water flowing to the center of the discharge slit 923 may be determined from the water flowed into the inflow hole 9211. Accordingly, the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 may be prevented from being concentrated in a specific region of *?*the discharge slit 923 and being discharged.

The partition rib 9263 may be applied to all of the above-described embodiments. For example, the partition rib 9263 may be applied to the flow passage body 920 including the conversion duct 925 and the inclined portion 9261.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 10, the partition rib 9263 may be disposed on the curved portion 9262 as well. Accordingly, the water may be induced to be further dispersed to the both ends of the discharge slit 923 and discharged.

The respective ends on one side of the plurality of partition ribs 9263 may be spaced apart from each other at uniform spacings, but when it is difficult to disperse water in a specific region because of a structure of the flow passage body 920, may be spaced apart from each other at different spacings to provide more water to the region.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion 900.

The discharge portion 900 may further include a step portion 927 constructed to protrude from the interior of the flow passage body 920 in a longitudinal direction of the discharge slit 923.

The step portion 927 may be disposed on the other surface facing one surface of the flow passage body 920 in which the inflow hole 9211 is defined or to which the flow passage connecting pipe 930 is coupled.

The step portion 927 may serve to temporarily collect the water flowing along the flow passage body 920. Even when the water introduced through the flow passage connecting pipe 930 reaches the step portion 927, the water may be stored in the flow passage body 920 until a water level exceeds a height of the step portion 927. Thereafter, when more water is introduced into the flow passage body 920 and an amount of water that may exceed the height of the step portion 927 is stored, the water may flow beyond the step portion 927 to the discharge slit 923.

Because the step portion 927 is constructed in parallel with the discharge slit 923, water flowed along a top surface of the step portion 927 may be evenly distributed over an entire region of *?*?*the discharge slit 923 and discharged. As a result, even when water first reaches a specific region of *?*?*the step portion 927, the water may be uniformly discharged through the discharge slit 923 along an entire region of *?*?*the step portion 927.

In addition, the water flowed beyond the step portion 927 may be discharged through the discharge slit 923 in a uniform direction.

The step portion 927 may include a limiting surface 9271 protruding from the flow passage body 920 to temporarily block the flowing of water, and a flow inducing surface 9272 extending from a top of the limiting surface to the discharge slit to induce the flowing of water.

The limiting surface 9271 may have a downwardly convex shape. Thus, a larger amount of water may be temporarily stored.

In addition, the flow inducing surface 9272 may have a flat shape, like a cliff, and may extend in parallel with one surface of the discharge slit 923. This may prevent the flow inducing surface 9272 from providing unnecessary resistance to the water.

In one example, the step portion 927 may further include a slit or a hole defined to pass through a bottom surface thereof to prevent water from accumulating therein.

The step portion 927 may be applied to all of the above-described embodiments.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion.

The discharge portion 900 may further include an extension duct 928 extending from the flow passage body 920 to guide water to the evaporator 41.

The extension duct 928 may extend from an outer circumferential surface of the distal end of the discharge slit 923. The extension duct 928 may be formed integrally with the flow passage body 920 and extend from the flow passage body 920.

The extension duct 928 may extend from a bottom surface of the flow passage body 920, and the extension duct 928 may extend toward the evaporator 41.

The water collected in the flow passage body 920 may be discharged toward the evaporator 41 while passing through the extension duct 928 no matter what direction it flows. Accordingly, the foreign matters attached to the evaporator 41 may be effectively removed.

A shape of the extension duct 928 may correspond to a shape of an inner circumferential surface of the discharge slit 923.

A y-axis directional dimension of the extension duct 928 may correspond to the y-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923, and an x-axis directional dimension of the extension duct 928 may correspond to an x-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923. The extension duct 928 may be formed in a shape in which the discharge slit 923 extends outward.

In one example, the y-axis directional dimension of the extension duct 928 may be smaller than the y-axis directional dimension of the discharge slit 923 such that a hydraulic pressure is set high.

The extension duct 928 may be applied to all the above-described embodiments.

In all the above-described embodiments, the discharge portion 900 is directed in a direction inclined or perpendicular (in the front and rear direction of the duct) to a direction of the inflow surface of the evaporator 41, and the water flowed through the discharge slit 923 at the lower portion of the discharge portion 900.

