The present invention relates to an apparatus, which treats clothes into a more wearable condition, and more particularly, to an apparatus, which uses moisture to treat clothes.
Generally, a clothes treating apparatus is an apparatus, which treats clothes into a more wearable state. The clothes treating apparatus fundamentally dries clothes and further removes wrinkles, odors, bacteria, and static electricity from the clothes.
In order to perform the above functions, the clothes treating apparatus uses dry and hot air and moisture to treat the clothes. In case that the clothes treating apparatus uses moisture to treat clothes, it is important to spray the moisture uniformly onto the clothes to more effectively treat the clothes.
The present invention has been contemplated in view of the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clothes treating apparatus, which sprays moisture uniformly onto clothes.
The objects of the present invention can be achieved by providing a clothes treating apparatus including a cabinet; an accommodating space formed in the cabinet, and accommodating clothes; a moisture supplying device generating moisture to be supplied into the accommodating space; and a supply unit discharging the moisture generated by the moisture supplying device into the accommodating space, and installed on a bottom of the accommodating space.
The supply unit may be disposed at an edge of the bottom of the accommodating space. In this case, the supply unit could be disposed at a rear, front, or side portion of the bottom of the accommodating space. Further, the supply unit may be provided at a rear or front corner of the bottom of the accommodating space.
The supply unit may be oriented to a central portion of the bottom of the accommodating space, and be oriented to be inclined upward.
A plurality of the supply units may be disposed along the edge of the bottom of the accommodating space.
Alternatively, the supply unit may be installed at a central portion of the bottom of the accommodating space, and be oriented to be substantially vertical to the bottom of the accommodating space.
A plurality of the supply units may be disposed at the central portion of the bottom of the accommodating space, and be connected to a single manifold connected to the moisture supplying device.
The supply unit may comprise a nozzle or a pipe, which is not protruded from the bottom of the accommodating space.
The moisture supplying device may include a pressurizing unit applying a predetermined pressure to the supplied moisture.
The moisture supplying device may include a water tank to store water, a heater installed in the water tank to heat water into steam, and a connection pipe to connect the water tank and the supply unit. Further, the connection pipe may be made of a synthetic resin or rubber. Moreover, the moisture supplying device may be installed adjacent to the bottom of the accommodating space to be located close to the supply unit.
The clothes treating apparatus may further include an air supplying device supplying dry air into the accommodating space.
The above-described clothes treating apparatus effectively treats clothes by using moisture, which is uniformly diffused and distributed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.
In the drawings:
Now, a clothes treating apparatus in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings.
As shown in
The device chamber 120 accommodates various devices required to treat clothes in the accommodating space 110. The device chamber 120 is separated from the accommodating space 110 by a partition 115 forming the bottom of the accommodating space 110. The partition 115 may be provided in the cabinet 100 separately from the inner cabinet 110a, or be replaced with the bottom of the inner cabinet 110a.
As shown in
As described above, the air supplying device 130 supplies dry and hot air, and thus dries the clothes in the accommodating space 110. Thereby, the treated clothes are refreshed into a good wearable condition. The moisture generated by the moisture supplying device 140 is supplied to the inside of the accommodating space 110. The moisture removes wrinkles and static electricity from the clothes. Further, the steam of a high temperature removes bacteria and odors from the clothes. Thus, the supplied moisture also refreshes the clothes into a good wearable state.
The air supplying device 130 includes a heater or a thermoelectric element generating hot air, and a dehumidifier provided separately from this heating element. However, the air supplying device 130 preferably uses a heat pump, which performs dehumidification and heating of air simultaneously.
Although not shown in detail, the air supplying device 130, i.e., the heat pump, includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve, through which a refrigerant circulates. In this case, as a refrigerant in the evaporator is evaporated, the refrigerant absorbs latent heat of surrounding air and thus cools the air. Due the cooling of the air, moisture in the air is removed by condensation. Further, when the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor and then condensed by the condenser, the refrigerant emits latent heat toward the surrounding air and thus heats the surrounding air. Thus, the evaporator and the condenser serve as heat exchangers, and air flowing into the air supplying device 130 is changed into dry and hot air through the evaporator and the condenser.
The air, heated by the heat pump, may have a slightly lower temperature than air heated by a conventional heater, but is dehumidified without using an additional de-humidifier. Thus, the air generated by the air supplying device 130 effectively dries the clothes in the accommodating space 110 such that the clothes are refreshed into a good wearable state.
More specifically, a supply duct 150 is installed to circulate the dry air generated by the air generating device 130, in the accommodating space 110. An inlet 111 is formed through one side of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, i.e., the partition 115, and the air in the accommodating space 110 is flown into the supply dirt 150 through the inlet 111. In case that the air supplying device 130 is located at the outside of the dirt 150, the air flown into the supply duct 150 is discharged from the supply dirt 150 to the air supplying device 130, and is changed into dry air in the air supplying device 130. The generated dry air is supplied again to the supply dirt 150. However, in order to effectively generate and supply dry air, the components of the air supplying device 130 for substantially generating dry air, i.e., the evaporator and condenser, may be disposed in the duct 150. In this case, the air flown into the dirt 150 through the inlet 111 is changed directly into dry air by the evaporator and the condenser in the duct 150. Further, an cutlet 112 is formed through the other side of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, and the dry air is discharged to the accommodating space 110 through the cutlet 112. A blowing fan 151 is installed between the inlet 111 and the cutlet 112 to transfer the dry air.
