Patent Application
20210156072
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 10-2019-0161943, filed on Dec. 6, 2019, and Korean Application No. 10-2019-0152508, filed on Nov. 25, 2019, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
This disclosure relates to an apparatus for treating clothes using a flow-path conversion pump that forms two or more water flows using one motor to use cooling water in various ways.
In general, a clothes treating apparatus may be a device that launders contaminated laundry and dries laundry by supplying hot air to the laundry that has been washed and spin-dried and evaporating moisture from the laundry. In other words, the clothes treating apparatus may be a device that serves as both a washing machine and a dryer.
The hot air for drying the laundry may be supplied through a heat pump cycle including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, or supplied using an electric heater. A dryer may dry the laundry by evaporating moisture from the laundry using the hot air. When the hot air contains moisture of a certain level or more and becomes high-temperature and high-humidity, it is not possible to substantially evaporate the moisture of the laundry. Thus, it is necessary to supply high-temperature and dry air, but a lot of energy may be consumed to introduce air from outside, heat the air, and supply the air into a drum each time. Accordingly, various studies have been conducted to remove moisture from high-temperature and high-humidity air and reduce the air into a high-temperature and dry state. As a method of reducing the hot air to the high-temperature dry state, a method of spraying tap water to the hot air as cooling water to evaporate the moisture contained in the hot air and remove the moisture along with the cooling water may be applied. In this case, however, an amount of tap water used may excessively increase because the cooling water is continuously sprayed.
In addition, a large amount of condensate water may be condensed on a surface of the evaporator while the heat pump cycle operates to dry the laundry. The condensed water needs to be discharged outside the clothes treating apparatus to prevent an adverse effect on other electronic components.
In recent years, various studies have been actively conducted to improve the performance and durability of the clothes treating apparatus by appropriately utilizing the condensate water in addition to simply discharging the condensate water.
In a related art, for example, a method of using dust accumulated in a condenser for cleaning is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,438,750 as one of the methods of utilizing condensate water. However, in order to utilize the condensate water according to the related art, a power source for supplying the condensate water to a desired location in the clothes treating apparatus may be required in addition to power for discharging the condensate water to the outside. Alternatively, by connecting a three-way valve or a four-way valve based on a single power source (e.g., a pump) and controlling it to change a flow path for supplying the condensate water, an effect as if a plurality of power sources is arranged may be obtained. However, in this case, a separate logic for control may be required and a valve available for electronic control may be used, which may increase the manufacturing cost. Also, since it is a structure in which stored condensate water flows to the condenser through the control of the electronic valve, a water pressure may be low, which may reduce a cleaning power.
An aspect is to solve the issues above and provides a structure in which a flow-path conversion pump that autonomously supplies a water flow to a plurality of flow paths is provided to reuse cooling water.
Another aspect provides a flow-path conversion pump that autonomously supplies condensate water to a plurality of flow paths, thereby providing a clothes treating apparatus that does not require an electronic valve and a separate control logic therefor.
Another aspect provides a structure that minimizes a flow loss when changing a flow path of cooling water.
Another aspect provides a clothes treating apparatus including a flow-path conversion pump having a minimized number of components and easy to be assembled.
Another aspect provides clothes treating apparatus including a flow-path conversion pump that prevents leakage occurring in a flow path due to a separation of a diaphragm valve or prevents water from flowing back to another flow path.
According to an aspect, there is provided a clothes treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate an object to be dried, a tub in which the drum is built, a first drying duct configured to communicate with an inner side of the drum at one side and communicate with an inner side of the tub at the other side, a circulation fan disposed in an end portion of the other side of the first drying duct and configured to circulate air, a spray nozzle disposed between the circulation fan and the drum and configured to spray cooling water to a space between the tub and the drum, a water collecting container disposed below the tub to collect the cooling water, a circulation line configured to supply the cooling water of the water collecting container to the spray nozzle, a drainage line configured to discharge the cooling water of the water collecting container to outside, and a flow-path conversion pump configured to receive the cooling water from the water collecting container and supply the cooling water selectively to the circulation line or the drainage line.