In one example, in all the above-described embodiments, the description has been made focusing that the inflow hole 9211 is defined at the upper portion of the flow passage body 920, and the discharge slit 923 is defined at the lower portion of the flow passage body 920.

However, when the inflow hole 9211 and the discharge slit 923 do not face each other, there is no problem even when the inflow hole 9211 is in communication with one end of the flow passage body 920.

That is, the inflow hole 9211 may be defined to face one end of the coupling body 921 or the blocking surface 924. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the water flowed into the inflow hole 9211 from flowing backward or from generating a vortex inside the coupling body 921.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the discharge portion 900.

The discharge portion 900 may be directed in the same direction as the inflow surface of the evaporator 41.

Referring to (a) in FIG. 13, the discharge portion 900 may include the flow passage connecting pipe 930 and the flow passage body 920 as in the above-described embodiment, and the flow passage body 920 may include the coupling body 921 and the flowing duct 922. In addition, the discharge portion 900 may further include the conversion duct 925.

However, the flow passage body 920 may be directed in a direction in parallel with the inflow surface of the evaporator 41. That is, the flow passage body 920 may be directed in a height direction of the cabinet.

In this connection, the discharge slit 923 may include an opening 929 defined as one surface of the flow passage body 920 is opened to discharge the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 to the evaporator 41.

That is, the discharge slit 923 may include the opening 929 defined by passing through a free end of the flow passage body 920 such that the water flowing along the flow passage body 920 is discharged in the flowing direction. The opening 929 may be defined to completely open the surface of the flow passage body 920 on which the blocking surface 924 is formed.

Accordingly, the water introduced into the flow passage body 920 may be further accelerated by gravity and discharged to the evaporator 41, and the foreign matters attached to the evaporator 41 may be separated by colliding with water more strongly.

Referring to (b) in FIG. 13, the opening 929 may also be defined so as not to face the inflow hole 9211. That is, the inflow hole 9211 may be defined in a front or rear surface of the flow passage body 920, and the opening 929 may be defined at a lower end of the flow passage body 920.

Accordingly, the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 may be dispersed into the flow passage body 920 while colliding with the inner surface of the flow passage body 920, and then be discharged to the opening 929. Accordingly, the water introduced into the inflow hole 9211 may be prevented from being discharged to the opening 929 without contacting the flow passage body 920.

The discharge portion 900 may further include a bent portion 9291 formed in the flow passage body 920 to temporarily collect the water flowing to the opening 929.

The bent portion 9291 may be constructed such that a portion of the flow passage body 920 may be depressed inwardly of the flow passage body 920 to reduce an area of the flow passage of the flow passage body 920. Accordingly, the water introduced through the inflow hole 9211 may be temporarily accumulated in the bent portion 9291, and may be discharged to the opening 929 after being dispersed along a long-side direction of the bent portion 9291.

The bent portion 9291 may be closer to the opening 929 than to the inflow hole 9211.

FIG. 14 shows an expanded embedment of the discharge portion 900 in FIG. 13.

The discharge portion 900 may further include a dispersing rib 9292 that partitions an area of the opening 929.

The dispersing rib 9292 may be directed along a long-side direction of the opening 929. In addition, the dispersing rib 9292 may be disposed to only extend from both side surfaces of the flow passage body 920, and to be spaced apart from the inner surface of the flow passage body 920.

The dispersing rib 9292 may be disposed to face a flow passage defined by the bent portion 9291. Accordingly, the water passed through the bent portion 9291 collides with the dispersing rib 9292 once again and a flow thereof is limited, so that the water may be dispersed along a long-side direction of the flow passage body 920.

As a result, the water may be induced to be discharged over an entire area of the opening 929.

FIG. 15 shows a structure of a duct of a laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 15, the laundry treating apparatus according to the present disclosure may include the duct 3 that defines the circulating flow passage for circulating the air discharged from the drum 2 and re-supplying the air back to the drum 2. The duct 3 may include the air discharge duct 31 through which the air supplied from the drum 2 is discharged, the connection duct 35 to which the evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 are mounted, and the air supply duct 33 connected to the connection duct 35 to supply air to the drum 2.

