Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
Description
Title of Invention: CLOTHING DRYING APPARATUS
Technical Field
[11 Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present disclosure relate
to a clothing
drying apparatus, and more particularly, to a dual type clothing drying
apparatus in
which dryers are disposed in a stacked arrangement in the clothing drying
apparatus.
Background Art
[2] In general, a clothing drying apparatus is an apparatus for drying
laundry by applying
dry hot air to wet item to be dried (referred to as "laundry" hereinafter) to
evaporate
moisture of the laundry.
[31 The related art clothing drying apparatus performs a dry operation by
supplying hot
air to the inside of a drum with the laundry introduced therein and
circulating the hot
air. Also, the related art clothing drying apparatus moves the laundry such
that hot air
may be evenly applied to the entirety of the laundry through rotation of the
drum.
[4] However, because the related art clothing drying apparatus performs a
dry operation,
regardless of size and amount of the laundry, the same amount of energy as
that for
drying a large amount of laundry is consumed even when a small amount of
laundry is
intended to be dried. Also, due to rotation of the drum, the laundry present
within the
drum may be entangled to cause damage to the laundry such as stretching or
tearing a
portion of the laundry, and laundry that should retain a shape, such as
sneakers, or the
like, should be separated from general clothing and dried.
[51 Also, in the case of implementing a set of dual-clothing drying
apparatuses disposed
in a stacked manner using the related art clothing drying apparatus, the set
of the
clothing drying apparatuses becomes too high for an installation space,
degrading
usability.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
[6] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure overcome the above
disadvantages
and other disadvantages not described above. Also, the present disclosure is
not
required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and an exemplary em-
bodiment of the present disclosure may not overcome any of the problems
described
above.
Solution to Problem
171 The present disclosure provides a clothing drying apparatus with
improved usability
by minimizing a restriction in an installation space, while maintaining dry
quality, by
applying a new dry system flow channel (or flow path) to a dual-clothing
drying
2
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
apparatus including both an integral type in which upper and lower portions
are in-
tegrated and a separation type in which upper and lower portions are
separated.
[81 According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a clothing drying
apparatus
includes: a first drying apparatus configured to supply hot air to an inside
of a rotary
drum of the first drying apparatus to dry laundry in the rotary drum and a
second
drying apparatus configured to be coupled to the first drying apparatus,
wherein the
second drying apparatus includes: a dry chamber configured to receive laundry
and
including a discharge hole; a hot air unit configured to supply hot air to an
inside of the
dry chamber through the discharge hole; and a cover shelf disposed in the dry
chamber
and having a plurality of through holes configured to allow the hot air,
supplied by the
hot air unit to a lower side of the cover shelf, to flow, through the
plurality of through
holes, from the lower side of the cover shelf to an upper side of the cover
shelf to dry
the laundry received in the dry chamber and supported on the upper side of the
cover
shelf.
[91 The dry chamber may further include a plurality of guide protrusions
protruding from
a bottom surface of the dry chamber and configured to change flow of the hot
air
supplied by the hot air unit below the cover shelf.
[10] The discharge hole may be disposed to be adjacent to the bottom
surface and each of
the plurality of guide protrusions may include a sloped surface upwardly
sloped from
the bottom surface of the dry chamber.
[11] Each of the plurality of guide protrusions may be disposed to be
adjacent to a side
wall of the dry chamber adjacent to the bottom surface and configured to guide
the hot
air supplied by the hot air unit moving along the side wall toward the cover
shelf.
[12] The sloped surface may be disposed to be upwardly sloped toward the
inner side of
the dry chamber.
[13] The plurality of guide protrusions may be disposed respectively to be
adjacent to
corner parts of the bottom surface and the sloped surface of each of the
plurality of
guide protrusions may be upwardly sloped toward a center of the bottom
surface.
[14] The sloped surface may include an inlet border connected to the bottom
surface and
configured to allow the hot air supplied by the hot air unit to be introduced
therethrough and an outlet border higher than the inlet border and configured
to allow
the introduced hot air to be discharged therethrough, and the sloped surface
may have a
radial shape increasing in width from the inlet border to the outlet border.
[15] The side wall may include a front surface, a rear surface facing the
front surface, and
first and second side surfaces connecting the front surface and the rear
surface, and the
discharge hole may be formed at a central lower end portion of the rear
surface and
configured to discharge the hot air supplied by the hot air unit toward the
front surface.
[16] The plurality of guide protrusions may include first and second guide
protrusions
3
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
adjacent to first and second corner parts formed between the front surface and
the first
and second side surfaces, respectively.
[17] The first and second guide protrusions may include first and second
sloped surfaces
disposed to be upwardly sloped toward the center of the bottom surface and
outlet
borders of the first and second sloped surfaces may have an arc shape convex
toward
the center of the bottom surface.
[18] The dry chamber may include a first guide member protruding toward the
discharge
hole from a central portion of the front surface and configured to guide hot
air from a
direction toward the front surface to a direction toward the first and second
side
surfaces.
[19] The plurality of guide protrusions may further include a third guide
protrusion
disposed on a rear side of the first guide protrusion and a fourth guide
protrusion
disposed on a rear side of the second guide protrusion.
[20] The third guide protrusion may be disposed to be adjacent to the first
side surface to
guide hot air moving along the first side surface toward the cover shelf, and
the fourth
guide protrusion may be disposed to be adjacent to the second side surface to
guide hot
air moving along the second side surface toward the cover shelf.
