Patent Application
20250075408
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2023-0116523, filed on Sep. 1, 2023, and 10-2024-0003193, filed on Jan. 8, 2024. The disclosures of the prior applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a laundry treating apparatus that performs a refreshing process of supplying one or more of air and steam to laundry to perform at least one of deodorization, wrinkle removal, and sterilization of the laundry.
A laundry treating apparatus refers to an apparatus developed to wash and dry laundry and remove wrinkles from the laundry at home and in laundromats. The apparatuses categorized as the laundry treating apparatuses include a washing machine that washes the laundry, a drying machine that dries the laundry, a washing/drying machine that has both washing and drying functions, a laundry care machine that refreshes the laundry, a steamer that removes the wrinkles from the laundry, and the like.
Recently, a laundry treating apparatus, which corresponds to the laundry care machine that allows the laundry to be maintained pleasant and clean without soaking the laundry in water and washing the same with detergent, has appeared.
Such an existing laundry treating apparatus performs a refreshing process of supplying one of high-temperature air and steam to the laundry to deodorize the laundry, dry the laundry, and remove the wrinkles from the laundry.
The laundry treating apparatus that may perform the refreshing process manages the laundry by allowing air and steam to flow in a scheme of supplying air and steam at a rear side and sucking air and steam at a front side. See Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2023-0116625.
The existing laundry treating apparatus has a guide rib disposed to allow air supplied to the laundry to flow upward, but does not have a guide rib to guide air forward, so that dust removed from the laundry does not flow to a collector located at a front side, but remains in a lower portion of an accommodating space of the laundry.
The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may supply air to an inner casing in a plurality of directions.
The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may reduce an area where air does not reach an inner casing.
The present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus that may allow dust removed from laundry to flow to a collector.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present disclosure is to provide a laundry treating apparatus including a guide rib at a bottom of an inner casing.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the laundry treating apparatus includes a cabinet, an inner casing disposed inside the cabinet and providing an accommodating space where the laundry is mounted, a machine room disposed under the inner casing to circulate air inside the inner casing, a supply hole defined through a bottom surface of the inner casing such that the inner casing is in communication with the machine room and receives air thereinto, a discharge hole defined to be spaced apart from the supply hole and defined through the bottom surface of the inner casing such that the inner casing is in communication with the machine room and discharges air to the machine room, and a guide rib connecting both side surfaces of the supply hole to each other and extending toward the machine room to branch air passing through the supply hole, and the guide rib includes an inclined guide rib constructed such that a fixed end thereof is located closer to the discharge hole than a free end thereof.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the guide rib may include a vertical guide rib disposed to be perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the inclined guide rib may be disposed closer to the discharge hole than the vertical guide rib.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the guide rib may include a partitioning guide rib partitioning the supply hole into a first area and a second area located closer to the discharge hole than the first area, and a free end of the partitioning guide rib may be positioned at a lower vertical level than the free end of the inclined guide rib and a free end of the vertical guide rib.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the vertical guide rib may be disposed in the first area, and the inclined guide rib may be disposed in the second area.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the partitioning guide rib may be disposed in parallel with the vertical guide rib.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the inclined guide rib may include multiple inclined guide ribs.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the multiple inclined guide ribs may be arranged such that respective fixed ends thereof are spaced apart from each other at a regular spacing.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the multiple inclined guide ribs may be arranged such that a distance between free ends of inclined guide ribs adjacent to each other decreases in a direction closer to the discharge hole.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the guide rib may include a bent guide rib connecting both side surfaces of the supply hole to each other, extending in parallel with the inclined guide rib toward the machine room, and then extending parallel to the vertical guide rib.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, a free end of the bent guide rib may be located at a vertical level equal to or higher than the vertical level of the free end of the partitioning guide rib and lower than the vertical level of the free end of the inclined guide rib.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the bent guide rib may be disposed in the second area.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the bent guide rib may include multiple bent guide ribs.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, an inclined guide rib may include a curved surface on at least one of a front surface and a rear surface thereof.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the vertical guide rib may include a curved surface on at least one of a front surface and a rear surface thereof.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the partitioning guide rib may include a curved surface on at least one of a front surface and a rear surface thereof.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the bent guide rib may include a curved surface on at least one of a front surface and a rear surface thereof.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the laundry treating apparatus may further include a plate forming at least a portion of the bottom surface of the inner casing and including the supply hole defined therein, and the plate may be constructed to be detachable from the bottom surface.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, the plate may be inclined such that one side adjacent to the discharge hole is located at a lower vertical level than the other side facing the one side.