In this connection, the duct 3 may further include a mounting duct 36 that is detachably disposed on the connection duct 35. Thus, the evaporator 41 and the condenser 43 may be installed on the connection duct 35, and then the mounting duct 36 may be coupled to the connection duct 35 to block air flowing along the connection duct 35 from leaking.

The mounting duct 36 may serve as a cover for the connection duct 35, and at least one of the water flowing portion 6 and the discharge portion 900 may be seated and supported on the mounting duct 36.

The mounting duct 36 may further extend from the extension duct 35 toward the air discharge duct 31 so as to form a top of the air discharge duct 31, and may be formed as one piece. Accordingly, a problem of assembling or installing two components may be solved because the cover that forms the top of the connection duct 35 is composed of only one mounting duct 36.

Furthermore, as the mounting duct 36 is formed as one piece, the air circulating in the duct 3 may be blocked from leaking toward the mounting duct 36.

The mounting duct 36 may include a mounting cover 361 that is seated on the connection duct 35, and a mounting rib 362 disposed on an outer surface of the mounting cover 361. The mounting rib 362 may protrude in a thickness direction on at least one of both side surfaces, a front surface, and a rear surface of the mounting cover 361 to not only improve durability of the mounting cover 361, but also provide a space in which a separate component may be seated on the mounting cover 361.

The mounting rib 362 may be constructed to be mounted on at least one of the connection duct 35, the air supply duct 33, and the air discharge duct 31 by interference fitting and the like, and a plurality of mounting hooks 363 that may be detachably coupled to at least one of the connection duct 35, the air supply duct 33, and the air discharge duct 31 may be disposed on a surface of the mounting rib 362.

The mounting cover 361 may include an installation cover 3611 that forms a top surface of the connection duct 35, a washing cover 3612 that extends from the installation cover 3611 to define a space in which the discharge portion 900 is mounted, and an inflow cover 3613 that may extend from the washing cover 3612 to form a top surface of the air supply duct 33 or may be connected to the air supply duct 33.

Some components of the water flowing portion 6 may be seated on the installation cover 3611. For example, the flow passage switcher 63 and the supply pipe 631 may be supported by the installation cover 3611.

In one example, the washing cover 3612 may extend from the installation cover 3611, and the evaporator 41 may be disposed below the washing cover 3612.

The discharge portion 900 may be seated on the washing cover 3612. To this end, the washing cover 3612 may be constructed by being recessed from the mounting cover 361, and may be inclined downwardly from the installation cover 3611. In addition, the washing cover 3612 may have a flow passage installation portion 364 defined therein in which the discharge portion 900 may be mounted. The flow passage installation portion 364 may include a cover through-hole 3644 defined by passing through the washing cover 3612 and through which the water supplied from the discharge portion 900 may be guided to the evaporator 41. The cover through-hole 3644 may be formed in a slit shape, or may include a plurality of the cover through-holes spaced apart from each other along a long-side direction of the mounting cover 361.

The inflow cover 3613 may extend from the washing cover 3612 to the air supply duct 33, and may define a flow passage along which air flows. The inflow cover 3613 and the washing cover 3612 may be formed integrally.

In one example, the mounting cover 361 may further include a blocking rib 3614 disposed to partition the inflow cover 3613 and the washing cover 3612. The blocking rib 3614 may be disposed along the plurality of cover through-holes 3644, and may be disposed on a front surface of the cover through-holes 3644.

In one example, the discharge portion 900 may be mounted on the washing cover 3612. In other words, the discharge portion 900 capable of supplying the water to the evaporator 41 may be seated on and coupled to the mounting duct 36, and may not participate at all in defining the circulating flow passage.

Therefore, after assembly of the duct 3 is completed, the discharge portion 900 may be installed on the duct 3. As a result, the assembly and installation of the duct 3 may be simplified.

In one example, in all the above-described embodiments, the discharge portion 900 may be mounted on the washing cover 3612.

That is, when the discharge portion 900 is constructed such that the discharge slit 923 is in communication with the cover through-hole 3644, any embodiment may be applied.

The flow passage installation portion 364 may include an

installation rib

3641 and 3642 that provides a space in which the flow passage body 920 of the above-described embodiment may be mounted. Specifically, the

installation rib

3641 and 3642 may be formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of the flow passage body 920 and serve to fix the flow passage body 920. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the discharge slit 923 and the cover through-hole 3644 from being misaligned.

