WO2022030815A1 - Heat pump and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heat pump, a control method of the heat pump, and a home appliance including the heat pump, the heat pump comprising: a refrigerant circulation flow path for forming a flow path through which a refrigerant circulates; a first heat exchanger positioned in the refrigerant circulation flow path to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant; a second heat exchanger positioned in the refrigerant circulation flow path to heat air having passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant; a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation flow path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passed through the first heat exchanger; an expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second exchanger in the refrigerant circulation flow path to expand the refrigerant; and a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation flow path to heat the refrigerant.

Description

Heat pump and its control method

The present disclosure relates to a heat pump, a method for controlling the heat pump, and home appliances including the same. More particularly, it relates to heating a portion of the refrigerant circulation path between the compressor and the condenser.

A heat pump refers to a device that absorbs heat from a low-temperature heat source and produces high-temperature heat. In particular, in the case of home appliances, it is widely used in the clothes treatment apparatus that requires drying clothes such as washing machines, dryers, and refreshers, and air conditioning apparatus such as dehumidifiers, heaters, and air conditioners. have.

Unlike the heat pump in the steady state, in the initial state of the heat pump, the compressor is not driven in the steady state, so there is a problem that may show lower performance than expected in the steady state. have. It can be said that the cycle of the heat pump is not stabilized. This is because the initial heat pump cycle may have different values from the temperature and pressure predicted in the four basic processes (compression process, evaporation process, expansion process, and condensation process) required for the heat pump cycle in a steady state.

In order to quickly stabilize the heat pump in the initial state of startup, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2017-0024265 discloses a heater that re-heats the heated air through the condenser in the duct that circulates the drum air. ) discloses a dryer comprising a. However, this is not a method of directly heating the refrigerant, but a method of heating the air indirectly. Therefore, the energy required to heat the air to a desired temperature must be supplied as thermal energy of the heater. This has a problem in that a lot of energy is consumed in the heater in order to dry clothes of the same mass to a predetermined drying level or more within a desired time.

The present disclosure provides a solution to temporarily increase the compression capacity of a refrigerant when the heat pump is initially started.

An object of the present disclosure is to enable rapid stabilization at the time of initial start-up of a heat pump even when the temperature of external air is low.

The present disclosure aims to improve the heat dissipation capability compared to the energy input during the initial start-up of the heat pump.

In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a heat pump having a heater in a refrigerant circulation passage in the form of a pipe connecting between a compressor and a second heat exchanger (condenser). The heater may be provided in the form of enclosing a part of the outer circumferential surface of the refrigerant transfer pipe. In particular, the heater may be of a type attached by printing a sheet heating element) on a flexible film.

Specifically, a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger that is located in the refrigerant circulation passage and cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, is located in the refrigerant circulation passage, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant a second heat exchanger that heats the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger, a compressor that is located in the refrigerant circulation path and compresses and circulates the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger, and the first heat exchange in the refrigerant circulation path Heat pump comprising a; an expansion part positioned between the group and the second heat exchanger to expand the refrigerant, and a heating part positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant. is to provide

The heating unit may be located closer to the compressor than the second heat exchanger.

The refrigerant circulation passage may include a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may heat an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

The compressor may include an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger flows, and an outlet through which the refrigerant is compressed and discharged to the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may be adjacent to the outlet.

The heating unit may be provided in the form of a film on which a heating element that converts electricity into heat is printed, and may be attached to the discharge pipe.

In addition, the heating unit may be provided in the form of a heating element that converts electricity into heat in the form of a coil surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

On the other hand, a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger which is located in the refrigerant circulation passage and cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, is located in the refrigerant circulation passage, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant a second heat exchanger for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger; a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger; a discharge port through which the refrigerant is discharged from the compressor; an expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and a discharge pipe connecting between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path, and a heating unit positioned in the discharge pipe to heat the refrigerant. starting operation of the compressor; operating the heating unit; a temperature measuring step of measuring a temperature by a temperature sensor located at the discharge port or located adjacent to the discharge port in the discharge pipe to measure the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and a temperature maintaining step of operating the heating unit when the measured temperature is less than a preset first reference temperature, and stopping the operation of the heating unit when the measured temperature exceeds a preset second reference temperature. It is to provide a control method of a heat pump, characterized in that by repeating the temperature measuring step and the temperature maintaining step until a preset operating time elapses.

When the operation time elapses, the method may further include stopping the operation of the heating unit.

Meanwhile, in order to solve the above problems, a cabinet forming an exterior, a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes, a duct forming a passage for circulating air in the drum, and a flow path through which the refrigerant circulates A refrigerant circulation passage forming a first heat exchanger, which is located in the refrigerant circulation passage inside the duct and cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant. A second heat exchanger that is located in the refrigerant circulation path inside the duct and heats the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant, located in the refrigerant circulation path outside the duct, A compressor that compresses and circulates the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger, an expansion unit positioned outside the duct and positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant, and the An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus comprising: a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in a refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.

The heating unit may be located closer to the compressor than the second heat exchanger. The refrigerant circulation passage may include a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may heat an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

The compressor may include an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger flows, and an outlet through which the refrigerant is compressed and discharged to the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may be adjacent to the outlet.

The heating unit may be provided in the form of a film on which a heating element that converts electricity into heat is printed, and may be attached to the discharge pipe.

The heating unit may be provided in a coil form in which a heating element that converts electricity into heat surrounds an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

Meanwhile, in order to solve the above problems, a cabinet including an inlet on one surface, a first chamber positioned inside the cabinet to receive clothes through the inlet, and a first chamber positioned under the first chamber and A second chamber forming a separate space, a steam unit provided inside the second chamber to generate and supply steam to the first chamber, and a steam unit provided inside the second chamber to provide air in the first chamber a duct forming a passage for circulating A first heat exchanger that cools air through the duct, a second heat exchanger that is located in the refrigerant circulation passage inside the duct and heats the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant, from the outside of the duct A compressor that is located in the refrigerant circulation passage, compresses and circulates the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger, is located outside the duct, and is located between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation passage An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treatment apparatus comprising: an expansion unit for expanding the refrigerant; and a heating unit located between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.

The compressor may include an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger flows, and a discharge port through which the refrigerant is compressed and discharged to the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may be adjacent to the outlet.

The refrigerant circulation passage may include a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger, and the heating unit may heat an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.

The heating unit may be provided in the form of a film on which a heating element that converts electricity into heat is printed, and may be attached to the discharge pipe.

On the other hand, in order to solve the above problems, a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger that is located in the refrigerant circulation passage and cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, the refrigerant circulation a second heat exchanger positioned in the flow path to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant, a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation flow path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger; An expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant, and between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant It is to provide a home appliance including a heating unit.

The present disclosure may temporarily increase the compression capacity of the refrigerant when the heat pump is initially started.

According to the present disclosure, even when the temperature of the outside air is low, rapid stabilization may be possible during the initial start-up of the heat pump.

In the present disclosure, the heat dissipation ability may be better compared to the energy input during the initial start-up of the heat pump.

Figure 1 (a) schematically shows an example of a conventional heat pump. Figure 1 (b) schematically shows an example of a heat pump that heats the air heated through the second heat exchanger again through the heater. Figure 1 (c) schematically shows a heat pump including a heating unit for heating the compressed refrigerant as an example of the present disclosure.

2 is a Mollier diagram or pressure-enthalpy diagram for explaining a cycle of the heat pump.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method of the heat pump.

4A illustrates an example of a laundry treatment apparatus including the heat pump. 4(b) shows an example of a mechanical device inside the laundry treatment apparatus.

FIG. 5( a ) illustrates components constituting a heat pump among mechanical equipment inside the laundry treatment apparatus. FIG. 5(b) is an enlarged view of region P in FIG. 5(a).