The present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus that may supply air to the inner casing in the plurality of directions.
The present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus that may reduce the area where air does not reach the inner casing.
The present disclosure may provide the laundry treating apparatus that may allow the dust removed from the laundry to flow to the collector.
Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the present document, the same or similar reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components even in different embodiments, and a description thereof is replaced with the first description. As used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, in describing the embodiments disclosed herein, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, the detailed descriptions will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein and should not be construed as limiting the technical idea disclosed herein.
Referring to
The door 400 may include a main body 410 forming a front surface of the cabinet 100, and an installation body 420 extending from one side of the main body 410 and on which a display displaying information of the laundry treating apparatus may be installed.
The installation body 420 may form a step 430 from the main body 410 in a rearward direction of the cabinet 100.
In one example, at least a portion of the installation body 420 may be disposed at the rear of the main body 410 to overlap the main body 410 in a front and rear direction. Accordingly, the step 430 may function as a handle.
The installation body 420 may be made of a material different from that of the main body 410 or may have a color different from that of the main body 410. Additionally, the installation body 420 may be made of a translucent material that allows light emitted from the display to pass therethrough.
Referring to
The inner casing 200 may be made of a plastic resin-based material, and may be made of a reinforced plastic resin-based material that is not deformed by air at a temperature higher than a room temperature or heated air (hereinafter, referred to as hot air), steam, or moisture.
The inner casing 200 may have a height greater than a width. As a result, the laundry may be accommodated in the accommodating space 220 without being folded or wrinkled.
The laundry treating apparatus 1 of the present disclosure may include a mounting portion 500 for mounting the laundry in the accommodating space 220 of the inner casing 200.
The mounting portion 500 may include a hanger 510 disposed on a top surface of the inner casing 200 to mount the laundry thereon.
When the laundry is mounted on the hanger 510, the laundry may be disposed in a state of being suspended in air within the accommodating space 220.
In one example, the mounting portion 500 may further include a pressurizer 520 that may be coupled to an inner surface of the door 400 and may fix the laundry.
The hanger 510 may be formed in a shape of a bar disposed along a width direction of the inner casing 200 to support a clothes hanger on which the laundry is mounted. Additionally, as shown, the hanger 510 may be formed in a shape of the clothes hanger such that the laundry may be directly mounted thereon.
The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may further include a vibrator that may vibrate the hanger 510 to remove foreign substances such as fine dust attached to the laundry.
The mounting portion 500 may include the pressurizer 520 that is disposed on the door 400 to pressurize and fix the laundry. The pressurizer 520 may include a support 522 that is fixed to the inner surface of the door 400 and supports one surface of the laundry, and a presser 521 that presses the laundry supported on the support 522.
The presser 521 may move toward the support 522 or may move away from the support 522. For example, the presser 521 may be pivotably disposed on the support 522 or the inner surface of the door 400.
Accordingly, the presser 521 and the support 522 may press both surfaces of the laundry to remove wrinkles from the laundry and create intended creases.
The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may be equipped with a machine room 300 in which various apparatuses that may supply one or more of hot air and steam to the accommodating space 220 or purify or dehumidify external air of the cabinet 100 are installed.
The machine room 300 may be disposed separately or partitioned from the inner casing 200, but may be in communication with the inner casing 200.
The machine room 300 may be disposed under the inner casing 200. Accordingly, when hot air and steam with small specific gravities are supplied to the inner casing 200, hot air and steam may be naturally supplied to the laundry.
The machine room 300 may include a heat supply 340 that may supply hot air into the inner casing 200. The heat supply 340 may be formed as a heat pump system or as a heater that directly heats air with electric energy.
When the heat supply 340 is formed as the heat pump system, the heat supply 340 may dehumidify and heat air discharged from the inner casing 200 again and supply air to the inner casing 200. A detailed structure thereof will be described later.
The machine room 300 may include a steam supply 350 that may supply steam into the inner casing 200. The steam supply 350 may directly supply steam into the inner casing 200.
To this end, the inner casing 200 may include a supply hole 230, a discharge hole 240, and a steam hole 250 that extend through one surface thereof to be in communication with the machine room 300.