The flow-path conversion pump may include an impeller housing configured to accept condensate water supplied from the water collecting container, having an impeller built therein, and including a first housing outlet and a second housing outlet formed in parallel with a tangential direction of a rotation of the impeller, a flow-path switch having an internal space, including a first inlet and a second inlet communicating with the first housing outlet and the second housing outlet, and including a first outlet and a second outlet communicating with the first inlet and the second inlet, a diaphragm disposed in the internal space of the flow-path switch to separate the first inlet and the second inlet and separate the first outlet and the second outlet, and a motor connected to the impeller to transmit power. The first outlet may be connected to the circulation line, and the second outlet may be connected to the drainage line.
When viewed from a first direction, the flow-path switch may be in a mortar shape of which a width gradually decreases with respect to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and increases again at a central portion. When viewed from a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the flow-path switch may be in a circular shape.
A sealing line protruding toward the internal space as a band may be formed in an inner surface of the central portion of the flow-path switch.
The flow-path switch may be formed using two parts based on the diaphragm, and when assembling the flow-path switch, an outer portion of the diaphragm is assembled while being sandwiched to overlap between the two parts.
A portion in which the flow-path switch and the outer portion of the diaphragm overlap may form a closed curve.
The diaphragm may be formed of an elastic material and has a shape in which a central portion of a circular plate protrudes to have a gentle curvature, where a protruding direction is changed by 180 degrees (°) by an external force.
The diaphragm may be formed continuously in a process of protruding from an outermost portion to the central portion, and a curvature may be changed at least once.
The diaphragm may be formed to have a uniform thickness overall, and a coupling portion is formed at the outermost portion with a thickness greater than that of other portions.
The diaphragm may be disposed to close the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet or close the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet.
The diaphragm may be formed to have a uniform thickness overall, and a bent portion may be formed adjacent to the outermost portion with a thickness less than that of other portions.
When the motor rotates the impeller in a clockwise direction, the diaphragm may protrude in a direction in which the diaphragm blocks the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet by a water flow leading to the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet.
When the motor rotates the impeller in a counterclockwise direction, the diaphragm may protrude in a direction in which the diaphragm blocks the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet by a water flow leading to the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet.
The clothes treating apparatus may further include a heater disposed in the first drying duct.
The spray nozzle may be supplied with the cooling water from an external source or the water collecting container.
The clothes treating apparatus may further include a sensor configured to measure a water level of the cooling water collected in the water collecting container.
According to another aspect, there is also provided a clothes treating apparatus including a drum configured to accommodate an object to be dried, a second drying duct configured to resupply air discharged from the drum into the drum, an evaporator disposed in the second drying duct to pass the air discharged from the drum, a condenser disposed in the second drying duct to pass the air passing the evaporator, a compressor and an expansion valve forming a heat pump cycle along with the evaporator and the condenser, a water collecting container disposed below the evaporator to collect condensate water condensed on a surface of the evaporator, a drainage bin formed to be attachable and detachable, a condenser washer configured to spray the condensate water to the surface of the condenser, a first supply line configured to supply the condensate water to the drainage bin, a second supply line configured to supply the condensate water to the condenser washer, and a flow-path conversion pump configured to receive the condensate water from the water collecting container to selectively supply the condensate water to the first supply line or the second supply line.
The condenser washer may further include a distribution manifold configured to receive the condensate water from the second supply line and distribute the condensate water into a plurality of flow paths, and a spray nozzle disposed in the plurality of flow paths branched from the distribution manifold to spray the condensate water to the surface of the condenser.
According to example embodiments, it is possible to provide a clothes treating apparatus that performs a recirculation of cooling water and a discharge of the cooling water by employing a simple structure in which a flow path may be changed by changing a rotating direction of a motor.
According to example embodiments, it is possible to provide a clothes treating apparatus that minimizes a flow loss of condensate water occurring due to a rotation of an impeller by forming a changed flow-path angle to be an obtuse angle.
According to example embodiments, it is possible to provide a clothes treating apparatus in which a diaphragm and a flow-path switch are easily assembled and the flow-path switch is sealed simultaneously with the assembling, thereby simplify a structure.
According to example embodiments, it is possible to provide a clothes treating apparatus that uses a diaphragm previously formed in a specific shape, thereby preventing an elastically deformed state from being maintained continuously.