[21] The third and fourth guide protrusions may be disposed to be adjacent
to third and
fourth corner parts formed between the rear surface and the first and second
side
surfaces.
[22] The third and fourth guide protrusions may include third and fourth
sloped surfaces
disposed to be upwardly sloped toward the center of the bottom surface, and
outlet
borders of the third and third sloped surfaces may have an arc shape convex
toward the
center of the bottom surface.
[23] The bottom surface may include a sloped part upwardly sloped in a
direction toward
the front surface from the rear surface.
[24] The bottom surface may be downwardly sloped toward the first and
second side
surfaces with respect to a central line connecting the rear surface and the
front surface.
[25] The dry chamber may include first and second reservoirs adjacent to
the rear surface
and recessed downwardly from the bottom surface.
[26] The dry chamber may include an exhaust hole extending in a lengthwise
direction of
the rear surface, and the second drying apparatus may further include an
exhaust duct
coupled to the exhaust hole and configured to discharge hot air from the dry
chamber
through the exhaust hole.
[27] The exhaust duct may include a first opening connected to the exhaust
hole, a second
opening disposed to face the first opening and configured to discharge hot air
in-
troduced into the first opening, and a bypass hole formed adjacent to the hot
air unit.
[28] The bypass hole may be disposed to be adjacent to the first opening.
4
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[29] The clothing drying apparatus may further include a pair of injection
units re-
spectively disposed on both sides of the dry chamber and configured to inject
hot air
toward an inside of the dry chamber.
[30] The pair of injection units may include a duct part extending in a
discharge direction
of the discharge hole; and a plurality of injection nozzles disposed on the
duct part in a
length direction of the duct part.
[31] The duct part may include an intake duct having an intake formed at
one end thereof
and an injection duct connected to the other end of the intake duct, wherein
the intake
may be disposed below the cover shelf, the injection duct may be disposed
above the
cover shelf and extending in the discharge direction of the discharge hole,
and the
plurality of injection nozzles may be disposed in a length direction of the
injection
duct.
[32] The injection nozzle may protrude toward the inside of the dry chamber
from the
duct part and include a first nozzle pipe having a sectional area of a flow
channel
formed therein is gradually decreased; and a second nozzle pipe coupled to a
side
surface of the first nozzle pipe.
[33] The cover shelf may include a plurality of ribs communicating with the
plurality of
through holes and protruding toward the bottom surface of the dry chamber.
[34] The second drying apparatus may include a rack member disposed above
the cover
shelf within the dry chamber and having a plurality of parallel poles.
[35] The dry chamber may include an upwardly opened opening, and the second
drying
apparatus may include a door opening and closing the opening of the dry
chamber.
[36] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a clothing drying
apparatus
includes: a first drying apparatus supplying hot air to the inside of a rotary
drum; and a
second drying apparatus disposed above the first drying apparatus, wherein the
second
drying apparatus includes: a dry chamber having first and second guide
protrusions
upwardly guiding hot air which is introduced from one side surface of the dry
chamber
and gyrates therein; and a cover shelf disposed to be upwardly spaced apart
from a
bottom surface of the dry chamber and having a plurality of injection holes
upwardly
injecting hot air guided by the first and second guide protrusions.
[37] The first and second guide protrusions may have a sloped surface
sloped toward the
cover shelf from the bottom surface of the dry chamber.
[38] The dry chamber may include third and fourth guide protrusions for
upwardly
guiding hot air which collides with the first and second guide protrusions to
gyrate.
[39] The third and fourth guide protrusions may have a sloped surface
sloped toward the
cover shelf from the bottom surface of the dry chamber.
[40] The dry chamber may include a guide member formed on the opposite side
of a
discharge hole discharging hot air and guiding hot air toward the first and
second guide
5
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
protrusions.
[41] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, clothing drying
apparatus
comprising: a first drying apparatus configured to supply hot air to the
inside of a
rotary drum of the first drying apparatus to dry laundry in the rotary drum;
and a
second drying apparatus configured to be disposed above and coupled to the
first
drying apparatus, wherein the second drying apparatus includes: a dry chamber
having
a guide protrusion configured to deflect hot air introduced in a first
direction from one
side surface of the dry chamber in a second direction; and a cover shelf
disposed to be
spaced apart from a bottom surface of the dry chamber in the second direction,
and
including a plurality of injection holes configured to allow the hot air to
flow in the
second direction from a first side of the cover shelf to a second side of the
cover shelf,
opposite the first side of the cover shelf, to dry laundry located in the
second direction
from the cover shelf.
[42] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, An apparatus
comprising: a first
surface configured to be coupled to at least one of a laundry washing
apparatus and a
laundry drying apparatus; a hot air supplier configured to generate hot air; a
drying
chamber including a door configured to open and close the drying chamber and
through which laundry is received into the drying chamber; a first section
configured
to receive the generated hot air through a hole in the drying chamber and to
drain water
from the drying chamber, and a second section configured to receive the
laundry
through the door, to support the received laundry, and to discharge the
received air
from the drying chamber; and a fixed shelf configured to be disposed in the
drying
chamber between the first section and the second section, and including a
plurality of
holes through which the received hot air is configured to flow from the first
section to
the second section and through which water is configured to drain from the
second
section to the first section to dry the laundry supported in the second
section.