Air in the accommodating space 220 may be supplied to the machine room 300 via the discharge hole 240, hot air generated in the machine room 300 may be supplied via the supply hole 230, and steam generated in the machine room 300 may be supplied to the accommodating space 220 via the steam hole 250.
The discharge hole 240 may be spaced apart from the supply hole and extend through a bottom surface of the inner casing 200, so that air inside the inner casing 200 may be sucked into the machine room 300. Further, the supply hole 230 may extend through the bottom surface of the inner casing 200, so that hot air generated in the machine room 300 may be discharged.
The supply hole 230 may be inclined such that one side adjacent to the discharge hole is located at a lower vertical level than the other side facing the one side. That is, the supply hole 230 may be defined biased toward a rear surface in the bottom surface of the inner casing 200. For example, the supply hole 230 may be defined between the bottom surface and the rear surface of the inner casing 200 at an angle to the ground and facing the hanger 510.
Additionally, the supply hole 230 may be defined to be biased toward a rear side in the bottom surface of the inner casing 200. As a result, the discharge hole 240 may be spaced apart from the supply hole and defined to be biased toward a front side.
Additionally, the steam hole 250 may be defined on one side of the supply hole 230.
In one example, in a front side of the machine room 300, a water supply tank 30 that may supply water to the steam supply 350 and a drain tank 40 that collects condensed water condensed in the heat supply 340 may be disposed.
The water supply tank 30 and the drain tank 40 may be detachably disposed in the front side of the machine room 300. Accordingly, the laundry treating apparatus 1 of the present disclosure may be freely installed regardless of a water source or a drainage.
In one example, in the front side of the machine room 300, a drawer 50 that is retracted and extended in the front and rear direction and has a separate accommodating space may be further disposed. A steam generator or an iron may be stored in the drawer 50.
Inside the machine room 300, components to supply hot air to a laundry treating space, circulate air inside the laundry treating space, supply steam to the laundry treating space, or clean air outside the cabinet may be disposed.
The machine room 300 may include a base 310 where a space for supporting the various apparatuses or in which the various apparatuses are installed is defined. The base 310 may provide an area size for the various apparatuses to be installed.
A circulation duct 320 through which air introduced from the inner casing 200 or outside the cabinet 100 flows may be installed on the base 310.
The circulation duct 320 may be formed in a shape of a casing with an open top surface, and some of components of the heat supply 340 may be installed inside the circulation duct 320.
When the heat supply 340 is formed as the heat pump system, the heat supply 340 may include a heat exchanger 341, which will be described later, and a compressor 342 that supplies a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to the heat exchanger inside the circulation duct 320.
The heat exchanger 341 may be accommodated inside the circulation duct 320 to cool and dehumidify air flowing through the circulation duct 320 or to heat the air to generate hot air.
When the circulation duct 320 is constructed to suck air from the outside of the cabinet 100, an external air duct 370 to suck external air may be installed in front of the circulation duct 320.
The circulation duct 320 may be in communication with the external air duct 370 and may selectively suck external air.
The water supply tank and the drain tank may be detachably coupled to a front surface of the circulation duct 320. The water supply tank 30 and the drain tank 40 may be seated and disposed on top of the external air duct 370.
The circulation duct 320 may be coupled to the base 310, or may be formed integrally with the base 310. For example, the base 310 and the circulation duct 320 may be manufactured via injection molding.
The machine room 300 may include a base cover 360 disposed to be in communication with the circulation duct 320 and the discharge hole 240.
The base cover 360 may be coupled to an upper portion of the circulation duct 320 to guide air sucked from the discharge hole 240 into the circulation duct 320.
The base cover 360 may shield the top surface of the circulation duct 320 and block air inside the circulation duct 320 from being discharged to the outside. A lower portion of the base cover 360 and the top surface of the circulation duct 320 may form one surface of a flow channel of the circulation duct 320.
The base cover 360 may include a suction portion 362 connecting the discharge hole 240 with the circulation duct 320. The suction portion 362 may be formed in a duct shape and may serve as an intake duct that delivers air inside the inner casing 200 to the circulation duct 320.
The steam supply 350 that is connected to the water supply tank 30 to receive water, generate steam, and supply steam to the inner casing 200 may be installed in the machine room 300. The steam supply 350 may be seated and disposed on top of the base cover 360.
The steam supply 350 may be disposed at the rear of the suction portion 362.