According to example embodiments, it is possible to provide a clothes treating apparatus that that minimizes a flow loss generated in a process of changing a flow path of condensate water and supplies the condensate water directly to a condenser washer by an operation of a pump so as to wash a condenser at a high pressure.
The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, some example embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but identical or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of drawing numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes “module” and “unit” for components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably in consideration of only the ease of preparation of the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinguished from each other. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, when it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies 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 for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, but the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Terms including an ordinal number such as first and second may be used to describe various elements, but the elements are not limited by the terms. These terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component.
When a component is referred to as being “coupled” or “connected” to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly coupled” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in the middle.
Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
In the present application, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but it is to be understood that it does not preclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof.
Referring to
The main body 101 according to an example embodiment may form an appearance of the clothes treating apparatus 100 and include the drum 110 and the tub 120. Also, the main body 101 may have various built-in components such as a driving motor for rotating the drum 110, a heat pump system for generating hot air, and the like.
The drum 110 according to an example embodiment may be rotatably built in the main body 101 and receive an object to be dried. The drum 110 may be rotatably supported by a supporter (not shown) at the front and back.
The tub 120 according to an example embodiment may include the drum 110 and serve to separate internal spaces of the drum 110 and the main body 101. During a washing process, washing water flowing into the drum 110 may be prevented from leaking into the main body 101. Also, during a drying process, cooling water to be sprayed to hot air circulating in the drum 110 may be prevented from leaking into the main body 101.
The door 102 according to an example embodiment may be rotatably installed on a front side of the main body 101 to open and close the front of the drum 110. The door 102 may be formed in a disc shape.
In addition, the main body 101 may include a plurality of elastic members (not shown) and a damper (not shown) to support the drum 110 and restrict vibrations and include a driving motor (not shown) to rotate the drum 110.
The intake duct (not shown) according to an example embodiment may be disposed at the rear of the drum 110 to suck outside air and supply the outside air into the drum 110. A path through which the outside air is applied into the drum 110 may be referred to as an intake path. The intake path may be formed separate from a first drying duct 130 (refer to
A basic operation principle of the clothes treating apparatus 100 will be described with reference to
The clothes treating apparatus 100 according to an example embodiment may include a first drying duct 130, a circulation fan 140, a spray nozzle 150, a water collecting container 160, a circulation line 170, a drainage line 180, and a flow-path conversion pump 200.
The clothes treating apparatus 100 according to an example embodiment may be based on a scheme of removing moisture of an object to be dried by continuously circulating hot and dry air to the object inserted into the drum 110 through the first drying duct 130 and the circulation fan 140. The hot and dry air may be supplied based on a heat pump cycle or through an electric heater, for example, a heater 135.
As an example, the heat pump cycle may include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. Among them, the condenser may be disposed in the first drying duct 130 to heat the air circulating in the first drying duct 130.
As another example, the electric heater 135 may be disposed in the first drying duct 130 to heat the air. More specifically, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater may be used. In the present disclosure, a description will be given based on a method of heating air using the heater 135.
A connection structure of the first drying duct 130 according to an example embodiment is as follows. One side 131 of the first drying duct 130 may communicate with an inner side of the drum 110 and the other side 133 of the first drying duct 130 may communicate with an inner side of the tub 120. The air circulating the inside of the drum 110 may be sucked at the one side 131 of the first drying duct 130 by the circulation fan 140. The sucked air may be heated while passing through the heater 135 in the first drying duct 130, and then enter the inner side of the tub 120 at the other side 133 of the first drying duct 130. The air entering the inner side of the tub 120 may be supplied into the drum 110 through a plurality of holes formed in the drum 110 to communicate with the tub 120. In order to help the understanding of the present disclosure, the air circulating in the drum 110, the tub 120, and the first drying duct 130 may be referred to as “circulation air.”
At the other side 133 of the first drying duct 130 according to an example embodiment, the spray nozzle 150 that sprays cooling water of a low temperature to a space between the tub 120 and the drum 110 may be disposed. More specifically, the cooling water may be sprayed to the circulation air introduced into the tub 120 by the circulation fan 140. The spray nozzle 150 may be supplied with cooling water directly from an external source, such as tap water, or supplied with cooling water collected in the water collecting container 160.