[43] Additional and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will
be set forth in
part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the
description,
or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Brief Description of Drawings
[44] The above and/or other aspects of the present disclosure will be more
apparent by de-
scribing certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[45] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a clothing
drying apparatus
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[46] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the clothing drying
apparatus illustrated in
FIG. 1;
6
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[47] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a second
door of a second
drying apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2 is open;
[48] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the second drying apparatus
illustrated in
FIG. 2;
[49] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration in
which a dry
chamber, a hot air unit, and an exhaust duct of the second drying apparatus
illustrated
in FIG. 4 are disassembled;
[50] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the dry chamber illustrated in
FIG. 5;
[51] FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view of the dry chamber illustrated in
FIG. 6;
[52] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the dry chamber illustrated in FIG. 6;
[53] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the dry chamber, taken along line
I-I of FIG. 6;
[54] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the dry chamber, taken along line
II-II of FIG. 6;
[55] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cover shelf illustrated in FIG. 5;
[56] FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the cover shelf illustrated in
FIG. 11;
[57] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in
which a cover shelf is
coupled to the dry chamber illustrated in FIG. 9;
[58] FIG. 14 is a front view of an exhaust duct illustrated in FIG. 5;
[59] FIG. 15 is a side view of the exhaust duct illustrated in FIG. 14;
[60] FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of a dry chamber to which the hot
air unit and
the exhaust duct illustrated in FIG. 4 are coupled, viewed from a rear side.
[61] FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a
pair of injection
units are coupled to the dry chamber illustrated in FIG. 6;
[62] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the injection unit illustrated in
FIG. 17;
[63] FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a modification of an
injection nozzle of the
injection unit illustrated in FIG. 18;
[64] FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the injection unit, taken along
line III-III of FIG.
19;
[65] FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a modification of the pair
of injection units
illustrated in FIG. 17; and
[66] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the injection unit illustrated in
FIG. 21.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
[67] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be
described in
greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following
de-
scription, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements
even in
different drawings. Thus, description of the same elements is not repeated.
[68] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be
described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments
7
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
most appropriate to help understand the technical features of the present
disclosure will
be described, and the technical features of the present disclosure are not
limited by the
described exemplary embodiments and merely illustrate the implementation of
the
present disclosure through the exemplary embodiments described hereinafter.
[69] Thus, the present disclosure may be variably modified within the scope
of the present
disclosure through the exemplary embodiments described below, and such modi-
fications are within the scope of the present disclosure. In order to help
understand the
exemplary embodiments described hereinafter, similar reference numerals are
used for
relevant components among the components having the same function in the
respective
exemplary embodiments in the accompanying drawings.
[70] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a clothing
drying apparatus
1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 2
is an
exploded perspective view of the clothing drying apparatus 1 illustrated in
FIG. 1.
[71] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the clothing drying apparatus 1 according
to an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first drying
apparatus 10
and a second drying apparatus 20.
[72] Hereinafter, for the purposes of description, with respect to the
clothing drying
apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, an X axis direction is defined as a front
side, a
direction opposite to the front side is defined as a rear side, and a
horizontal direction
(Y axis direction) and a vertical direction (Z axis direction) are defined on
the basis of
the front side.
[73] The first drying apparatus 10 includes a first case 11 forming an
appearance of the
first drying apparatus 10 and a first door 12 opening and closing an opening
formed on
a front surface of the first case 11. The first case 11 has a substantially
hexahedral
shape.
[74] A drum (not shown) accommodating laundry, a driver (not shown)
rotating the drum,
a heater (not shown) supplying hot air to the inside of the drum, and a blow
fan (not
shown) are disposed within the first case 11.
[75] The drum of the first drying apparatus 10 has a cylindrical shape
having an opening
opened to one side and is disposed to be connected to an opening of the first
case 11.
[76] In the first drying apparatus 10, wet laundry may be introduced into
the inside of the
drum through the first door 12, and as hot air is introduced to the inside of
the rotating
drum from a heater and a blow fan, the laundry may be dried.
[77] The heater disposed within the first case 11 may include an electric
heater heating air
introduced from outside the first case 11 using electrical resistance heating
and a gas
heater heating air introduced from outside the first case 11 using heat
generated
through gas combustion.
1781 However, because an interior portion of the first drying apparatus 10
has as similar
8
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
structure as that of the related art drying apparatus, a detailed description
thereof will
be omitted.
[79] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second drying apparatus 20 is
coupled to an upper
portion of the first drying apparatus 10.
[80] The second drying apparatus 20 may dry wet laundry, separately from
the first drying
apparatus 10.
[81] The second drying apparatus 20 includes a second case 21 forming an
exterior, an
operating part 22 disposed on a front surface of the second case 21, and a
second door
23 disposed on an upper surface of the second case 21. The second case 21 may
have a
substantially hexahedral shape and has a height from a lower portion of the
second
case 21 to an upper portion of the second case 21 less than that of the first
case 11.
[82] The second case 21 may have an opening opened to an upper side, and
laundry may
be introduced to an internal accommodation space (24S of FIG. 3) through the
second
door 23.
[83] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second drying apparatus 20 may
have a size
smaller than that of the first drying apparatus 10. For example, because the
second
drying apparatus 20 does not include a separate drum therein, the second
drying
apparatus 20 does not have a separate driver for rotating the drum, and thus,
a size
thereof may be smaller than that of the first drying apparatus 10.
Accordingly, the
clothing drying apparatus 1 may be compact in overall size and structure.
[84] In the clothing drying apparatus 1 according to an exemplary
embodiment of the
present disclosure, laundry may be dried simultaneously through the first and
second
drying apparatuses 10 and 20, or may be dried by selecting any one of the
first and
second drying apparatuses 10 and 20.