The machine room 300 may include a fan installation portion 340 that allows the circulation duct 320 and the inner casing 200 to be in communication with each other. The fan installation portion 340 may include a blowing fan 343 that provides power for air inside the circulation duct 320 to flow in one direction, and a fan housing 341 that accommodates the blowing fan 343 therein and is coupled to or extends from the circulation duct 320.
The fan installation portion 340 may include a supply 342 that allows the circulation duct 320 and the supply hole 230 to be in communication with each other.
The supply 342 may be formed as a cross-sectional area thereof extends from the fan housing 341 toward the supply hole 230 with an area size corresponding to the supply hole 230.
As a result, air inside the inner casing 200 may be introduced via the base cover 360, pass through the circulation duct 320, and then be supplied back into the inner casing 200 via the fan installation portion 340.
In one example, the base 310 may include a compressor installation portion where the compressor 342 that supplies the refrigerant to the heat exchanger 341 is installed. The compressor installation portion may be disposed outside the circulation duct 320.
Additionally, a controller or a control panel (not shown) that controls the laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may be installed in the base 310.
The base 310 may include a controller installation portion (not shown) that defines a space into which the controller may be inserted under the circulation duct 320.
The controller may control all electronically controlled components, such as the compressor 342, the steam supply 350, and the blowing fan 343.
Because the controller is inserted and supported in the base 310, vibration or impact applied to the controller may be cushioned. Additionally, because the controller is disposed close to all of the electronic components, occurrence of control errors such as noise may be minimized.
Additionally, the steam supply is disposed on the circulation duct 320, and the controller is disposed under the circulation duct 320. Accordingly, the circulation duct 320 may be disposed between the steam supply 350 and the controller and formed in a shape of a straight duct. Accordingly, a flow resistance of air passing through the circulation duct 320 may be minimized.
The circulation duct 320, the external air duct 370, the steam supply 350, the controller, and the heat supply 340 may be formed in a module format on the base 310.
As a result, the base 310 may be easily installed and maintained by being extended forward from or retracted rearward into the machine room 300.
In the existing laundry treating apparatus, a flow channel may be formed such that air inside the inner casing 200 passes through the suction portion formed in the machine room 300 to become high-temperature dry air in the heat supply, and the high-temperature dry air is supplied via the supply in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing 200.
The existing laundry treating apparatus may include a guide rib 620 that connects both side surfaces of the supply hole 230 to each other and extends perpendicular to the inner casing, and air may be supplied in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing by the guide rib.
The laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may include the cabinet 100 forming the outer appearance of the apparatus, the inner casing 200 disposed inside the cabinet to provide the accommodating space 220 in which the laundry is mounted, and the machine room 300 that is disposed under the inner casing and circulates air inside the inner casing.
In addition, the supply hole 230 defined through the bottom surface of the inner casing such that the inner casing is in communication with the machine room and receives air thereinto may be included.
The supply hole 230 may be defined by extending through the bottom surface of the inner casing such that air that has passed through the supply 342 of the machine room 300 is supplied into the inner casing. To effectively supply air into the inner casing, the supply hole may be defined at a location facing the supply.
Additionally, a portion of the bottom surface of the inner casing 200 where the supply hole 230 is defined may be formed to be the plate 260 that is detachable. Therefore, cleaning or repair may be easily performed.
Additionally, the plate 260 may be inclined such that one side adjacent to the discharge hole 240 is located at the lower vertical level than the other side facing the one side. That is, the plate may be disposed at an angle. Therefore, it may be easy for the foreign substances removed from the laundry to flow to the collector along a top surface of the plate. Additionally, a guide rib 600 may make it easier to guide air forward. Details about the guide rib will be described later.
The laundry treating apparatus may include the discharge hole 240 that is defined to be spaced apart from the supply hole and is defined by extending through the bottom surface of the inner casing to be in communication with the machine room and discharge air into the machine room.
The discharge hole 240 may be defined by extending through the bottom surface of the inner casing such that air inside the inner casing 200 flows to the suction portion 362 of the machine room 300. To effectively supply air to the suction portion, the discharge hole may be defined at a location facing the suction portion.
Additionally, the discharge hole 240 may include a filter that filters the foreign substances removed from the laundry.