The

installation rib

3641 and 3642 may be defined in a groove shape, and may include a first installation rib 3641 that supports one side of the flow passage body 920, and a second installation rib 3642 that supports the other side of the flow passage body 920. One end of the first installation rib 3641 and one end of the second installation rib 3642 may be spaced apart from each other, but may be connected to each other. The other end of the first installation rib 3641 and the other end of the second installation rib 3642 may extend to the blocking rib 3614.

In addition, the first installation rib 3641 and the second installation rib 3642 may extend to the blocking rib 3614 so *?*as to be away from each other.

Accordingly, the water flowing out from the flow passage body 920 may be guided to the installation ribs after colliding with the blocking rib 3614 and then discharged to the cover through-hole 3644.

In addition, the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may be supported at a location between one end of the first installation rib 3641 and one end of the second installation rib 3642.

In one example, the discharge portion 900 may be implemented in an embodiment completely different from the above-described embodiment. For example, the discharge portion 900 may be constructed to supply water to the first installation rib 3641 and the second installation rib 3642, and the water supplied into the first installation rib 3641 and the second installation rib 3642 may collide with the blocking rib 3614 and be discharged through the cover through-hole 3644. That is, the discharge portion 900 may have a completely open bottom surface.

In this case, the discharge portion 900 may be constructed as a cover that simply shield a portion of the washing cover 3612 to form a top of the flow passage along which the water supplied from the supply pipe 631 flows.

Specifically, the discharge portion 900 may include the flow passage connecting pipe 930 coupled to the supply pipe 631 to receive water, and the flow passage body 920 that flows the water supplied to the flow passage connecting pipe 930 to the cover through-hole 3644.

In this connection, a plate-shaped installation body 910 may be disposed, and the flow passage body 920 may be formed in a rib shape extending toward the cover duct 362. In other words, the flow passage body 920 may have a completely open bottom surface, unlike the above-described embodiment, and may be formed as a rib that guides the water supplied to the flow passage connecting pipe 930 into the

installation rib

3641 and 3642.

When the cover through-hole 3644 includes the plurality of cover through-holes 3644, each flow passage connecting pipe 930 and each flow passage body 920 corresponding to each cover through-hole 3644 may be disposed on the installation body 910.

Thus, the structure of the discharge portion 900 may be simplified, and the installation of the discharge portion 900 may be simply completed by only mounting the installation body 910 on the flow passage installation portion 364.

In addition, the water introduced into the flow passage connecting pipe 930 may be introduced into the washing cover 3612 by the flow passage body 920, and the water introduced into the washing cover 3612 may flow along the first installation rib 3641 and the second installation rib 3642 and may extend to a surface of the washing cover 3612. Thereafter, the water may collide with the blocking rib 3614 and may be evenly distributed over a y-axis dimension of the cover through-hole 3644 to flow to the evaporator 41.

The present disclosure may be modified and implemented in various forms. Thus, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, when the modified embodiment includes the component of the claims of the present disclosure, the modified embodiment should be viewed as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

A laundry treating apparatus comprising:

a cabinet for forming an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus;

a drum accommodated in the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein;

a circulating flow passage constructed to re-supply air discharged from the drum into the drum;

a fan disposed inside the circulating flow passage to flow air;

a heat-exchanger including an evaporator installed inside the circulating flow passage and cooling air discharged from the drum, and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from the evaporator and heating air;

a water flowing portion coupled to the heat-exchanger or the circulating flow passage to flow water condensed in the evaporator; and

a discharge portion coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water and discharge received water to the evaporator to remove foreign matters attached to the evaporator,

wherein the discharge portion includes an inflow hole coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water, and a discharge slit for discharging water supplied from the inflow hole to the evaporator,

wherein the inflow hole and the discharge slit are spaced apart from each other to be blocked from facing each other.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge portion further includes a flow passage body having the inflow hole defined on one side and the discharge slit defined on the other side, wherein the flow passage body provides therein a space for water to flow,