6A illustrates another example of the laundry treatment apparatus including the heat pump. FIG. 6(b) illustrates an example of a mechanical device provided in the second chamber inside the laundry treatment apparatus.

7A is a view of a mechanical device provided inside a second chamber of the laundry treatment apparatus; 7(b) is an enlarged view of the Q region in FIG. 7(a).

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The configuration or control method of the device to be described below is only for explaining the embodiment of the present disclosure and not for limiting the scope of the present disclosure, and the same reference numbers used throughout the specification indicate the same components .

Specific terminology used in the present specification is only for convenience of description and is not used as a limitation of the illustrated embodiment. For example, expressions such as "same" and "same as" not only indicate the strictly identical state, but also indicate a state in which a tolerance or a difference in the degree to which the same function is obtained exists.

In general, a refrigeration cycle is used to receive heat from a low temperature reservoir and transfer heat to a high temperature reservoir. Among them, if the purpose of the refrigeration cycle is to receive heat from a low-temperature heat source, it is used as a refrigeration system, and if the purpose is to transfer heat to a high-temperature heat source, it is used as a heat pump.

In general, in the case of home appliances, a refrigeration device is used for a refrigerator or an air conditioner, and a heat pump can be used for a dryer, a washing machine with a drying function, a refresher such as a clothes manager, a heater, and a dehumidifier. And, a refrigerant is used for heat transfer between the low-temperature heat source and the high-temperature heat source.

Refrigerant is a working fluid that is easy to evaporate in the refrigeration cycle and refers to a substance that takes heat from a low-temperature part and transfers it to a high-temperature part. A typical example of the refrigerant is CFC-11 (aka Freon gas). However, due to the severity of ozone layer depletion and the like, refrigerants such as R-22 and R-134a are used. And, furthermore, new refrigerants such as R-290 are in use or planned to be used.

1 schematically shows an example of various heat pumps 100 , 200 , and 300 . Figure 1 (a) shows an example of a conventional heat pump (200). In general, the heat pump 200 is a refrigerant circulation passage, which is a passage in which the refrigerant circulates, and a first heat exchanger (evaporator, 110) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation passage 130 and an external low-temperature heat source and an external high-temperature heat source. and a second heat exchanger (condenser, 120), a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through the refrigerant circulation passage, and the refrigerant located between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and passing through the second heat exchanger It includes an expander 160 to inflate.

When the heat pump 200 is used for a home appliance that purifies the air, the first heat exchanger 110 lowers the temperature of the air through heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air at a relatively low temperature, and is included in the air through this Condensed moisture can be condensed. The second heat exchanger 120 may increase the temperature of the air passing through the first heat exchanger 110 through heat exchange between the refrigerant having a relatively high temperature and the air passing through the first heat exchanger 110 . Through this, the thermodynamic properties of the air passing through the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 may be changed into dehumidified and heated high-temperature dry air.

The refrigerant may be circulated through the sealed refrigerant circulation path 130 . Here, the sealing refers to the degree to which the refrigerant does not leak out of the refrigerant circulation path. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 150 to become a refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure, and may be introduced into the second heat exchanger 120 . The refrigerant introduced into the second heat exchanger 120 will pass through the first heat exchanger 110 to heat the cooled air again. The refrigerant that has passed through the second heat exchanger 120 expands through the expansion unit 160 .

Theoretically, isenthalpic expansion (or a throttling process or an orifice phenomenon) occurs through the expansion unit 160 , thereby lowering the pressure of the refrigerant and lowering the temperature of the refrigerant. The expansion unit 160 may be provided in the form of a capillary tube, or may be provided in the form of an electronic expansion valve (EEV). In the case of the electronic expansion valve, there is an advantage in that the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger 110 can be controlled by the valve.

The refrigerant whose temperature and pressure have been lowered by passing through the expansion unit 160 may flow back into the first heat exchanger 110 to exchange heat with relatively high temperature air. At this time, the temperature of the relatively high temperature air is lowered, and accordingly, the amount of saturated water vapor that can be included in the air is also reduced. Therefore, when the humid high temperature air and the refrigerant exchange heat, as the temperature of the air decreases, condensate will be generated.

The compressor 150 is provided to re-inflow and compress the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110 to change the refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant. Through this, the refrigeration cycle is completed, and the refrigerant can circulate while continuously changing the state through the refrigerant circulation passage.

Compressor 150 may include an accumulator (accumulator, 159) through which the gas phase and liquid phase of the refrigerant are separated, so that only the refrigerant in the gaseous phase is compressed.

When the refrigerant circulation path 130 is described with the compressor 150 as the center, the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 are connected through a discharge pipe 131 , and the first heat exchanger 110 . and the compressor 150 may be connected through an inlet pipe 132 . The second heat exchanger 120 and the expansion part 160 may be connected through a first expansion connection pipe 133 . In addition, the expansion part 160 and the first heat exchanger 110 may be connected through a second expansion connection pipe 134 .

In summary, the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 150 becomes a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant (compression process), and heat exchanges with air at a relatively low temperature through the second heat exchanger 120 (evaporation process) and it expands in the expansion unit 160 to become a refrigerant in a mixed state of low-temperature and low-pressure saturated steam-saturated liquid (expansion process). Thereafter, it will be compressed in the compressor 150 again after heat exchange with air at a relatively high temperature to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gaseous refrigerant (condensation process). That is, the refrigerant is circulated through the compression process-evaporation process-expansion process-condensation process, and this may be referred to as a heat pump cycle.

Air is generally introduced into the duct inlet 141 and may flow out to the duct outlet 142 . The first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 are located inside the duct 140, and heat transfer with air is made through this. A compressor 150 and an expansion unit 160 are positioned outside the duct 140 , and the first heat exchanger 110 , the second heat exchanger 120 , the compressor 150 , and the expansion unit 160 . ) is connected by the refrigerant circulation passage 130 , and has a structure in which the refrigerant is circulated along the refrigerant circulation passage 130 .

Therefore, the movement direction of the refrigerant indicated by the thin arrow and the movement direction of the air indicated by the thick arrow are independent of each other, and only heat exchange can be achieved through the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 . have.

In the case of a typical heat pump shown in FIG. 1( a ), after the heat pump 200 is driven, it can operate without a problem in a steady state, but when the heat pump 200 is initially driven, the heat Components constituting the pump 200 may not operate in a normal state. Accordingly, the heat pump cycle may not operate normally. In the initial stage of such driving, it is necessary to efficiently stabilize the heat pump cycle. In particular, in an area where the air temperature is low, it may take a long time from the initial state of the heat pump operation to the steady state.

1 (b) is a duct 140 of the heating unit 170 that heats the air that has passed through the second heat exchanger 120, not the refrigerant, as a way to solve the problem during the initial operation before reaching a steady state. An example of the heat pump 300 provided therein is shown. However, this is not a method of directly heating the refrigerant to affect the heat pump cycle, but an indirect method of heating the air. Thinking of it as a heat pump cycle, the cooling capacity will increase during the evaporation process. The refrigerant that has passed through this evaporation process will become more supersaturated than a typical heat pump cycle, and when compressed, it will become a refrigerant having a higher temperature than a typical heat pump. Accordingly, the heating capacity will also increase during the condensation process. However, compared with the case of FIG. 1(c), which will be described later, the method of heating the air as shown in FIG. 1(b) has a problem in that the heating or heat dissipation capability in the condensation process is relatively low compared to the input energy. This is because the refrigerant is not directly heated.