Additionally, the laundry treating apparatus may include the guide rib 600 that connects the both side surfaces of the supply hole 230 and extends toward the machine room 300 to branch air passing through the supply hole. The guide rib may guide a direction of air passing through the supply hole.
The guide rib has been described as connecting both side surfaces of the supply hole to each other, but may not be limited thereto and may be disposed in the machine room, the inner casing, or the cabinet.
The guide rib 600 may include an inclined guide rib 610 whose fixed end is located closer to the discharge hole 240 than a free end thereof. When air flows along the inclined guide rib, air may be supplied toward a space located upward of the discharge hole 240. In this regard, the fixed end may refer to a portion where the inner casing and the guide rib are coupled to each other, and the free end may refer to a distal end of the guide rib.
Accordingly, the supply 342 and the supply hole 230 may be disposed in the rear side, and when the suction portion 362 and the discharge hole 240 are disposed in the front side, the inclined guide rib may allow air supplied via the supply to flow to the front side of the accommodating space 220. As a result, the foreign substances removed from the laundry may flow more efficiently to the front side where the collector is located.
In addition, the existing laundry treating apparatus allows air to flow toward the top surface of the inner casing 200, so that a size of an area in which the laundry and air are in contact with each other may be limited. On the other hand, the laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may vary directions of air to expand the size of the area in which the laundry and air are in contact with each other.
The guide rib 600 may include the inclined guide rib 610, the vertical guide rib 620, a partitioning guide rib 630, and a bent guide rib 640, which will be described later.
The guide rib will be described briefly. The inclined guide rib 610 may guide air to be supplied toward the front side within the inner casing, the vertical guide rib 620 may guide air to be supplied toward the top surface of the inner casing, the partitioning guide rib 630 may separate an airflow passing through the inclined guide rib and an airflow passing through the vertical guide rib from each other so as not to interfere with each other, and the bent guide rib 640, which is a combination of the partitioning guide rib and the bending guide rib, may separate the airflows from each other, and simultaneously, allow air to flow forward.
Because the machine room 300 may be disposed under the inner casing 200 to be biased toward one side, the supply hole 230 may also be defined to be biased to one side in the plate 260.
The guide rib 600 of the laundry treating apparatus of the present disclosure may include the vertical guide rib 620 disposed to be perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing 200. Because the vertical guide rib is disposed to be perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing, air supplied into the inner casing may be guided in a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing.
Additionally, the guide rib 600 may include the partitioning guide rib 630 that partitions the supply hole 230 into a first area and a second area located closer to the discharge hole 240 than the first area. That is, when the discharge hole is defined in the front side, the first area may be a rear area of the supply hole, and the second area may be a front area of the supply hole. Accordingly, the partitioning guide rib 630 may branch air supplied from the supply 342 into the first area and the second area.
Locations of the first area and the second area may vary depending on a placement direction of the machine room, but hereinafter, a description will be made on the assumption that the supply hole 230 is defined in the rear side and the discharge hole 240 is defined in the front side as the supply 342 is disposed in the rear side and the suction portion 362 is disposed in the front side.
Additionally, a free end of the partitioning guide rib 630 may be positioned at a lower vertical level than free ends of the inclined guide rib 610 and the vertical guide rib 620. That is, the partitioning guide rib 630 may be longer than the inclined guide rib and the vertical guide rib.
Therefore, deterioration of a drying performance may be prevented by preventing the airflows respectively branched into the first area and the second area from interfering with each other using the partitioning guide rib 630.
In one example, the vertical guide rib 620 may be disposed in the first area, and the inclined guide rib may be disposed in the second area. That is, the vertical guide rib may be disposed at a location farther from the discharge hole 240 than the inclined guide rib 610 based on the partitioning guide rib 630. Accordingly, air that has passed through the first area may be supplied to the accommodating space 220 perpendicularly to the top surface of the inner casing 200, and air that has passed through the second area may be supplied to the accommodating space at an angle toward the space located upward of the discharge hole 240.
Additionally, the partitioning guide rib 630 may be disposed in parallel with the vertical guide rib 620. That is, the partitioning guide rib 630 may be disposed perpendicular to the top surface of the inner casing 200. As a result, the vertical flow in the first area is not interfered with the inclined flow in the second area, thereby preventing the deterioration of the drying performance.