[85] An accommodation space in which the laundry may be dried in the second
drying
apparatus 20 may be smaller than an accommodation space within the drum of the
first
drying apparatus 10. Thus, a large amount of laundry may be dried through the
first
drying apparatus 10, and a small amount of laundry may be dried through the
second
drying apparatus 20. Accordingly, energy consumed using the second drying
apparatus
20 may be smaller than energy consumed using the first drying apparatus 10.
[86] Thus, in the case where a large amount of laundry is intended to be
dried, the first
drying apparatus 10 may be used, and in case where a small amount of laundry
is
intended to be dried, the second drying apparatus 20 may be used.
[87] Also, general laundry may be dried using the first drying apparatus
10, and laundry
requiring gentler treatment may be dried using the second drying apparatus 20,
thereby
preventing damage to the laundry that may occur during a drying process.
[88] Because the first and second drying apparatuses 10 and 20 are
selectively used
according to sizes, types, and amounts of laundry, energy efficiency according
to the
9
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
use of the clothing drying apparatus 1 may be enhanced, and damage to the
laundry
which may occur during a drying process may be prevented as well. A specific
structure of the second drying apparatus 20 and a dry scheme of laundry will
be
described hereinafter.
[89] Referring to FIG. 2, a mounting part 11S to which the second drying
apparatus 20
may be coupled is provided on an upper surface of the first case 11.
[90] The mounting part 11S may have a shape corresponding to a shape of a
lower surface
of the second drying apparatus 20, whereby the second drying apparatus 20 may
be
stably coupled to an upper portion of the first drying apparatus 10.
[91] The operating part 22 includes an input part (not shown) receiving an
operation
command of a user, a display part (not shown) displaying an operational state
of the
clothing drying apparatus 1, and a controller (not shown).
[92] The operating part 22 disposed on a front surface of the second case
21 may be elec-
trically connected to the first drying apparatus 10 through a signal, and
accordingly,
both the first drying apparatus 10 and the second drying apparatus 20 may be
controlled through the single operating part 22 disposed on the front surface
of the
second case 21.
[93] The operating part 22 may input an operating command to each of the
first and
second drying apparatuses 10 and 20 through the input part, and display an
operational
state of each of the first and second drying apparatuses 10 and 20 through the
display
part.
[94] The first drying apparatus 10 and the second drying apparatus 20 may
be integrally
coupled, or the first and second drying apparatuses 10 and 20 may be
configured as
modules so that the first drying apparatus 10 and the second drying apparatus
20 may
be coupled or separated as necessary.
[95] Also, the second drying apparatus 20 may be coupled to a lower
portion, rather than
to the upper portion, of the first drying apparatus 10.
[96] The first drying apparatus 10 of the clothing drying apparatus 1
described above may
be replaced with a washing apparatus such as a drum type washing machine.
[97] For example, the first drying apparatus 10 may be replaced with a
washing apparatus
including a washing tub rotating within a water tank, and by coupling the
second
drying apparatus 20 to an upper portion of the washing apparatus, the
aforementioned
clothing drying apparatus 1 may be replaced with a clothing processing
apparatus
capable of performing both washing and drying on clothes within the single
device.
[98] For example, the washing apparatus may wash laundry, and washing-
finished wet
laundry may be dried through the second drying apparatus 20 coupled to the
washing
apparatus.
[99] In addition, recently, washing apparatuses allowing both washing and
drying to be
10
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
performed within a washing tub have also been commonly used, and thus, it may
also
be configured such that washing and drying a large amount of laundry may be se-
quentially performed through the washing apparatus and drying a small amount
of
laundry may be performed through the second drying apparatus 20 coupled to an
upper
portion of the washing apparatus.
[100] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a second
door 23 of a second
drying apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 is open.
[101] Referring to FIG. 3, the second case 21 may include an opening opened
to an upper
side, and the second door 23 may be hinge-coupled to an upper portion of the
second
case 21 to open and close the opening of the second case 21.
[102] The second door 23 includes a main door 231 hinge-coupled to the
second case 21
and a sub-door 232 hinge-coupled to the main door 231. The main door 231 is
coupled
to a rear end portion of the second case 21, and the sub-door 232 is disposed
on a front
side of the main door 231.
[103] The main door 231 may include a pair of main hinge parts 2311
respectively
disposed on opposing sides of one end portion thereof, and as the pair of main
hinge
parts 2311 are pivotably coupled to a rear end portion at an upper side of the
second
case 21, the main door 231 may rotate to open and close the opening of the
second case
21.
[104] Also, the sub-door 232 may be coupled to the other end portion
opposite to the one
end portion coupled to the second case 21 of the main door 231 to pivot
through a pair
of sub-hinge parts 2321.
[105] Accordingly, the sub-door 232 coupled to the main door 231 may
rotate, and as the
user lifts the sub-door 232 disposed on a front side of the main door 231, the
main door
231 may rotate through the sub-hinge parts 2321 and be opened. Accordingly,
the user
may easily open the second door 23.
[106] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the second drying apparatus
20 illustrated
in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a
configuration in
which a dry chamber 24, a hot air unit 25, and an exhaust duct 26 of the
second drying
apparatus 20 illustrated in FIG. 4 are disassembled.
[107] Hereinafter, a configuration of the second drying apparatus 20 will
be described in
detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.