1(c) shows a heat pump 100 for directly heating a refrigerant as an example of the present disclosure. That is, the present disclosure is not a method of indirectly heating air, but a method of directly heating the refrigerant by placing the heating unit 170 between the compressor 150 and the second heat ventilator. To this end, the heat pump 100 is located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 forming a flow path through which the refrigerant circulates, and the refrigerant circulation path 130, and a first heat exchanger that cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant. (110), located in the refrigerant circulation passage 130, the second heat exchanger 120 for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110 through heat exchange with the refrigerant, the refrigerant circulation passage 130 ), a compressor 150 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110, the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger among the refrigerant circulation path 130 ( 120), an expansion unit 160 for expanding the refrigerant, and a heating unit located between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 among the refrigerant circulation path 130 to heat the refrigerant (170).

On the other hand, the heat pump 100 is located in the control unit (not shown) for controlling the heating unit 170 and the discharge port 151 or is located adjacent to the discharge port 151 of the discharge pipe 131, the compressor A temperature sensor 190 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from 150 may be further included. Accordingly, the temperature sensor 190 may be positioned between the heating unit 170 and the compressor 150 .

The temperature sensor 190 is inserted into the interior of the discharge port 151 or the discharge pipe 131 from the outside, measures the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150, and measures the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 and the control unit (not shown) can be forwarded to The control unit may receive a control signal from the temperature sensor 190 to control whether the heating unit 170 operates.

The temperature of the compressor 150 may be used by directly measuring the internal temperature of the compressor 1120 , or may be used by measuring and estimating the temperature of the refrigerant immediately after being compressed and discharged. Preferably, when the refrigerant compressed and discharged by the compressor 1120 flows along the discharge pipe 131, the temperature of the refrigerant is measured and the internal temperature of the compressor 150 is estimated and used.

As the temperature sensor, various methods such as an infrared temperature sensor and a laser temperature sensor may be used. Preferably, a thermistor is installed in the discharge pipe 131 to measure the temperature of the discharged refrigerant. .

Referring to FIG. 2 , by heating the compressed and discharged refrigerant by the heating unit 170 , there is an effect of increasing the compression capacity of the compressor 150 at the initial stage of driving the heat pump 100 . This may have the effect of significantly improving the heating ability in the condensation process at the initial stage of driving the heat pump 100 than the normal state of the heat pump 200 .

In particular, the heating unit 170 may be installed in the discharge pipe 131 connecting the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 . Specifically, the compressor 150 includes a discharge port 151 for discharging the compressed refrigerant, and a discharge pipe connecting the discharge port 151 and the refrigerant inlet (not shown) of the second heat exchanger 120 . (131) may be provided. Preferably, the heating unit 170 may be located closer to the compressor 150 than to the second heat exchanger 120 . In other words, the heating unit 170 may be located adjacent to the discharge port 151 .

For example, the heating unit 170 may be located inside the refrigerant circulation path 130 to heat the refrigerant. However, since this is not possible when a flammable refrigerant such as R-290 is used depending on the type of refrigerant, preferably, the heating unit 170 may heat the outer peripheral surface of the discharge pipe.

As the heating unit 170, a conventional coil-type electric heater or a wire-type heater such as a silicon carbide heater (SiC heater) may be used. Alternatively, a rubber heater in which a nichrome heating wire is wired between silicon pads may be used. In addition, after printing the planar heating element on the film, it is also possible to use a heater in the form of a film used by attaching it.

That is, the heating unit 170 may include a heating element 171 that converts electricity into heat and a film 172 to which the heating element is attached.

The heating element 171 may be in the form of a planar heating element. The heating element used in the film-type heating unit 170 may be of a planar shape, which is also called a planar heating element. As an example of the planar heating element, there is a heating element that generates heat by printing black carbon ink on a vinyl-based film and bonding to a power source using a copper sheet as an electrode. Another example may be a heating element coated with carbon ink on glass fiber and woven using a copper wire as an electrode wire, or a heating element using a thin copper plate as an electrode wire after carbon ink is sprayed on a nonwoven fabric or film.

After printing the heating element 171 on the film 172, it may be used by attaching it to the discharge pipe 131. After the heating element 171 is printed on the discharge tube 131, the film 172 can also be attached.

Alternatively, the heating unit 170 may have a coil shape in which a heating element 171 that converts electricity into heat surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 131 .

For example, the heating element 171 may have a form in which PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) ink is printed on the film 172 by a screening method. The film 172 may be made of a transparent material so that the heating element 171 can be seen, but is not limited thereto. The film 172 may generally be manufactured using polyimide (PI), acrylic, thermosetting polyurethane (TPU), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

Unlike the case of using an auxiliary heater to preheat the body of the compressor, the present disclosure is characterized in that the discharge pipe 131 through which the refrigerant discharged from the discharge port 151 moves is heated. Heating the body of the compressor 150 is intended to preheat the compressor. However, this is not the purpose of increasing the cooling capacity and heating capacity of the heat pump 100 at the initial stage of operation. That is, to ensure the reliability of the compressor, the difference between the temperature after compression at the initial stage of operation and the temperature after compression of the compressor in the normal state is maintained below 5 degrees (℃). Therefore, the The power consumption of the heater is on the order of several tens of Watts.

Contrary to this, in the case of the heater used in the heating unit 170 of the present disclosure, the purpose is to increase the cooling capacity and heating capacity of the heat pump 100 in the initial driving period by heating the refrigerant. , power consumption of several hundred Watts can be used.

FIG. 2 simply shows the thermodynamic cycle of the heat pumps 100 , 200 , and 300 shown in FIGS. 1 ( a ) to 1 ( c ). FIG. 2 shows a Mollier diagram or a portion of a P-h diagram showing the relationship between specific enthalpy (kJ/kg) and absolute pressure (kPa). In addition, the case where R-134a is used as an example of the refrigerant is shown. The refrigerant is not limited thereto, and values displayed on the Moliere diagram may vary depending on the refrigerant. However, using the modified form of the graph shown in FIG. 2 , the thermodynamic cycle of the heat pump 100 including the heating unit 170 positioned between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 will be briefly described. can do.

In FIG. 2 , a typical heat pump is illustrated as a refrigeration cycle indicated by 1-2b-3b-4b. This is a thermodynamic cycle at steady state. That is, it means that the heating unit 170 is stopped because power is not supplied. As an example of the present disclosure, including the heating unit 170 positioned between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120, 1-2a in the case of using the heating unit 170 at the initial stage of driving the heat pump It is shown as -3a-4a. In addition, unlike the present disclosure, the case of heating the air is shown as 1c-2c-3a-4a. This is a very simplified representation of the thermodynamic cycle for comparison.

The steady state case in which the heating unit 170 is not used may be represented by the same thermodynamic cycle as a conventional heat pump. That is, 1-2b represents a compression process in which the refrigerant is compressed along the dotted line to become a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. 2b-3b shows a condensation process in which air is heated through heat exchange in the second heat exchanger 120 and the refrigerant is condensed. 3b-4b represents an expansion process in which the refrigerant is expanded through the expansion unit 160 to make a low-temperature, low-pressure saturated liquid-saturated steam mixed state. Finally, 4b-1 shows an evaporation process of cooling the air through heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 110 and evaporating the refrigerant. This will allow the refrigerant to cycle through the heat pump cycle.

In the case of the heat pump 300 in which the air passing through the second heat exchanger 120 is heated through the heating unit 170 before exiting the duct 140 as shown in FIG. 1(b), the heating unit 170 The heating of the air by the circulating refrigerant can be represented by replacing the process 1-1c during the circulation of the refrigerant. That is, since the temperature of the air exiting the duct 140 is higher than the air temperature in the normal heat pump, the temperature of the air entering the heat pump again is also high, so that the heat exchange in the first heat exchanger 110 becomes larger. Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerant may increase as a result. Therefore, it will reach state 1c instead of state 1.