According to the example embodiment, an air circulation of the drum 110, the tub 120, and the first drying duct 130 in connection with the heater 135 may be as follows. Arrows of
Accordingly, in the present disclosure, the absolute humidity of the circulation air may be reduced by spraying the cooling water of the low temperature to the air immediately before the air flows into the drum such that the moisture contained in the circulation air is condensed and mixed with the cooling water. The circulation air may be in a high-temperature and dry state. The high-temperature and dry circulation air with the reduced absolute humidity may be supplied into the drum 110 again. The object to be dried in the drum 110 may be dried by repeating such process. As such, by repetitively using the circulation air, it is possible to reduce energy consumed to continuously introduce and heat the outside air.
The circulation line 170 according to an example embodiment may connect the water collecting container 160 and the spray nozzle 150. The drainage line 180 may connect the water collecting container 160 and a drainage hole.
The cooling water sprayed to the internal space of the tub 120 according to an example embodiment may be connected in the water collecting container 160 under the tub 120 along with the moisture of the circulation air. When the cooling water is collected at a predetermined level or higher through a sensor 161 embedded in the water collecting container 160, the collected cooling water may be supplied to the spray nozzle 150 or discharged to outside through the flow-path conversion pump 200 as described below.
The spray nozzle 150 according to an example embodiment may be disposed to spray cooling water toward circulation air introduced into an internal space of the tub 120 by the circulation fan 140. A plurality of spray nozzles 150 may be used to finely spray the cooling water. In this case, an area contacting the circulation air may be increased so that moisture contained in the circulation air is quickly removed.
The flow-path conversion pump 200 according to an example embodiment may be connected to the water collecting container 160 to receive cooling water and supply the cooling water to the circulation line 170 or the drainage line 180.
The clothes treating apparatus 100 according to an example embodiment may use a method of spraying cooling water as a method of removing moisture in circulation air. In this case, when only tap water supplied from an external source is used as the cooling water to be sprayed, an excessive amount of tap water may be required. In addition, the tap water as the cooling water may be discarded without being sufficient condensation of the moisture in the circulation air. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, the collected cooling water may be supplied to the spray nozzle 150 again through the flow-path conversion pump 200 for reuse, thereby preventing an excessive use of the tap water.
Referring to
Cooling water collected in the water collecting container 160 may flow into the impeller housing 220 according to the example embodiment. The impeller housing 220 may include an impeller 225 connected to the motor 250 and rotating in a predetermined direction. For example, the impeller 225 may rotate in a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction based on a rotating direction of the motor 250. Based on a rotating direction of the impeller 225, a flow of the cooling water in the flow-path conversion pump 200 may be changed. In addition, the rotating direction and speed of the motor 250 may be controlled so that the motor 250 is operated at a high speed when the cooling water is to be sprayed at a high pressure and is operated at a relatively low speed when the cooling water is to be sprayed at a relatively low pressure. Through this, unnecessary noise occurrence and power consumption may be prevented. For example, when supplying the cooling water to the spray nozzle 150 through the circulation line 170, the motor 250 may be operated at a high speed to increase a spraying pressure of the spray nozzle 150. In contrast, when discharging the cooling water through the drainage line 180, the motor 250 may be operated at a relatively low speed to prevent unnecessary noise occurrence and power consumption.
The impeller housing 220 according to an example embodiment may include a first housing outlet 221 and a second housing outlet 223. The first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 may be formed in parallel in a tangential direction with respect to a rotating direction of the impeller 225. For example, if the first housing outlet 221 is formed parallel to a tangential direction of when the impeller 225 rotates in the clockwise direction, the second housing outlet 223 may be formed in parallel to a tangential direction of when the impeller 225 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. By arranging the first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 in parallel in directions tangential to the rotating direction of the impeller 225, a flow loss of the cooling water generated by the impeller 225 may be minimized.