[108] As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the second drying apparatus 20
includes a second case
21, a display part 22, a second door 23, a dry chamber 24, a hot air unit 25,
an exhaust
duct 26, a cover shelf 27, and a rack member 28.
[109] The second case 21 includes an internal space 21S, and the dry
chamber 24, the hot
air unit 25, the exhaust duct 26, the cover shelf 27, and the rack member 28
may be
disposed on an inner side of the second case 21.
11
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[110] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second case 21 may include a
main case 2101
having a space 21S in which the dry chamber 24, the hot air unit 25, and the
exhaust
duct 26 are disposed and a rear case 2102 coupled to a rear side of the main
case 2101
to cover the hot air unit 25 and the exhaust duct 26 coupled to the rear
surface of the
dry chamber 24.
[111] The dry chamber 24 may be a hexahedral basket having an accommodation
space
24S to which laundry is introduced, and the laundry may be introduced to the
accom-
modation space 24S through the opening opened to an upper side.
[112] Also, the opening of the dry chamber 24 may be opened and closed
through the
second door 23 described above.
[113] The dry chamber 24 may include a bottom surface 241 and a side wall
242 sur-
rounding the bottom surface 241, and the accommodation space 24S may be
located
between the bottom surface 241 and the side wall 242.
[114] Discharge holes 2401H and 2402H injecting hot air to an inner side of
the dry
chamber 24 are provided on a rear surface of the dry chamber 24, and an
exhaust hole
2403H allowing hot air which has finished drying the laundry to be discharged
therethrough is provided above the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[115] As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H
may be
formed at a central lower end portion of a rear surface (2422 of FIG. 6) of
the dry
chamber 24.
[116] Also, the exhaust hole 2403H may extend in a length direction of the
rear surface
2422 and may be longer than the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H. Also, the
exhaust
hole 2403H is formed on a rear surface 2422 such that it is disposed on an
upper side
of the cover shelf 27.
[117] The dry chamber 24 may be formed of a synthetic resin material to
facilitate
formation of multiple components as provided. A specific configuration of the
dry
chamber 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 10 hereinafter.
[118] The hot air unit 25 includes a heater (not shown) and a blow fan (not
shown)
disposed therein, and includes blow holes 2501H and 2502H through which hot
air is
discharged and an intake 2503H (2504H of FIG. 16) intaking ambient air.
[119] The hot air unit 25 may include a pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H
respectively
formed on opposing sides thereof, that intake ambient air through the pair of
intakes
2503H and 2504H, heat the intaken air through a heater, and subsequently
inject
heated hot air from the blow holes 2501H and 2502H to an inner side of the dry
chamber 24 through the blow fan.
[120] Also, when the hot air within the hot air unit 25 is discharged from
the blow holes
2501H and 2502H, pressure within the hot air unit 25 may be lower than outside
the
hot air unit 25, and thus, ambient air may be easily intaken through the pair
of intakes
12
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
2503H and 2504H.
[121] The hot air unit 25 is coupled to a rear surface of the dry chamber
24, and the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H of the dry chamber 24 and the blow holes 2501H
and 2502H of the hot air unit 25 are connected to each other. Accordingly, hot
air
heated through the heater may be discharged to the inner side of the dry
chamber 24
through the discharge holes 2501H and 2402H of the dry chamber 24.
[122] The hot air unit 25 is disposed within the second case 21. The second
case 21
includes a blow hole 2102H disposed on a rear surface of the second case 21 to
intake
ambient air to the inside of the second case 21, and discharge hot air which
has
finished drying the laundry within the dry chamber 24 to the outside.
[123] In detail, the blow hole 2102H may be formed on a rear surface of the
rear case 2102.
The blow hole 2102H has a grill shape having a plurality of through holes, and
the
plurality of through holes may be disposed in a width direction on the rear
surface of
the rear case 2102.
[124] The pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H formed on both ends of the hot
air unit 25 may
be disposed to be adjacent to both end portions of the blow hole 2102H of the
rear case
2102, whereby ambient air introduced from the both end portions of the blow
hole
2102H may be easily intaken to the pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H of the hot
air unit
25.
[125] Also, a second opening 2602H (to be described hereinafter) of the
exhaust duct 26 is
disposed to be adjacent to a central portion of the blow hole 2102H.
Accordingly, hot
air discharged from the second opening 2602H of the exhaust duct 26 may be
discharged to the outside of the second drying apparatus 20 through the
central portion
of the blow hole 2102H.
[126] A specific configuration of the exhaust duct 26 will be described in
detail with
reference to FIGS. 14 to 16.
[127] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the cover shelf 27 and the rack member 28
are disposed
within the dry chamber 24.
[128] The cover shelf 27 is disposed above the discharge holes 2401H and
2402H within
the dry chamber 24 and faces a bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24.
[129] The cover shelf 27 may include a shelf body 271 having a plate shape
corresponding
to a shape of the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 and a plurality of
through
holes 272 formed on the shelf body 271, and upwardly inject hot air from below
the
cover shelf 27 through the plurality of through holes 272.
[130] Accordingly, the wet laundry disposed on an upper side of the cover
shelf 27 may be
dried by hot air upwardly injected through the plurality of through holes 272.
[131] In detail, the cover shelf 27 is disposed between the discharge holes
2401H and
2402H and the exhaust hole 2403H within the dry chamber 24. Accordingly, the
ac-
13
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
commodation space 24S of the dry chamber 24 may be located above the cover
shelf
27.