Therefore, the 1c state will reach the 2c state through the compression process. Thereafter, the refrigerant may reach the 3a state from the 2c state through a condensation process. In fact, since the 2c state is higher temperature and higher pressure than the 2b state, the 2c state and the 2b state are not located on the same pressure line, but are indicated here on the same pressure line for convenience. Therefore, the evaporation process and the condensation process are simply indicated as having a pressure difference of H. Instead, as the pressure increases, more heat exchange occurs in the condensation process to reach the 3a state. Therefore, it can be simply said that the condensation process takes place through 2c-3a.

After that, the refrigerant will go through the expansion process of 3a-4a and then circulate through the evaporation process of 4a-1c. Compared with the normal heat pump cycle 1-2b-3b-4b, it can be seen that the cooling capacity in the evaporation process is shown as an enthalpy difference of 4a-1c and the heating capacity in the condensation process is shown as 2c-3a, so they all increase. can This will eventually increase the initial cooling capacity and heating capacity of the heat pump, thereby stabilizing the heat pump at the initial stage of operation.

The case of the heat pump 100 in which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 is heated through the heating unit 170 as shown in FIG. 1(c) will be described below. The refrigerant compression process is performed in 1-2a. After compression in the compressor 150, the high-temperature and high-pressure state through heating in the heating unit 170 may display the refrigerant as state 2a. This is because the heating unit 170 also makes the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state, so it can be viewed as a compression process including all of them.

Thereafter, the refrigerant may reach the 3a state from the 2a state through a condensation process. In fact, since the state 2a is higher temperature and higher pressure than the state 2b, the state 2a and the state 2b are not located on the same pressure line, but are shown here on the same pressure line for convenience. Therefore, the evaporation process and the condensation process are simply indicated as having a pressure difference of H. Instead, as the pressure increases, more heat exchange occurs in the condensation process to reach the 3a state. Therefore, it can be simply said that the condensation process takes place through 2a-3a.

Thereafter, the refrigerant will go through the expansion process of 3a-4a and then circulate through the evaporation process of 4a-1. Compared with the normal heat pump cycle 1-2b-3b-4b, it can be seen that the cooling capacity in the evaporation process is shown as an enthalpy difference of 4a-1, and the heating capacity in the condensation process is shown as 2a-3a, so they all increase. can This will eventually increase the initial cooling capacity and heating capacity of the heat pump, thereby stabilizing the heat pump at the initial stage of operation.

Comparing the heating capacity (enthalpy difference of 2c-3a) of a method of heating the air that is provided with a heating unit 170 inside the duct 140, the heating capacity of the heat pump of the present disclosure (enthalpy difference of 2a-3a) ) is larger. That is, the heat dissipation ability or the heating ability can be improved compared to the input energy.

As described above, this is to quickly operate the heat pump in a normal state at the initial stage of driving the heat pump, and the difference may be greater when the driving environment of the heat pump is low. For example, when the heat pump is driven at a sub-zero temperature instead of room temperature, more heating capacity is required at the initial driving time of the heat pump. As in the present disclosure, when the heating unit 170 is disposed between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120, the heating capacity in the initial condensation process of driving is increased to enable rapid stabilization of the heat pump. will be.

Accordingly, when the heat pump 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is used in a clothes treatment apparatus, the drying time may be shortened through rapid stabilization at the initial stage of operation. In addition, when used in a sub-zero environment rather than a room temperature environment, the drying time can be shortened more than when using another heat pump (when a heating unit is not used or when a heating unit that heats air is included). will be. This may be more effective in environments where home appliances are used in winter or in harsh environments such as high latitudes.

3 shows an example of a flowchart related to a control method of a heat pump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. That is, the control method shown in FIG. 3 shows an example of a control method of the initial driving of the heat pump.

The heat pump 100 is located at a control unit (not shown) for controlling the heating unit 170 and the discharge port 151 or is located adjacent to the discharge port 151 of the discharge pipe 131 to the compressor ( 150) may further include a temperature sensor 190 for measuring the temperature of the refrigerant discharged. Accordingly, the temperature sensor 190 may be positioned between the heating unit 170 and the compressor 150 .

The temperature sensor 190 is inserted into the interior of the discharge port 151 or the discharge pipe 131 from the outside, measures the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150, and measures the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 and the control unit (not shown) can be forwarded to The control unit may receive a control signal from the temperature sensor 190 to control whether the heating unit 170 operates.

If, in the case of the heat pump 100 placed in an environment of room temperature at the time of initial operation, the temperature of the refrigerant may also be the temperature of room temperature. The temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 is heated at the initial stage of operation in order to operate it above the preset first reference temperature and below the preset second reference temperature, which is an appropriate temperature range in which the compressor 150 operates in a normal state. can In addition, since it is not necessary to operate the heating unit 170 when a steady state is reached, the heating unit 170 may be stopped after a preset operation time elapses.

To this end, in the control method of the present disclosure, after starting the operation of the compressor 150 ( S100 ), power is supplied to the heating unit 170 to operate ( S200 ). When the compressor 150 starts to operate, the temperature sensor 190 may measure the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 ( S510 ). Thereafter, the manufacturing method of the present disclosure may proceed with a temperature maintenance step (S500) for maintaining the measured temperature above the first reference temperature and below the second reference temperature. For example, the first reference temperature may be set to 60 degrees (°C) and the second reference temperature may be set to 80 degrees (°C).

In the temperature maintaining step (S500), the control method of the present disclosure can determine whether the heating unit operates (S535) if the measured temperature measured in the temperature measuring step (S510) is less than the first reference temperature (S530) have. If the heating unit 170 is not operating, the control method of the present disclosure may operate the heating unit 170 ( S300 ). If the heating unit 170 is in operation, the control method of the present disclosure may proceed to the temperature measurement step (S510) since it is not necessary to operate the heating unit 170 that is already in operation again.

In the temperature maintaining step (S500), in the control method of the present disclosure, when the measured temperature measured in the temperature measuring step (S510) is equal to or higher than the first reference temperature, the measured temperature measured in the temperature measuring step (S510) is the If the second reference temperature is exceeded (S550), it is determined whether the heating unit 170 operates (S575). If the heating unit 170 is operating, the The control method may stop (S577, first stopping step) the operation of the heating unit 170. If the heating unit 170 is already stopped, the control method of the present disclosure is the already stopped heating Since there is no need to stop the unit 170 again, it can proceed to the temperature measurement step (S510).

In addition, in the temperature maintaining step (S500), the control method of the present disclosure includes the temperature measuring step (S510) and the temperature maintaining step until a preset operating time elapses (S570) after the start of operation of the compressor 150 (S500) may be repeatedly performed. Accordingly, in the control method of the present disclosure, the driving temperature of the compressor may be maintained above the first reference temperature and below the second reference temperature through operation/stop of the heating unit 170 according to the repeatedly measured temperature.

If it is determined that the operation time has elapsed (S570), the control method of the present disclosure no longer needs to operate the heating unit 170, so it can proceed to a second stopping step (S700) of stopping the heating unit. .

4 (a) shows an example of a clothes treatment apparatus 1000 including a heat pump 100 provided with a heating unit 170 between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger (or condenser 120), have. 4( b ) shows a driving unit 1500 , a duct 140 , and a first heat exchanger 110 installed on a base forming the bottom surface of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 to drive the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 . , a second heat exchanger, and a compressor 150 are shown.

Referring to FIG. 4A , the clothes treatment apparatus 1000 includes a cabinet 1100 forming an exterior, a drum 1300 rotatably provided inside the cabinet 1100 to accommodate clothes, and the drum A duct 140 forming a passage for circulating air, a refrigerant circulation passage 130 (refer to FIG. 5) forming a passage through which the refrigerant circulates, and located in the refrigerant circulation passage 130 inside the duct 140 Thus, the first heat exchanger 110 for cooling air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 inside the duct 140, the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant A second heat exchanger 120 that heats the air passing through 110 is located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 outside the duct 140, and compresses the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110 to circulate the compressor 150, located outside the duct 140, and located between the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 in the refrigerant circulation path 130 to expand the refrigerant and a heating unit 170 positioned between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 among the expansion unit 160 and the refrigerant circulation path 130 to heat the refrigerant.