The flow-path switch 230 according to an example embodiment may include a first inlet 231, a second inlet 233, a first outlet 235, and a second outlet 237. The first inlet 231 according to an example embodiment may be coupled to communicate with the first housing outlet 221, and the second inlet 233 may be coupled to communicate with the second housing outlet 223. The first inlet 231 and the second inlet 233 may extend along a direction of the first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 to be supplied with the cooling water while minimizing the flow loss of a water flow generated by the impeller 225. The cooling water introduced through the first inlet 231 may be discharged to the first outlet 235 through an internal space 239. As such, a flow path leading to the first housing outlet 221, the first inlet 231, and the first outlet 235 may be defined as a first flow path. In addition, the cooling water introduced through the second inlet 233 may be discharged to the second outlet 237 through the internal space 239. As such, a flow path leading to the second housing outlet 223, the second inlet 233, and the second outlet 237 may be defined as a second flow path. The internal space 239 of the flow-path switch 230 may be divided by the below-described diaphragm 240 to prevent the cooling water introduced through the first inlet 231 and the cooling water introduced through the second inlet 233 from being mixed with each other. Also, the diaphragm 240 may be formed to block the second inlet 233 when the first inlet 231 is opened and block the first inlet 231 when the second inlet 233 is opened. In other words, the diaphragm 240 may be formed to open either the first flow path or the second flow path.
As described above, different water flows may be generated in two flow paths based on the rotating direction of the impeller 225 to supply the cooling water, so that one motor 250 serves as two pumps. For example, when the first outlet 235 is connected to the circulation line 170 (refer to
In describing the flow-path conversion pump 200 according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a direction may be defined and used to aid understanding. For example, a first direction may be a direction facing the motor 250, the first housing outlet 221, and the second housing outlet 223 simultaneously, which is a direction facing a lower left end based on an illustrated state of
The foregoing direction definitions are only for aiding understanding of the present disclosure and are not absolute, and when one direction reference is changed, the other direction reference may be changed in response thereto.
When viewed from the first direction, the flow-path switch 230 according to an example embodiment may be formed in a mortar shape in which a width decreases gradually and then increases again at a central portion 238 while extending in the second direction. As described above, the flow-path switch 230 may be formed to close one flow path when the other flow path is opened by the built-in diaphragm 240. In this instance, if the flow-path switch 230 is formed to have the same width, when one flow path is opened to close the other flow path, one flow path may be widened. In this case, a large flow loss may occur due to the sudden expansion of the flow path. In addition, the force to pressurize the diaphragm 240 is reduced, so that the force to close the other flow path is insufficient, and the cooling water may flow back to the other flow path. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 may be reduced to prevent the flow pressure of the cooling water from sudden lowering and maintain the pressure of the diaphragm 240 for closing the flow path on the other side even if the diaphragm 240 opens one flow path and closes the other flow path. For example, the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 may be similar to a width of the first inlet 231 or the second inlet 233. By gradually reducing the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230, a drastic change of the flow path may be prevented, thereby minimizing a flow pressure loss of the cooling water.
The flow-path switch 230 according to an example embodiment may have a circular shape when viewed from the third direction. The flow-path switch 230 may be formed to correspond to an outer shape of the diaphragm 240 described later and coupled to overlap a portion of an outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240. Through this, a path leading to the first housing outlet 221, the first inlet 231, and the first outlet 235 may be distinguished from a path leading to the second housing outlet 223, the second inlet 233, and the second outlet 237.
The diaphragm 240 according to an example embodiment may have a circular shape and be formed of a rubber material that is elastically deformable. Also, the diaphragm 240 may have a shape of a circular plate with a protruding central portion having a gentle curvature. The diaphragm 240 may be formed such that the protruding direction is changed by 180 degrees (°) when a force of a certain amount or more is applied to the central portion. For example, when the cooling water flows into the first flow path, the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may protrude toward the second flow path due to the flow pressure and contact the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 to block the second housing outlet 223. A degree of protrusion of the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may be the extent to block the first housing outlet 221 or the second housing outlet 223. For example, the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may contact a sealing line 234 or protrude to be pressed by a predetermined degree. As the central portion of the diaphragm 240 protrudes while forming a gentle curvature, and the flow-path switch 230 is gradually widened again from the central portion 238 toward the second direction, the flow loss of the cooling water may be minimized.