[132] Hot air, which is discharged to an inner side of the dry chamber 24
through the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H to flow between the bottom surface 241 of the
dry
chamber 24 and the cover shelf 27, may pass through the plurality of through
holes 272
and be injected to an upper side of the cover shelf 27.
[133] The plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 are formed
in the entire
region of the shelf body 271, and thus, hot air upwardly injected through the
plurality
of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 may be injected to the entire
region of the
accommodation space 24S at the upper side of the cover shelf 27.
[134] Wet laundry to be dried is introduced to an upper portion of the
cover shelf 27. Hot
air upwardly injected through the plurality of through holes 272 of the cover
shelf 27
may be directly injected to the laundry introduced to the upper portion of the
cover
shelf 27 to absorb moisture included in the laundry.
[135] In addition, hot air injected through the plurality of through holes
272 may circulate
within the accommodation space 24S on an upper side of the cover shelf 27 to
easily
absorb moisture from the entirety of the laundry.
[136] Also, the rack member 28 may be disposed on an upper side of the
cover shelf 27.
[137] The rack member 28 includes a tray 281 and a plurality of poles 282
coupled to be
parallel to each other on an inner side of the tray 281.
[138] The tray 281 may have a shape corresponding to a shape of the bottom
surface 241 of
the dry chamber 24. For example, the tray 281 may have a quadrangular annular
shape
corresponding to a shape of edges of the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber
24,
and may be coupled to the side wall 242 of the dry chamber 24 from an upper
side of
the cover shelf 27.
[139] The wet laundry introduced to the dry chamber 24 may be placed on the
plurality of
poles 282. Accordingly, the laundry placed on the plurality of poles 282 may
be
disposed to be spaced apart from the cover shelf 27 at a predetermined
interval. That
is, the laundry placed on the plurality of poles 282 may be held in a space
above the
cover shelf 27 within the dry chamber 27.
[140] Hot air upwardly injected from the plurality of holes 272 of the
cover shelf 27 may
pass through a predetermined space formed above the cover shelf 27 and may be
injected to a lower side of the laundry held on the plurality of poles 282.
Accordingly,
hot air may be uniformly applied to the laundry held on the plurality of poles
282, ef-
fectively drying the laundry.
[141] In addition, hot air discharged from the plurality of through holes
272 of the cover
shelf 27 may circulate within the dry chamber 24, and the circulating hot air
may be
applied to the laundry held on the plurality of poles 282 in every direction,
further ef-
14
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
fectively drying the laundry.
[142] Also, because the rack member 28 includes the plurality of poles 282,
a plurality of
pieces of laundry may be held on the plurality of poles 282, respectively,
easily drying
the plurality of pieces of laundry. For example, a relatively small item of
laundry such
as socks, or handkerchiefs may be held on the plurality of poles 282, whereby
hot air
may be easily applied to the entire area of the laundry.
[143] Also, the rack member 28 may be detachably coupled to the inside of
the dry
chamber 24. By configuring the rack member 28 to be smaller than a size of the
opening of the dry chamber 24, the rack member 28 may be selectively disposed
within the dry chamber 24.
[144] For example, in case where laundry is required to be rapidly dried by
directly
injecting hot air to the entire area of cloth at a high speed, the laundry may
be disposed
on an upper surface of the cover shelf 27 without the rack member 28, whereby
hot air
may be directly injected to the laundry through the plurality of through holes
271.
Also, as described above, by disposing the rack member 28 within the dry
chamber 24
and holding laundry on the rack member 28, circulation of hot air within the
dry
chamber 24 may be increased, and accordingly, circulating hot air may be
applied to
the entire area of the laundry held on the rack member 28.
[145] However, the aforementioned rack member 28 may be replaced by various
structures
in which laundry may be held to be spaced apart from an upper portion of the
cover
shelf 27 at a predetermined interval.
[146] FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the dry chamber 24 illustrated
in FIG. 5, FIG. 7
is a rear perspective view of the dry chamber 24 illustrated in FIG. 6, and
FIG. 8 is a
plan view of the dry chamber 24 illustrated in FIG. 6.
[147] Hereinafter, a detailed configuration of the dry chamber 24 will be
described with
reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.
[148] The dry chamber 24 may include a plurality of components circulating
hot air
discharged through the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H and guiding hot air
toward
the cover shelf 27, whereby an amount and strength of hot air injected to the
laundry
through the plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 may be
increased and a
distribution of hot air injected through the plurality of through holes 272
may be
uniformly formed.
[149] In FIG. 8, flow of hot air circulating between the bottom surface 241
of the dry
chamber 24 and the cover shelf 27 is indicated by the arrows F.
[150] As described above, the dry chamber 24 may have a quadrangular basket
shape
having the upwardly opened accommodation space 24S, and include the bottom
surface 241 forming an appearance and the side wall 242 surrounding the bottom
surface 241.
15
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[151] In more detail, the side wall 242 includes a front surface 2421
disposed on a front
side, a rear surface 2422 facing the front surface 2421, and first and second
side
surfaces 2423 and 2424 connecting the front surface 2421 and the rear surface
2422.
[152] As described above, the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H and the
exhaust hole
2403H may be formed on the rear surface 2422 of the dry chamber 24, and the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be formed at a central lower end portion
of the
rear surface 2422 and discharge hot air toward the front surface 2421 of the
dry
chamber 24.