A circular inlet 1110 is provided on the front side of the cabinet 1100 . A control panel 1140 for controlling various functions of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 and displaying an operating state may be provided on the cabinet 1100 .

The door 1150 for opening and closing the inlet 1110 may include a light-transmitting part. Accordingly, even when the door 1150 is closed, the inside of the drum 1300 may be visually exposed through the light transmitting part.

The interior of the cabinet 1100 includes a cylindrical drum 1300 communicating with the inlet 1110 to accommodate laundry. 4 (b), the lower portion of the drum 1300, the duct 140 for circulating the air of the drum 1300 and the air sucked into the duct 140 can be heated again after dehumidification cooling The first heat exchanger 110 , the second heat exchanger 120 , and a base on which a compressor positioned outside the duct 140 to compress and circulate a refrigerant required for heat exchange is mounted may be provided. The base not only forms the bottom surface of the cabinet 1100 , but may also provide a space in which mechanical devices to perform various functions of the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 may be installed.

4 (b) shows an example of the heat pump 100 including the duct 140, the compressor 150, and the driving unit 1500 located at the base. 4 (b) is for explanation, the cover plate (not shown) forming the upper surface of the duct 140 in the duct 140 is removed, the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 ) is shown.

A duct 140 serving to circulate air may be located in the base. In the duct 140 , a first heat exchanger 110 and a second heat exchanger 120 are disposed to exchange heat with the air sucked in the drum 1300 , and then, the high-temperature dried air is returned to the drum 1300 . can be discharged To this end, an intake duct (not shown) connecting the drum 1300 and the duct inlet 141 and an exhaust duct (not shown) connecting the duct outlet 142 and the drum 1300 may be further included. have.

In addition, a blowing fan 147 may be provided between the exhaust duct and the second heat exchanger 120 to generate a suction force for sucking air inside the drum 1300 . Accordingly, the air inside the drum 1300 is circulated by the blowing fan 147 and at the same time dehumidified through the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 provided in the duct 140 . can be changed to the

Referring again to the heat pump 100 installed on the base, the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 may be located in the duct 140 . The expansion unit 160 and the compressor 150 may be located outside the duct 140 . In addition, the compressor 150 , the expansion unit 160 , the first heat exchanger 110 , and the second heat exchanger 120 may be connected by a refrigerant circulation passage 130 . The refrigerant circulation path 130 may be in the form of a pipe.

The refrigerant circulating in the heat pump 100 is evaporated by absorbing heat from the air sucked in from the drum 1300 through the first heat exchanger 110 . Accordingly, the air will be cooled, and the water contained in the air may be condensed upon cooling. This is because the amount of saturated water vapor decreases as the temperature decreases.

After the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circulation path 130 is evaporated in the first heat exchanger 110 , it is compressed to a high temperature and high pressure in the compressor 150 and then condensed again through the second heat exchanger 120 . Accordingly, after the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger is heated in the second heat exchanger 120 , it may move back to the drum 1300 .

The expansion unit 160 may be provided as an expansion valve, or may be provided as a capillary tube using an orifice effect. In addition, it may include a filter dryer 165 to filter out foreign substances in the refrigerant.

A driving unit 1500 for driving the drum 1300 may also be mounted on the base. 4B shows a motor and a driving pulley 1550 connected to the motor as an example of the driving unit 1500 . The driving unit 1500 will transmit the rotational force generated by the motor to the drum 1300 through a drum belt (not shown) that connects the driving pulley 1550 and the drum 1300 . The drum belt may have a shape surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the drum 1300 .

Also, the clothes treatment apparatus 1000 may include a cooling fan 1900 for cooling the compressor 150 . Referring to the example shown in FIG. 4(b), the cooling fan 1900 is located at the rear of the base, adjacent to the compressor 150, and sucks outside air to cool the compressor 150. can

In addition, the heat pump 100 may include a temperature sensor 190 for measuring the temperature of the compressed and discharged refrigerant. In addition, the heat pump 100 may include a heating unit 170 provided in the discharge pipe 131 to heat the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 . The heating unit 170 may be provided in a shape surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 131 . The position of the temperature sensor 190 and the heating unit 170 may be installed adjacent to the compressor 150, which may vary depending on the design.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of the heat pump 100 included in the laundry treatment apparatus 1000 . The compressor 150 may be connected to the second heat exchanger 120 through the discharge pipe 131 of the refrigerant circulation path 130 to move the compressed refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 120 . Also, the compressor 150 circulates the entire refrigerant through the refrigerant circulation passage 130 .

The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has moved to the second heat exchanger 120 is sucked from the drum through the second heat exchanger 120 to heat the cooled air again through the first heat exchanger 110 . The first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 are fin-tube formed by reciprocating a tube through which a refrigerant circulates through a plurality of heat transfer fins provided at regular intervals several times. It may be a shaped heat exchanger.

In addition, the first heat exchanger 110 cools the humid air sucked in from the drum 1300 through heat exchange, and the refrigerant receives heat from the air and evaporates. Thereafter, the refrigerant is connected to the accumulator 159 through the inlet pipe 132 of the refrigerant circulation path 130 to move to the compressor 150 .

Fig. 5(b) is an enlarged view of region P of Fig. 5(a). As the heating unit 170, a conventional coil-type electric heater or a wire-type heater such as a silicon carbide heater (SiC heater) may be used. Alternatively, a rubber heater in which a nichrome heating wire is wired between silicon pads may be used. In addition, after printing the planar heating element on the film, it is also possible to use a heater in the form of a film used by attaching it.

That is, the heating unit 170 may include a heating element 171 that converts electricity into heat and a film 172 to which the heating element is attached.

The heating element 171 may be in the form of a planar heating element. The heating element used in the film-type heating unit 170 may be of a planar shape, which is also called a planar heating element. As an example of the planar heating element, there is a heating element that generates heat by printing black carbon ink on a vinyl-based film and bonding to a power source using a copper sheet as an electrode. Another example may be a heating element coated with carbon ink on glass fiber and woven using a copper wire as an electrode wire, or a heating element using a copper thin plate as an electrode wire after spraying carbon ink on a nonwoven fabric or film.

After printing the heating element 171 on the film 172, it may be used by attaching it to the discharge pipe 131. After the heating element 171 is printed on the discharge tube 131, the film 172 can also be attached.

For example, the heating element 171 may have a form in which PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) ink is printed on the film 172 by a screening method. The film 172 may be made of a transparent material so that the heating element 171 can be seen, but is not limited thereto. The film 172 may generally be manufactured using polyimide (PI), acrylic, thermosetting polyurethane (TPU), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

5(b) shows an example of a pattern that the heating element 171 can have. The interval between the heating element patterns, the size of the heating element, etc. may be variously changed as needed.

FIG. 6( a ) shows another example of the laundry treatment apparatus 2000 including the heat pump 100 including the heating unit 170 between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger (or condenser 120 ). are doing FIG. 6(b) illustrates a mechanical device installed on the base forming the bottom surface of the laundry treatment apparatus 2000 to drive the laundry treatment apparatus 2000. Referring to FIG.