The flow-path switch 230 according to an example embodiment may be divided into two parts based on the diaphragm 240. For example, the flow-path switch 230 may be divided into a part forming a first flow path and a part forming a second flow path. The flow-path switch 230 may be coupled with the diaphragm 240 interposed therebetween to overlap a portion of the outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240. An overlapping portion between the flow-path switch 230 and the outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240 may form a closed curve. As such, when coupled with the diaphragm 240 to overlap a portion of the outermost portion 241, the first flow path and the second flow path may be separated and simultaneously, a coupled portion of the two parts may be sealed to prevent leakage. The flow-path switch 230 may be assembled by rotating two parts circularly formed to interpose the diaphragm 240 therebetween while the two parts are in contact with each other. However, it is merely an example, and any method of combining two parts may be applied in various ways.
The sealing line 234 may be formed on an inner surface of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230. The sealing line 234 may protrude from an inner surface of the central portion 238 with forming a band, and may form a ring shape when the two parts of the flow-path switch 230 are assembled. The sealing line 234 may be formed to correspond to a protruding shape of the diaphragm 240. As described above, the sealing line 234 and the diaphragm 240 may be in line contact with each other, or in contact with each other such that a central portion of the diaphragm 240 is pressed by a predetermined degree.
Referring to
The diaphragm 240 according to an example embodiment may be formed to have a uniform thickness overall. In the outermost portion 241, a coupling portion 241 may be formed to have a thickness greater than that of another portion. As described above, the flow-path switch 230 may be coupled with the diaphragm 240 interposed therebetween to overlap a portion of the outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240 so that a coupling portion of the two parts are sealed to prevent leakage. Accordingly, the durability and sealing force of the diaphragm 240 may be increased by forming a thick overlapping portion of the outermost portion 241. According to the example embodiment, in a vicinity of the outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240, a bent portion 243 may be formed to have a thickness less than that of another portion. Particularly, the diaphragm 240 may be formed to be converted by a flow pressure of the cooling water flowing through the first flow path or the second flow path without having a separate actuator for changing the protruding direction. As described above, a rotational speed of the motor 250 may be controlled so that the motor 150 is controlled to rotate quickly when draining and to rotate relatively slowly during circulation. When the motor 250 rotates slowly, the flow pressure of the cooling water may be lowered. Even in this case, a thin portion such as the bent portion 243 may be provided to facilitate the conversion of the protruding direction of the diaphragm 240.
The clothes treating apparatus 100 according to another example embodiment may be based on a scheme of removing moisture of an object to be dried by continuously circulating hot and dry air to the object inserted into the drum 110 through a second drying duct 320. The hot and dry air may be supplied through a heat pump cycle. The heat pump cycle may include a compressor 335, a condenser 333, an expansion valve 337, and an evaporator 331. Among them, the condenser 333 and the evaporator 331 may be disposed in the second drying duct 320 to perform a heat exchange with air circulating in the second drying duct 320.
A connection structure of the second drying duct 320 according to another example embodiment may be as follows. Air may be supplied from one side of the drum 110, circulate in the drum 110, be discharged to the other side of the drum 110, and then be introduced into the second drying duct 320 again. The introduced air may pass through the evaporator 331 and the condenser 333, and then be supplied to one side of the drum 110 again. In order to help the understanding of the present disclosure, the air circulating in the drum 110 and the second drying duct 320 may be referred to as “circulation air.”
An air circulation in the second drying duct 320 according to another example embodiment in connection with the heat pump cycle may be as follows. The circulation air supplied into the drum 110 may be high-temperature air heated through heat absorption while passing through the condenser 333 of the heat pump cycle. The heated high-temperature circulation air may be supplied into the drum 110 to heat the inside of the drum 110 at a high temperature and reduce a relative humidity so that moisture contained in the object to be dried is easily evaporated. When the moisture of the object to be dried is evaporated, the circulation air containing the evaporated moisture may flow into the second drying duct 320 again, and then be supplied to the evaporator 331. The circulation air may be at a high temperature and a high humidity. While passing through the cool evaporator 331, the circulation air may decrease in temperature and decrease in an amount of absolute moisture to be contained so that the moisture is condensed on a surface of the evaporator 331. In this process, an absolute humidity of the circulation air may decrease. The low-temperature and dry circulation air with the decreased absolute humidity may be heated to be high-temperature and dry air while passing through the condenser 333, and then be supplied into the drum 110 again. The object to be dried in the drum 110 may be dried by repeating such process.