[153] In addition, the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be provided in
plurality and,
as illustrated in FIG. 6, the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may include a
first
discharge hole 2401H and a second discharge hole 2402H disposed on both sides
with
respect to the center of the rear surface 2422. Also, the hot air unit 25 may
include the
first and second blow holes 2501H and 2502H respectively coupled to the first
and
second discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[154] The first and second discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be disposed
to be
adjacent to each other at a central lower end portion of the rear surface 2422
and
discharge hot air toward the central lower end portion of the front surface
2421. For
example, the first and second discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be disposed
on
both sides with respect to a central line CL connecting the front surface 2421
and the
rear surface 2422 on the bottom surface 241 to discharge hot air from both
sides with
respect to the central line CL toward the front surface 2421.
[155] Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 8, hot air F discharged from the first
discharge hole
2401H movers to the front surface 2421 along a side of the central line CL
adjacent to
the first side surface 2423 and hot air F discharged from the second discharge
hole
2402H moves to the front surface 2421 along a side of the central line CL
adjacent to
the second side surface 2424. Accordingly, hot air F injected from the first
and second
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may circulate along the bottom surface 24 and
may
be upwardly injected uniformly through the plurality of through holes 272 of
the cover
shelf 27.
[156] The dry chamber 24 includes a plurality of guide protrusions 2431,
2432, 2433, and
2434 protruding from the bottom surface 241 to change a flow of hot air below
the
cover shelf 27.
[157] The plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 include
sloped
surfaces 24310, 24320, 24330, and 24340 upwardly sloped from the bottom
surface
241, respectively.
[158] As described above, because the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H are
disposed on
the rear surface 2422 and adjacent to the bottom surface 241 and inject hot
air toward
the front surface 2421, hot air injected from the display holes 2401H and
2402H is
16
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
changed in a path through the sloped surfaces 24310, 24320, 24330, and 24340
of the
plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434, and is upwardly
guided
toward the cover shelf 27.
[159] The plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 may
change a flow of
hot air moving between the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 and the
cover
shelf 27 to thereby circulate hot air below the cover shelf 27.
[160] Also, because hot air circulated through the plurality of guide
protrusions 2431,
2432, 2433, and 2434 is upwardly guided uniformly in the entire area below the
cover
shelf 27, strength of hot air upwardly injected through the plurality of
through holes
272 of the cover shelf 27 may become uniform.
[161] The plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 may be
disposed on
the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 and adjacent to the side wall
242.
[162] Hot air injected toward the front surface 2421 from the discharge
holes 2401H and
2402H formed on the rear surface 2422 of the dry chamber 24 may be reflected
from
the front surface 2421 or changed in flow in a direction toward the first and
second
side surfaces 2423 and 2424 along the front surface 2421. Also, hot air moving
in a
direction toward the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424 along the
front
surface 2421 may be changed in direction and move toward the rear side along
the first
and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424.
[163] In this manner, hot air moving in a horizontal direction along the
side wall 242 may
be upwardly guided toward the cover shelf 27 through the plurality of guide
pro-
trusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 disposed to be adjacent to the side wall
242. Ac-
cordingly, because hot air below the cover shelf 27 circulates along the
entire area of
the bottom surface 241, an amount and strength of hot air upwardly injected
from the
plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 may be uniform and
increased to
increase drying performance of the laundry.
[164] The respective sloped surfaces 24310, 24320, 24330, and 24340 of the
plurality of
guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 disposed to be adjacent to the
side wall
242 of the dry chamber 24 may be upwardly sloped toward the inner side of the
dry
chamber 24. Thus, hot air moving along the side wall 242 of the dry chamber 24
may
be upwardly guided toward the inner side of the dry chamber 24 and more easily
circulate.
[165] In addition, the plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and
2434 are
disposed to be adjacent to respective corner parts 2411, 2412, 2413, and 2414,
re-
spectively, and sloped surfaces 24310, 24320, 24330, and 24340 of the
plurality of
guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 may upwardly be sloped toward the
center of the bottom surface 241.
11661 Accordingly, hot air reduced in flow rate as it collides with the
corner of the side wall
17
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
adjacent to the corner parts 2411, 2412, 2413, and 2414 of the bottom surface
241 may
be upwardly guided toward the center of the bottom surface 241 and hot air may
be
further circulated below the cover shelf 27.
[167] Hereinafter, a detailed structure of the plurality of guide
protrusions 2431, 2432,
2433, and 2434 will be described.
[168] As illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, the plurality of guide protrusions
2431, 2432, 2433,
and 2434 include first to fourth guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434
disposed
to be adjacent to the corner parts 2411, 2412, 2413, and 2414 of the bottom
surface
241, respectively.
[169] In detail, the bottom surface 241 includes first and second corner
parts 2411 and
2412 formed between the front surface 2421 and the first and second side
surfaces
2423 and 2424.
[170] The first guide protrusion 2431 is disposed to be adjacent to the
first corner part
2411, and the second guide protrusion 2432 may be disposed to be adjacent to
the
second corner part 2412, and the first guide protrusion 2431 and the second
guide
protrusion 2432 may be disposed to be symmetrical with respect to the central
line CL
of the bottom surface 241.
[171] The first and second guide protrusions 2431 and 2432 include first
and second sloped
surfaces 24310 and 24320, respectively, and the first and second sloped
surfaces 24310
and 24320 are disposed to be upwardly sloped toward the center of the bottom
surface
241.
[172] Accordingly, flow of hot air which may be stagnant in the vicinity of
the first and
second corner parts 2411 and 2412 may be changed toward the center of the
bottom
surface 241 and spread to increase circulation of hot air, and an even larger
amount of
hot air may be effectively upwardly guided toward the cover shelf 27.