The clothes treatment apparatus 2000 includes a cabinet 2010 including an inlet 2030 on one surface, a first chamber 2100 positioned inside the cabinet 2010 and accommodating clothes through the inlet 2030, and the A second chamber 2200 positioned below the first chamber 2100 to form a space separated from the first chamber 2100, is provided inside the second chamber 2200 to generate steam and the A steam unit 2210 for supplying the first chamber 2100, a duct 140 provided in the second chamber 2200 to form a passage for circulating air in the first chamber 2100; The refrigerant circulation path 130 provided inside the second chamber 2200 and forming a flow path through which the refrigerant circulates, is located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 inside the duct 140, and the refrigerant and The first heat exchanger 110 for cooling air through heat exchange, is located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 inside the duct 140, and passes through the first heat exchanger 110 through heat exchange with the refrigerant A second heat exchanger 120 that heats one air, a compressor that is located in the refrigerant circulation path 130 outside the duct 140, compresses and circulates the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110 (150) and located outside the duct (140), and located between the first heat exchanger (110) and the second heat exchanger (120) in the refrigerant circulation flow path (130) to expand the refrigerant to expand the refrigerant and a heating unit 170 positioned between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 of the refrigerant circulation passage 130 and 160 and heating the refrigerant.

Referring to FIG. 6( a ), the clothes treatment apparatus 2000 includes a cabinet 2010 including an inlet 2030 on one surface, and is located inside the cabinet 2010 to transport clothes through the inlet 2030 . A first chamber 2100 for accommodating, a second chamber 2200 positioned below the first chamber 2100 to form a space separated from the first chamber 2100, and the second chamber 2200 A steam unit 2210 (refer to FIG. 6(b)) that is provided inside, generates steam and supplies it to the first chamber 2100, is rotatably coupled to the cabinet 2010 to open and close the inlet 2030 and a door 2020. Considering the usage method of general users, preferably, the inlet 2030 will be provided on the front side of the cabinet 2010 .

In addition, the clothes treatment apparatus 2000 is located inside the second chamber 2200 and includes a blowing unit 2260 (refer to FIG. 6(b)) that sucks air from the first chamber 2100, and the A heat pump 100 for dehumidifying and heating the sucked air and then discharging it to the first chamber 2100 may be further included.

The cabinet 2010 may be made of a metal material, and may be made of a plastic material if strength can be maintained. Also, the first chamber 2100 may be formed by plastic injection molding. The first chamber 2100 may be coupled to the cabinet 2010 by a frame (not shown), but, unlike this, a foamed plastic such as polyurethane is disposed between the cabinet 2010 and the first chamber 2100 . It is also free to use and fill.

The clothes including the top and bottom may be mounted in the first chamber 2100 , and a blower unit 2260 (refer to FIG. 6(b) ) positioned inside the second chamber 2200, a heat pump 100 ) and the steam unit 2210 (refer to FIG. 6(b)) to refresh the clothes. That is, the blowing unit 220 (refer to FIG. 6(b)), the heat pump 100 (refer to FIG. 6(b)) and the steam unit 2210 (see FIG. 6(b)) positioned inside the second chamber 2200 ) through steam and/or heated air to sterilize and deodorize clothes, and to remove wrinkles formed by use.

The first chamber 2100 may include a clothing support unit 2130 for holding clothing on an upper portion inside the first chamber 2100 . The clothes support unit 2130 may accommodate a hanger on which clothes are hung, and may be connected to a driving unit (not shown) capable of reciprocating the clothes support unit 2130 from side to side. The movement of the clothing support unit 2130 shakes the clothing, and eventually foreign substances including fine dust adhering to the clothes can be separated. Also, by exposing to steam or moisture supplied from the second chamber 2200 while shaking the clothes mounted on the clothes support unit 2130 , wrinkles on the clothes can be removed to some extent.

That is, the clothes support part 2130 allows the clothes to be held in an unfolded state by their own weight inside the first chamber 2100, so that the dehumidified and heated air supplied from the second chamber 2200 and/ Alternatively, it can be made to be evenly exposed to steam.

In general, water boils at 100 °C under atmospheric pressure. At this time, the generated water vapor can be called steam. Moisture, on the other hand, refers to a form in which water droplets of 1 mm or less are suspended in the air at room temperature. It's like fog, for example. In general, in the case of steam generated by heating water and boiling it, the sterilization power is superior to that of water due to the higher temperature than water, and since water molecules move more actively at high temperature, the permeability of clothes is excellent, so steam can be used more than water to refresh clothes. can

The bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 provides steam generated by the steam unit 2210 inside the second chamber 2200 and air dehumidified and heated by the heat pump 100 to the first chamber 2100. ), the air supply port 2151 and the steam supply port 2152 for supplying, and the suction port 2153 for sucking the air of the first chamber 2100 by the blowing unit 2260 can be located have.

As an example, the inlet 2030 will be provided on one surface of the cabinet facing the front, and in the case of the mechanical device shown in FIG. 6(b), the air supply duct 2250 is located in front of the inlet, that is, The door will be positioned in the direction it is positioned. Accordingly, the suction port 2153 and the air supply duct inlet 2551 are connected to each other to serve as a passage for sucking the air of the first chamber 2100 .

As shown in FIG. 6( a ), the air supply port 2151 and the steam supply port 2152 are located in a region where the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 and the rear surface of the first chamber 2100 meet. can be provided. In addition, a region where the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 and the rear surface of the first chamber 2100 meet may have a smoothly inclined shape. The suction port 2153 may be located close to the inlet 2030 on the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 . Accordingly, the air inside the first chamber 2100 is discharged through the air supply port 2151 and is sucked through the suction port 2153 to be circulated. After steam is also discharged through the steam supply port 2152, it is condensed and sucked through the suction port 2153, and then collected in a sump (not shown) that stores condensed water.

In order to more smoothly introduce the condensed water condensed inside the first chamber 2100 into the second chamber 2200 through the suction port 2153, the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 is the first It may be inclined downward in the direction of the inlet 2030 from the rear surface of the chamber 2100.

As shown in FIG. 6( a ), the laundry treatment apparatus 2000 discharges and stores the water supply tank 2410 for supplying water to the steam unit 2210 and the condensed water collected in the sump (not shown). A drain tank 2420 for this purpose may be provided in the front portion of the second chamber 2200 . In addition, a tank module frame (not shown) for forming a tank installation space (not shown) in which the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 are installed is provided, and the tank installation space (not shown) and the first The second chamber 2200 may be separated. That is, the tank installation space and the second chamber 2200 are located under the first chamber 2100, the tank installation space is located close to the door 2020, and the second chamber 2200 is located behind the tank installation space. can be located

The water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 may be respectively detachably provided in the tank module frame (not shown). However, unlike this, the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 may be combined into one and may be provided to be detachably attached at the same time.

When the door 2020 is closed, the door 2020 may include a rear surface of the door 2020 or an inner surface of the door located in a direction from the door 2020 to the first chamber 2100 . The door 2020 is rotatably connected to the cabinet 2010 in a hinge manner to open and close the inlet 2030 .

When the user closes the door 2020, the front of the water supply tank 2410 and the front of the drain tank 2420 face the inner surface of the door, and when the user opens the door 2020, the water supply tank 2410 The front surface of and the front surface of the drain tank 2420 may be exposed to the outside. In addition, since the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 include a water supply tank window 2411 and a drain tank window 2421 on their front surfaces, respectively, the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 are stored inside You can check the water level right away.

The front surface of the water supply tank 2410 and the front surface of the drain tank 2420 may include a water supply tank handle (not shown) and a drain tank handle (not shown), respectively. When the user pulls the water supply tank handle and the drain tank handle, respectively, the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 rotate around the front end of the water supply tank and the front end of the drain tank, respectively. It may be separated from the tank module frame (not shown). Also, when mounted on the tank module frame (not shown), the water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 will be seated on the tank module frame (not shown) through rotation as well.