The moisture supplying device 140 includes a water tank 141 storing water, and a heater 142 installed in the water tank 141 to heat water, as shown in
A time to supply moisture is properly adjustable. If the moisture is supplied and then dry air is supplied to the accommodating space 110, the clothes in the accommodating space 110 could be completely dried such that any moisture is not left over in the clothes. For this reason, the moisture is preferably supplied into the accommodating space 110 before the dry and hot air from the air supplying device 130 is supplied into the accommodating space 110.
As described above, the supply unit 160 is configured to discharge the moisture generated by the moisture supplying device 140 into the inside of the accommodating space 110.
The supply unit 160 is basically fitted into the bottom of the accommodating space 110, i.e., the partition 115 or the bottom of the inner cabinet 110a. The supply unit 160 discharges the steam, i.e., the moisture, and cad comprise a nozzle or a pipe connected to an end of the connection pipe 144. More specifically, the supply unit 160 is inserted into through a hole formed through the bottom of the accommodating space 110, and is not protruded from the bottom of the accommodating space 110. If the supply unit 160 is protruded from the bottom of the accommodating space 110, the supply unit 160 may interfere with the clothes in the accommodating space 110. Further, the protruded supply unit 160 could be seen directly to a user, and thus the external appearance of the clothes treating apparatus is deteriorated. The steam is hot and lighter than air, and thus ascends in the accommodating space 110. In case that the steam is sprayed from the upper portion of the accommodating space 110, the sprayed steam contacts only upper portions of the clothes in the accommodating space 110 while ascending upward. Thus, the steam cannot reach lower portions of the clothes in the accommodating space 110, and the overall clothes cannot be entirely refreshed. However, if the steam is sprayed from the lower portion of the accommodating space 110, the sprayed steam is uniformly distributed in the accommodating space 110, with rising upwardly, and thus reaches the entire clothes. Therefore, as above-described, it is advantageous for effectively refreshing clothes to install the supply units 160 at the bottom of the accommodating space 110.
The supply unit 160 may be provided at the edge of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, as shown in
Preferably, the supply unit 160 could be oriented to the central portion of the accommodating space 110. Steam sprayed by the centrally-oriented supply units 160 traverses the central portion of the accommodating space 110, and thus could be uniformly distributed in the accommodating space 110. Further, the supply unit 160 may be oriented to be inclined upward. That is, the supply unit 160 may be inclined upward at a predetermined angle (a) against the bottom of the accommodating space 110. Steam sprayed by such a supply unit 160 crosses the accommodating space 110, and at the same time, flows upward in the accommodating space 110. Thus, such a flow path highly contributes to the uniform diffusion and distribution of the steam, and allows clothes to be effectively refreshed the to the uniform contact of the steam with the clothes.
Generally, steam is liable not to reach corner regions of the accommodating space 110. However, since the supply units 160a and 160b are located at the corners of the accommodating space 110, they could reduce regions, which the steam cannot reach, compared with other supply units 160c and 160d. Thus, it is preferable that the supply units 160a and 160b, which are located at the front and rear corners of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, are provided in the clothes treating apparatus to uniformly distribute the steam. However, when the door is opened, the supply units 160b at the front corners are exposed directly to a user. Thus, in order to enhance both the external appearance of the clothes treating apparatus and the distribution of the steam, it is most preferable that the supply units 160a, which are disposed at the rear corners of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, are provided. As described above, the supply units 160a at the rear corners may be oriented to the central portion of the accommodating space 110. More specifically, the supply units 160a at the rear corners are respectively oriented to the opposite front corners (A) of the bottom of the accommodating space 110. That is, the supply units 160a are respectively oriented in the diagonal directions of the bottom of the accommodating space 110. Steam sprayed by the supply units 160a oriented as such traverses the accommodating space 110 in the diagonal directions, and thus is more uniformly distributed in the accommodating space 110. Further, as described above, since the supply units 160a could be oriented to be inclined upward, the steam generated by the supply units 160a could flow upward in the accommodating space 110 to obtain uniform dispersion and distribution of the steam.
The clothes treating apparatus may include all of the above-described supply units 160a to 160d. In this case, the clothes treating apparatus includes a plurality of supply units 160a to 160d disposed along the edge of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, and thus obtains more uniform dispersion and distribution of steam.
Alternatively, the supply unit 160 may be installed at the central portion of the bottom of the accommodating space 110, as shown in
Further, as shown in
In both supply units, as shown in
Further, the connection pipe 144 is preferably made of a synthetic resin (plastic) or rubber rather than a metal. The synthetic resin or rubber has a lower thermal conductivity than that of the metal, and thus suppresses heat exchange of the steam in the connection pipe 144 with external cold air. Therefore, the steam in the connection pipe 144 made of the synthetic resin or rubber is not easily condensed.
As described above, the steam is uniformly distributed and diffused in the accommodating space without deterioration of the quality of the steam due to the proper disposition of the supply units. Thus, the steam contacts the clothes entirely, and the clothes are effectively refreshed. Further, a sufficient amount of the steam is supplied to effectively treat the clothes without the lowering of the temperature of the steam and the generation of condensed water the to the proper disposition of the moisture supplying device.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2007-0078394 | Aug 2007 | KR | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCT/KR2008/004499 | 8/4/2008 | WO | 00 | 10/12/2010 |