The clothes treating apparatus 100 according to another example embodiment may further include a water collecting container 340 (refer to
The water collecting container 340 according to another example embodiment may be disposed below the evaporator 331 (refer to
The drainage bin 350 according to another example embodiment may receive the condensate water in the water collecting container 340 and store the received condensate water. Simultaneously, the drainage bin 350 may be disposed to be easily withdrawn from and inserted into the main body 101 of the clothes treating apparatus 100. A user may collect the drainage bin 350 to remove the condensate water stored therein.
The condenser washer 360 according to another example embodiment may be disposed above the condenser 333. While the circulation air circulates in the second drying duct 320 repetitively, dust may be generated from the object to be dried and accumulated on a surface of the condenser 333. In this case, the condensate water may be sprayed to the condenser 333 to remove the dust from the surface.
The condenser washer 360 according to another example embodiment may include a distribution manifold 361 that receives the condensate water and a spray nozzle 363. The condenser washer 360 may evenly spray the condensate water through the distribution manifold 361 to the condenser 333 overall. By spraying the condensate water through the spray nozzle 363, it is possible to effectively remove the dust on the surface of the condenser 333.
The water collecting container 340, the drainage bin 350, and the condenser washer 360 according to another example embodiment may be connected to the first supply line 370 and the second supply line 380. For example, the first supply line 370 may connect the water collecting container 340 and the drainage bin 350 to move the condensate water of the water collecting container 340 to the drainage bin 350. The second supply line 380 may connect the water collecting container 340 and the condenser washer 360 to use the condensate water for washing the condenser 333.
The flow-path conversion pump 200 according to another example embodiment may change a rotating direction of the motor 250 to supply the condensate water to a plurality of flow paths. For example, when the condensate water is received from the water collecting container 340, the flow-path conversion pump 200 may supply the condensate water to the first supply line 370 to move the condensate water to the drainage bin 350 or supply the condensate water to the second supply line 380 such that the condensate water is supplied to the condenser washer 360. As such, by supplying the condensate water to both supply lines using one pump, it is possible to use the condensate water without need to use an expensive electronic control valve, and a separate control logic may not be required. In addition, a flow pressure of a pump may be directly applied to a spraying pressure for washing the condenser 333. Also, as necessary, a rotational speed of the motor 250 may be controlled to supply condensate water at a much higher pressure. Through this, the condenser 333 may be cleaned more thoroughly. A detailed structure will be described later with reference to
Condensate water collected in the water collecting container 340 (refer to
The impeller housing 220 according to another example embodiment may include the first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223. The first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 may be formed in parallel in a tangential direction with respect to a rotating direction of the impeller 225. For example, if the first housing outlet 221 is formed parallel to a tangential direction of when the impeller 225 rotates in the clockwise direction, the second housing outlet 223 may be formed in parallel to a tangential direction of when the impeller 225 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. By arranging the first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 in parallel in directions tangential to the rotating direction of the impeller 225, a flow loss of the condensate water generated by the impeller 225 may be minimized.
The first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 according to another example embodiment may be arranged to face the same direction. By arranging the first housing outlet 221 and the second housing outlet 223 to face the same direction, a connection to the below-described flow-path switch 230 and an inflow of the condensate water may be facilitated and the flow-path switch 230 may be reduced in volume.
The first housing outlet 221 according to another example embodiment may pass the below-described flow-path switch 230 and be connected to the first supply line 370. The second housing outlet 223 may pass the flow-path switch 230 and be connected to the second supply line 380. Through this, the condensate water may be supplied to two flow paths using one pump. Also, the condensate water may be supplied to the first supply line 370 and the second supply line 380 without having an expensive electronic control valve and a separate control logic.