The clothes treatment apparatus 2000 includes a clothes fixing unit for hanging the trouser hangers after mounting the pants P upside down on the pants hangers on the inner surface of the door 2020 or the inside of the first chamber 2100 and the clothes A fixing part and a pressing part 2070 for pressing the pants fixed by the trouser hanger may be located. The inner surface of the door 2020 refers to a surface that is positioned toward the inlet 2030 among both surfaces of the door and forms the clothing accommodation space together with the first chamber 2100 when the door 2020 is closed. say

The reason that the pants P is hung upside down, that is, with the bottom hem upward, is that the weight of the waist of the pants P, that is, the top of the pants P, is the bottom of the pants P, that is, Because it is heavier than the pants (pant leg) portion, a tensile force is applied to the pants (P) through the weight of the pants (P) to evenly spread the pants (P).

The pressing unit 2070 may include a support plate coupled to the inner surface of the door 2000 to support the clothes, and a rotating plate rotating toward the support plate to press the pants P. When the rotating plate is coupled to rotate toward the support plate, it is possible to press the pants (P). After that, the door 2020 is closed, and the wrinkle can be removed by exposing it to steam and dehumidified and heated air inside the first chamber 2100 . At this time, it may include a rotation plate through-hole penetrating the rotation plate to facilitate the steam penetration into the pants (P), and the seam (seam) provided along the longitudinal direction of the pants box of the pants (P) is pressed. In order to prevent it, it may further include a depression in the surface in contact with the pants (P) of both sides of the rotating plate.

Referring to Figure 6 (b), the inside of the second chamber 2200, the blowing unit 2260 for sucking the air of the first chamber 2100, the water from the water supply tank 2410 is supplied to steam A heat pump that dehumidifies and heats the air sucked in by the steam unit 2210 and the blowing unit 2260 for supplying steam to the first chamber 2100, and then discharges it to the first chamber 2100. (100) may be included. In addition, a control unit (not shown) for controlling the blowing unit 2260 , the steam unit 2210 , and the heat pump 100 may be located.

Accordingly, in order to supply the dehumidified and heated air to the first chamber 2100 , the air inside the first chamber 2100 is sucked through the air supply duct 2250 using the blowing unit 2260 . Then, it is moved to the heat pump 100 , and after heat exchange, it is supplied to the first chamber 2100 again.

Referring to FIG. 6B , the blowing unit 2260 may include a blowing fan 147 and an air supply duct 2250 . When the direction in which the inlet 2030 is located is referred to as the front and the direction in which the rear surface of the first chamber is located is referred to as the rear, the air supply duct 2250 is provided in front of the blowing fan 147, and the air supply duct 2250 In front of the tank module frame (not shown) may be provided. Accordingly, the tank module frame may separate the tank installation space and the second chamber 2200 .

The water supply tank 2410 and the drain tank 2420 seated on the tank module frame may be located close to one side of both sides of the cabinet 2010 . For example, in the water supply tank 2410, the right side of the cabinet 2010 may be located closer than the left side of the cabinet 2010 in the tank installation space (not shown), and the drain tank 2420, on the contrary, is the cabinet 2010. The left side of the cabinet 2010 may be located closer than the right side of the cabinet 2010 .

Similarly to the position of the water supply tank 2410 , in the steam unit 2210 , the right side of the cabinet 2010 may be located closer than the left side of the cabinet 2010 inside the second chamber 2200 . This is to simplify the connection passage through which water moves from the water supply tank 2410 to the steam unit 2210 by disposing the steam unit 2210 at the rear of the water supply tank 2410 .

The steam unit 2210 may heat the water located inside the steam unit 2210 by using a heater, and the generated steam is generated along the steam passage (not shown) along the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100. It may communicate with the steam supply port 2152 provided in the.

If the water supply tank 2410 is located closer to the left side of the cabinet 2010 than to the right side of the cabinet 2010, correspondingly, the position of the steam unit is also closer to the left side of the cabinet 2010 than the right side of the cabinet 2010. can be located

In addition, the air supply duct 2250 communicates with the suction port 2153 provided on the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 to suck the air of the first chamber 2100. may include In addition, the air supply duct inlet 2551 may form an inclined flow path. The condensed water generated in the first chamber 2100 and the door 2020 passes through the supply air duct inlet 2551 communicating with the bottom surface of the first chamber 2100 and rides the inclined flow path, and the inner lower part of the air supply duct 2250 This is for easy movement to a sump (not shown) provided in the .

The air supply duct 2250 is positioned in front of the blowing fan 147 , and the steam unit 2210 and the heat pump 100 may be disposed in the rear of the blowing fan 147 . Also, the heat pump 100 may be supported by a supporter 2220 . The supporter 2220 may be provided on the base 2050 forming the bottom of the second chamber 2200 . Accordingly, the supporter 2220 forms a predetermined separation distance between the base 2050 and the heat pump 100 , and forms a predetermined installation space between the supporter 2220 and the base 2050 . can do. A steam unit 2210 may be located in the installation space, and may be coupled to the supporter 2220 in the installation space. 6(b) shows an example in which the control unit is located below the steam unit 2210 in the installation space of the supporter 2220, but unlike the second chamber 2200, the rear light of the steam unit 2210 It is free to be installed anywhere inside the

The heat pump 100 is a duct 140 including the first heat exchanger (or evaporator) and the second heat exchanger (or condenser) therein, and the air dehumidified and heated in the duct 140 is supplied to the A discharge port 151 communicating with an air supply port 2151 provided in the first chamber 2100 may be further included to discharge to the first chamber 2100 . A compressor (not shown) and an expansion valve (not shown) for circulating the refrigerant may be located outside the supporter 2220 .

Unlike that shown in FIG. 6( b ), the blowing unit 2260 circulates the air in the first chamber 2100 , and the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 operate the blowing unit 2260 . ) may be provided inside the duct 140 for moving the air circulated by.

The duct 140 may be connected to the blowing unit 2260 through a blowing channel 2261 . Specifically, the blowing channel 2261 may connect the outlet of the blowing unit 2260 and the inlet of the duct 140 .

7( a ) shows a duct 140 provided inside the second chamber 2200 to circulate air inside the first chamber 2100 , and a base 2050 provided outside the duct 140 . The compressor 150 and the expansion unit 160 installed in the , and the refrigerant circulation path 130 through which the refrigerant circulates are shown. A first heat exchanger 110 and a second heat exchanger 120 are positioned inside the duct 140 to exchange heat with the air sucked in from the first chamber 2100 .

In addition, in the discharge pipe 131 , which is a part of the refrigerant circulation path connecting the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 , the refrigerant passing through the discharge pipe 131 is wrapped around the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 131 . It may include a heating unit 170 for heating. A temperature sensor 190 for measuring the temperature of the compressed and discharged refrigerant may be provided between the heating unit 170 and the compressor 150 .

Through this, it is possible to quickly stabilize the heat pump 100 to a normal state by increasing the heating ability at the initial driving time of the heat pump 100 . This is the same as already described above.

In addition, the heat pump 100 may include a temperature sensor 190 for measuring the temperature of the compressed and discharged refrigerant. In addition, the heat pump 100 may include a heating unit 170 provided in the discharge pipe 131 to heat the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 150 . The heating unit 170 may be provided in a shape surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe 131 . The position of the temperature sensor 190 and the heating unit 170 may be installed adjacent to the compressor 150, which may vary depending on the design.

Referring to FIG. 7A , the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant that has moved to the second heat exchanger 120 is sucked from the drum through the second heat exchanger 120 and cooled through the first heat exchanger 110 . The air will be heated again. The first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 are fin-tube formed by reciprocating a tube through which a refrigerant circulates through a plurality of heat transfer fins provided at regular intervals several times. It may be a shaped heat exchanger.