wherein the discharge slit is defined by passing through one surface of the flow passage body such that water flowing along the flow passage body is discharged in a different direction from a flowing direction thereof.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the flow passage body includes a flowing duct for guiding water introduced from the inflow hole to the discharge slit,

wherein the flowing duct increases in a cross-sectional dimension from the inflow hole to the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the flow passage body includes a blocking surface for guiding water flowing along the flowing duct to the discharge slit by collision.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flow passage body further includes a conversion duct extending from a distal end of the flowing duct to the blocking surface,

wherein the conversion duct includes an extension surface extending to the blocking surface at an angle different from an extension angle of the flowing duct from the inflow hole toward the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flow passage body further includes a conversion duct extending from a distal end of the flowing duct to the blocking surface,

wherein the conversion duct includes an expansion surface constructed such that a cross-sectional dimension thereof increases toward the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes a flow passage controlling portion disposed inside the flow passage body to control the flowing direction of water.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flow passage controlling portion includes an inclined portion inclined such that water introduced into the flow passage body flows to the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flow passage controlling portion includes a curved portion formed as an inner surface of the flow passage body is curved such that water introduced into the flow passage body flows to both ends of the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the flow passage controlling portion includes a plurality of partition ribs for partitioning an interior of the flow passage body.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 10, wherein the plurality of partition ribs are disposed to be spaced apart from each other such that a distance between respective ends thereof on a side facing toward the discharge slit is greater than a distance between respective ends thereof on a side opposite to the side facing toward the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion further includes a step portion disposed inside the flow passage body and constructed to protrude along a longitudinal direction of the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 12, wherein the step portion is constructed to protrude from one surface of the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 2, wherein the discharge portion includes an extension duct extending from the flow passage body to be in communication with the discharge slit to discharge water supplied from the discharge slit.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge portion further includes a flow passage body having the inflow hole defined on one side and the discharge slit defined on the other side, wherein the flow passage body provides therein a space for water to flow,

wherein the discharge slit is defined by passing through a free end of the flow passage body such that water flowing along the flow passage body is discharged in a flowing direction.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flow passage body includes a flowing duct for guiding water introduced from the inflow hole to the discharge slit, and a bent portion constructed by bending a portion of the flowing duct, wherein the bent portion temporarily collects water flowing along the flowing duct.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 15, wherein the flow passage body is disposed in parallel with an inflow surface of the evaporator, wherein air of the circulating flow passage is introduced through the inflow surface.
A laundry treating apparatus comprising:

a cabinet for forming an appearance of the laundry treating apparatus;

a drum accommodated in the cabinet to accommodate laundry therein;

a circulating flow passage constructed to re-supply air discharged from the drum into the drum;

a fan disposed inside the circulating flow passage to flow air;

a heat-exchanger including an evaporator installed inside the circulating flow passage and cooling air discharged from the drum, and a condenser disposed to be spaced apart from the evaporator and heating air;

a water flowing portion coupled to the heat-exchanger or the circulating flow passage to flow water condensed in the evaporator; and

a discharge portion coupled to the water flowing portion to receive water and discharge received water to the evaporator to remove foreign matters attached to the evaporator,

wherein the circulating flow passage includes:

a connection duct provided to accommodated the evaporator and the condenser are accommodated; and

a mounting duct coupled to a top of the connection duct to shield the evaporator and the condenser, and is coupled to the water flowing portion ,

wherein the discharge portion is mounted on a top of the mounting duct.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 18, wherein the mounting duct includes a mounting cover coupled to the connection duct to shield the evaporator and the condenser, and a cover through-hole exposing at least a portion of the evaporator through the mounting cover,

wherein the discharge portion includes a flow passage body coupled to a top of the mounting cover to supply water to the cover through-hole.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 19, wherein the discharge portion includes a flow passage connecting pipe extending in parallel with the mounting cover from the flow passage body,

wherein the flow passage body is constructed to guide water supplied from the flow passage connecting pipe to the cover through-hole.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 19, wherein the cover through-hole includes a plurality of cover through-holes disposed along a long-side direction of the evaporator,

wherein the flow passage body includes a plurality of flow passage bodies to be respectively coupled to the plurality of cover through-holes.
The laundry treating apparatus of claim 19, wherein the flow passage body includes a plurality of flow passage bodies extending from an installation body coupled to the mounting cover.