Referring to
The flow-path switch 230 according to another example embodiment may include the first inlet 231, the second inlet 233, the first outlet 235, and the second outlet 237. The first inlet 231 according to another example embodiment may be coupled to communicate with the first housing outlet 221, and the second inlet 233 may be coupled to communicate with the second housing outlet 223. The condensate water introduced through the first inlet 231 may be discharged to the first outlet 235 through the internal space 239. As such, a flow path leading to the first housing outlet 221, the first inlet 231, and the first outlet 235 may be defined as a first flow path. In addition, the condensate water introduced through the second inlet 233 may be discharged to the second outlet 237 through the internal space 239. As such, a flow path leading to the second housing outlet 223, the second inlet 233, and the second outlet 237 may be defined as a second flow path. The internal space 239 of the flow-path switch 230 may be divided by the below-described diaphragm 240 to prevent the condensate water introduced through the first inlet 231 and the condensate water introduced through the second inlet 233 from being mixed with each other. Also, the diaphragm 240 may be formed to block the second inlet 233 when the first inlet 231 is opened and block the first inlet 231 when the second inlet 233 is opened. In other words, the diaphragm 240 may be formed to open either the first flow path or the second flow path.
As described above, different water flows may be generated in two flow paths based on the rotating direction of the impeller 225 to supply the condensate water, so that one motor 250 serves as two pumps. For example, when the first outlet 235 is connected to the first supply line 370 (refer to
In describing the flow-path conversion pump 200 according to another example embodiment of the present disclosure, a direction may be defined and used to aid understanding. For example, a first direction may be a direction facing the first inlet, the second inlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet simultaneously, which is a direction facing a lower left end based on an illustrated state of
The foregoing direction definitions are only for aiding understanding of the present disclosure and are not absolute, and when one direction reference is changed, the other direction reference may be changed in response thereto.
When viewed from the first direction, the flow-path switch 230 according to another example embodiment may be formed in a mortar shape in which a width decreases gradually and then increases again at a central portion 238 while extending in the second direction. As described above, the flow-path switch 230 may be formed to close one flow path when the other flow path is opened by the built-in diaphragm 240. In this instance, if the flow-path switch 230 is formed to have the same width, when one flow path is opened to close the other flow path, one flow path may be widened. In this case, a large flow loss of the condensate water may occur due to the sudden expansion of the flow path. In addition, the force to pressurize the diaphragm 240 is reduced, so that the force to close the other flow path is insufficient, and the condensate water may flow back to the other flow path. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 may be reduced to prevent the flow pressure of the condensate water from sudden lowering and maintain the pressure of the diaphragm 240 for closing the flow path on the other side even if the diaphragm 240 opens one flow path and closes the other flow path. For example, the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 may be similar to a width of the first inlet 231 or the second inlet 233. By gradually reducing the width of the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230, a drastic change of the flow path may be prevented, thereby minimizing a flow pressure loss of the condensate water.
The flow-path switch 230 according to another example embodiment may have a circular shape when viewed from the third direction. The flow-path switch 230 may be formed to correspond to an outer shape of the diaphragm 240 described later and coupled to overlap a portion of an outermost portion 241 of the diaphragm 240. Through this, a path leading to the first housing outlet 221, the first inlet 231, and the first outlet 235 may be distinguished from a path leading to the second housing outlet 223, the second inlet 233, and the second outlet 237.
The diaphragm 240 according to another example embodiment may have a circular shape and be formed of a rubber material that is elastically deformable. Also, the diaphragm 240 may have a shape of a circular plate with a protruding central portion having a gentle curvature. The diaphragm 240 may be formed such that the protruding direction is changed by 180° when a force of a certain amount or more is applied to the central portion. For example, when the condensate water flows into the first flow path, the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may protrude toward the second flow path due to the flow pressure and contact the central portion 238 of the flow-path switch 230 to block the second housing outlet 223. A degree of protrusion of the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may be the extent to block the first housing outlet 221 or the second housing outlet 223. For example, the central portion of the diaphragm 240 may contact the sealing line 234 or protrude to be pressed by a predetermined degree. As the central portion of the diaphragm 240 protrudes while forming a gentle curvature, and the flow-path switch 230 is gradually widened again from the central portion 238 toward the second direction, the flow loss of the condensate water may be minimized.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure.
The above detailed description should not be construed as restrictive in all respects and should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present disclosure are included in the scope of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2019-0152508 | Nov 2019 | KR | national |
| 10-2019-0161943 | Dec 2019 | KR | national |