In addition, the first heat exchanger 110 cools the humid air sucked in from the drum 1300 through heat exchange, and the refrigerant receives heat from the air and evaporates. Thereafter, the refrigerant is connected to the compressor 150 through the inlet pipe 132 of the refrigerant circulation path 130 to move to the compressor 150 .

7(b) is an enlarged view of the Q region. As the heating unit 170, a conventional coil-type electric heater or a wire-type heater such as a silicon carbide heater (SiC heater) may be used. Alternatively, a rubber heater in which a nichrome heating wire is wired between silicon pads may be used. In addition, after printing the planar heating element on the film, it is also possible to use a heater in the form of a film used by attaching it.

That is, the heating unit 170 may include a heating element 171 that converts electricity into heat and a film 172 to which the heating element is attached.

The heating element 171 may be in the form of a planar heating element. The heating element used in the film-type heating unit 170 may be of a planar shape, which is also called a planar heating element. As an example of the planar heating element, there is a heating element that generates heat by printing black carbon ink on a vinyl-based film and bonding to a power source using a copper sheet as an electrode. Another example may be a heating element coated with carbon ink on glass fiber and woven using a copper wire as an electrode wire, or a heating element using a thin copper plate as an electrode wire after carbon ink is sprayed on a nonwoven fabric or film. Alternatively, the heating unit 170 may be implemented in a film form in a different way.

After printing the heating element 171 on the film 172, it may be used by attaching it to the discharge pipe 131. After the heating element 171 is printed on the discharge tube 131, the film 172 can also be attached.

For example, the heating element 171 may have a form in which PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) ink is printed on the film 172 by a screening method. The film 172 may be made of a transparent material so that the heating element 171 can be seen, but is not limited thereto. The film 172 may generally be manufactured using polyimide (PI), acrylic, thermosetting polyurethane (TPU), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

In addition to the clothes treatment apparatuses 1000 and 2000 shown as an example in FIGS. 4 and 6 , the heat pump 100 as an example of the present disclosure includes a dehumidifier using the heat pump 100 , a heater using the heat pump, or a cooling/heating machine, etc. It can also be used for home appliances. That is, the home appliance includes a refrigerant circulation passage 130 that forms a passage through which the refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger 110 that is located in the refrigerant circulation passage 130 and cools air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, the Located in the refrigerant circulation path 130, the second heat exchanger 120 for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110 through heat exchange with the refrigerant, located in the refrigerant circulation path 130, A compressor 150 that compresses and circulates the refrigerant that has passed through the first heat exchanger 110, and the first heat exchanger 110 and the second heat exchanger 120 in the refrigerant circulation path 130 are interposed therebetween. an expansion unit 160 for expanding the refrigerant and a heating unit 170 for heating the refrigerant located between the compressor 150 and the second heat exchanger 120 among the refrigerant circulation passage 130 . may include

The present disclosure may be modified and implemented in various forms, but the scope of rights is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Accordingly, if the modified embodiment includes the elements of the claims of the present disclosure, it should be regarded as belonging to the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims (19)

1. a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates;

   a first heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

   a second heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

   a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger;

   an expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and

   and a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.
2. According to claim 1,

   the heating part

   Heat pump, characterized in that located closer to the compressor than the second heat exchanger.
3. According to claim 1,

   The refrigerant circulation path

   and a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger.

   The heating unit heat pump, characterized in that for heating the outer peripheral surface of the discharge pipe.
4. 4. The method of claim 3,

   the compressor is

   an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger is introduced; and

   and a discharge port for discharging the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger after compression;

   the heating part

   Heat pump, characterized in that adjacent to the discharge port.
5. 5. The method of claim 4,

   the heating part

   A heating element that converts electricity into heat is provided in the form of a printed film,

   Heat pump, characterized in that attached to the discharge pipe.
6. 5. The method of claim 4,

   the heating part

   Heat pump, characterized in that the heating element that converts electricity into heat is provided in the form of a coil surrounding the outer peripheral surface of the discharge pipe.
7. A refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which a refrigerant circulates, a first heat exchanger positioned in the refrigerant circulation passage to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant, located in the refrigerant circulation passage, through heat exchange with the refrigerant a second heat exchanger for heating the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger; a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger; a discharge port through which the refrigerant is discharged from the compressor; an expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and a discharge pipe connecting between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path, and a heating unit positioned in the discharge pipe to heat the refrigerant.

   starting operation of the compressor;

   operating the heating unit;

   a temperature measuring step of measuring a temperature by a temperature sensor located at the discharge port or located adjacent to the discharge port in the discharge pipe to measure the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and

   When the temperature measured through the temperature sensor is less than a preset first reference temperature, the heating unit is operated, and when it exceeds the preset second reference temperature, the temperature maintaining step of stopping the operation of the heating unit; includes,

   The control method of a heat pump, characterized in that the temperature measuring step and the temperature maintaining step are repeated until a preset operation time elapses after the start of the operation of the compressor.
8. 8. The method of claim 7,

   When the operation time elapses, the control method of the heat pump, characterized in that it further comprises the step of stopping the operation of the heating unit.
9. cabinets that form the facade;

   a drum rotatably provided inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes;

   a duct forming a passage for circulating the air of the drum;

   a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates;

   a first heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path inside the duct to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

   a second heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path inside the duct and configured to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

   a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path outside the duct to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger;

   an expansion unit located outside the duct and positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and

   and a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.
10. 10. The method of claim 9,

    the heating part

    The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second heat exchanger is located closer to the compressor.
11. 10. The method of claim 9,

    The refrigerant circulation path

    and a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger.

    and the heating unit heats an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.
12. 12. The method of claim 11,

    the compressor is

    an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger is introduced; and

    and a discharge port for discharging the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger after compression;

    the heating part

    The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that adjacent to the discharge port.
13. 13. The method of claim 12,

    the heating part

    A heating element that converts electricity into heat is provided in the form of a printed film,

    The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that it is attached to the discharge pipe.
14. 13. The method of claim 12,

    the heating part

    A clothes treatment apparatus characterized in that a heating element that converts electricity into heat is provided in the form of a coil surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.
15. A cabinet including an inlet on one side;

    a first chamber positioned inside the cabinet to receive clothes through the inlet;

    a second chamber positioned below the first chamber to form a space separated from the first chamber;

    a steam unit provided inside the second chamber to generate steam and supply it to the first chamber;

    a duct provided inside the second chamber to form a passage for circulating air in the first chamber;

    a refrigerant circulation passage provided in the second chamber to form a passage in which the refrigerant circulates;

    a first heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path inside the duct to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

    a second heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path inside the duct and configured to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

    a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path outside the duct to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger;

    an expansion unit located outside the duct and positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and

    and a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.
16. 16. The method of claim 15,

    the compressor is

    an inlet through which the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger is introduced; and

    and a discharge port for discharging the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger after compression;

    the heating part

    The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that adjacent to the discharge port.
17. 17. The method of claim 16,

    The refrigerant circulation path

    and a discharge pipe connecting the compressor and the second heat exchanger.

    and the heating unit heats an outer circumferential surface of the discharge pipe.
18. 18. The method of claim 17,

    the heating part

    A heating element that converts electricity into heat is provided in the form of a printed film,

    The laundry treatment apparatus, characterized in that it is attached to the discharge pipe.
19. a refrigerant circulation passage forming a passage in which the refrigerant circulates;

    a first heat exchanger positioned in the refrigerant circulation path to cool air through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

    a second heat exchanger located in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the air that has passed through the first heat exchanger through heat exchange with the refrigerant;

    a compressor positioned in the refrigerant circulation path to compress and circulate the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger;

    an expansion unit positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to expand the refrigerant; and

    and a heating unit positioned between the compressor and the second heat exchanger in the refrigerant circulation path to heat the refrigerant.

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