Additionally, the guide rib 600 may include the bent guide rib 640 that extends such that a fixed end thereof is located closer to the discharge hole than a free end thereof and then extends parallel to the vertical guide rib 620. That is, in a direction from the fixed end to the free end, the bent guide rib 640 may extend parallel to the inclined guide rib and then may extend parallel to the vertical guide rib.
Therefore, air passing through the bent guide rib 640 may be guided to flow vertically and then flow obliquely. Because the free end thereof is disposed vertically, a flow resistance when air is introduced may be minimized.
In one example, as an upper portion of the bent guide rib 640 is inclined, air is supplied to the accommodating space 220 in an inclined manner, so that the bent guide rib 640 may be disposed in the second area.
Additionally, the bent guide rib 640 may include multiple bent guide ribs. Therefore, the flow direction may be set in various ways.
In one example, the inclined guide rib 610 and the vertical guide rib 620 may include multiple inclined guide ribs and multiple vertical guide ribs, respectively.
The inclined guide rib 610 may be disposed in the front side to be close to the discharge hole, and the vertical guide rib 620 may be disposed at the rear of the inclined guide rib. Accordingly, air supplied to the first area may be supplied vertically, and air supplied to the second area may be supplied obliquely frontward.
In one example, the fixed ends of the multiple inclined guide ribs 610 may be arranged at a regular spacing. Additionally, by keeping an inclination angle constant, the frontward flow of air may be kept constant.
The partitioning guide rib 630 may partition the supply hole 230 into the first area and the second area disposed to be closer to the discharge hole than the first area. When the suction portion 362 and the discharge hole 240 are disposed in the front side, the first area may be disposed rearward of the second area. Accordingly, the flow of air supplied obliquely frontward to the second area may not be disturbed by the vertical flow of air supplied to the first area.
In addition, because the free end of the partitioning guide rib 630 is located at the lower vertical level than the free ends of the vertical guide rib 620 and the inclined guide rib 610, when air passes the free ends of the inclined guide rib and the vertical guide rib, the interference between vertically flowing air and obliquely flowing air may be prevented, thereby minimizing the flow resistance.
Respective free ends of the inclined guide ribs may be arranged such that an inter-rib distance decreases in a direction toward the discharge hole. That is, in terms of distances between the guide ribs 600, a distance d1 between inclined guide ribs 610 the closest to the vertical guide rib 620 is the greatest, and a distance d3 between an inclined guide rib located at the forefront and an inclined guide rib adjacent thereto is the smallest. Therefore, the more the inclined guide rib is disposed forward, the greater the rearward inclination angle thereof.
As a result, the deterioration of the drying performance resulted from rapid flow changes caused by the inclined guide rib 610 and the vertical guide rib 620 may be reduced. In other words, when changing from the rear vertical flow to the front inclined flow, the angle of the inclined flow adjacent to the vertical flow may be small and the angle of the inclined flow may gradually increase frontward, thereby preventing the flow resistance from increasing, preventing creation of vortex, and minimizing a gap between the vertical flow and the inclined flow.
Additionally, the partitioning guide rib 630 may be disposed anywhere that partitions the vertical guide rib 620 from other guide ribs 600.
In one example, an entrance of a flow channel formed by the vertical guide rib 620 and the inclined guide rib 610 adjacent thereto is formed as the vertical guide rib that guides air vertically and the inclined guide rib that guides air obliquely are adjacent to each other, so that the flow resistance may increase as the two different types of flows meet each other.
Therefore, the entrance of the flow channel formed by the vertical guide rib 620 and the inclined guide rib 610 adjacent thereto may be formed wider than an entrance of a flow channel formed between the inclined guide ribs such that the two different types of flows are spaced as much as possible apart from each other. That is, a gap between the vertical guide rib and the inclined guide rib adjacent thereto may be further widened.
Additionally, the inclined guide rib 610 may become shorter in length as it approaches the discharge hole 240. Accordingly, multiple flow channels guided by the inclined guide ribs may not interfere with each other. Therefore, the occurrence of flow resistance may be minimized.
Because the surface of the guide rib 600 is formed as the curved surface, the flow resistance may be minimized when air flows.
The present disclosure may be modified and implemented in various forms, so that the scope of rights thereof is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Therefore, when the modified embodiment includes components in the patent claims of the present disclosure, it should be regarded as falling within the scope of the rights of the present disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2023-0116523 | Sep 2023 | KR | national |
| 10-2024-0003193 | Jan 2024 | KR | national |