[173] The first and second sloped surfaces 24310 and 24320 include inlet
borders 24311
and 24321 connected to the bottom surface 241 to allow hot air flowing along
the
bottom surface 241 to be introduced therethrough and outlet borders 24312 and
24322
disposed to be higher than the inlet borders 24311 and 24321 and allowing hot
air in-
troduced to the inlet borders 24311 and 24321 to be discharged therethrough,
re-
spectively.
[174] The inlet borders 24311 and 24321 and the outlet borders 24312 and
24322 may be
disposed to face each other.
[175] The first and second sloped surfaces 24310 and 24320 may have a
radial shape
having a width increased from the inlet borders 24311 and 24321 toward the
outlet
borders 24312 and 24322 and may have a substantially fan shape, respectively.
[176] Thus, hot air introduced to the inlet borders 24311 and 24312 of the
first and second
sloped surfaces 24310 and 24320 may be upwardly guided along the first and
second
18
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
sloped surfaces 24310 and 24320 and spread along the first and second sloped
surfaces
24310 and 24320 and may be discharged from the outlet borders 24312 and 24322,
re-
spectively.
[177] The respective outlet borders 24312 and 24322 of the first and second
sloped
surfaces 24310 and 24320 may have an arc shape convex toward the center of the
bottom surface 241, and the inlet borders 24311 and 24321 may also have an arc
shape
convex toward the center of the bottom surface 241.
[178] Accordingly, hot air may easily be introduced to the respective inlet
borders 24311
and 24321 of the first and second sloped surfaces 24310 and 24320, and hot air
which
is upwardly guided, while being spread along the first and second sloped
surfaces
24310 and 24320, may be radially discharged from the outlet borders 24312 and
24322, respectively.
[179] Also, the respective inlet borders 24311 and 24312 of the first and
second sloped
surfaces 24310 and 24320 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the front
surface
2421 at a predetermined interval. Accordingly, hot air which is reflected from
the front
surface 2421 of the dry chamber 24 and moves along the front surface 2421 in a
direction toward the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 242 may easily be
in-
troduced to the inlet borders 24311 and 24321 of the first and second sloped
surfaces
24310 and 24320, respectively.
[180] Also, third and fourth guide protrusions 2433 and 2434 are disposed
on rear sides of
the first and second guide protrusions 2431 and 2432, respectively.
[181] As illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, the third guide protrusion 2433 is
disposed to be
adjacent to the first side surface 2423 on the rear side of the first guide
protrusion
2431, and the fourth guide protrusion 2434 is disposed to be adjacent to the
second
side surface 2424 on the rear side of the second guide protrusion 2432.
[182] The third and fourth guide protrusions 2433 and 2434 include third
and fourth sloped
surfaces 24330 and 24340 upwardly sloped toward the inner side of the bottom
surface
241, respectively, to circulate hot air moving along the first and second side
surfaces
2423 and 2424 and upwardly guide hot air toward the cover shelf 27.
[183] In detail, the third and fourth guide protrusions 2433 and 2434 may
upwardly guide
hot air, which has not been upwardly guided by the first and second guide
protrusions
2431 and 2432 but moves backwards along the first and second side surfaces
2423 and
2424, toward the cover shelf 27.
[184] Also, a partial amount of hot air injected toward the front surface
2421 of the dry
chamber 24 from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may directly collide with
the
outlet borders 24312 and 24322 of the first and second guide protrusions 2431
and
2432, rather than the front surface 2421, and may be changed in flow in a
direction
toward the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424. This hot air may also
be
19
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
upwardly guided toward the cover shelf 27 through the third and fourth sloped
surfaces
24330 and 24340 of the third and fourth guide protrusions 2433 and 2434.
[185] Also, the bottom surface 241 includes third and fourth corner parts
2413 and 2414
formed between the rear surface 2422 and the first and second side surfaces
2423 and
2424. In addition, the third guide protrusion 2433 is disposed to be adjacent
to the third
corner part 2413, and the fourth guide protrusion 2434 is disposed to be
adjacent to the
fourth corner part 2414.
[186] Also, the third guide protrusion 2433 and the fourth guide protrusion
2434 are
disposed to be symmetrical to each other with respect to the central line CL
of the
bottom surface 241.
[187] Because the third and fourth sloped surfaces 24330 and 24340 of the
third and fourth
guide protrusions 2433 and 2434 are disposed to be upwardly sloped toward the
center
of the bottom surface 241, flow of hot air, which may be stagnant in the
vicinity of the
third and fourth corner parts 2413 and 2414, toward the center of the bottom
surface
241. Accordingly, hot air may be effectively upwardly guided toward the cover
shelf
27.
[188] In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, the third and fourth
sloped surfaces 24330
and 24340 may each have a radial fan shape.
[189] In detail, the third and fourth sloped surfaces 24330 and 24340
include the inlet
borders 24331 and 24341 and the outlet borders 24332 and 24342, respectively,
and
the outlet borders 24332 and 24342 of the third and fourth sloped surfaces
24330 and
24340 have an arc shape convex toward the center of the bottom surface 241.
[190] Accordingly, hot air upwardly guided along the third and fourth
sloped surfaces
24330 and 24340 may be spread from the outlet borders 24332 and 24342, and
thus,
circulation of hot air below the cover shelf 27 may be further increased.
[191] The first to fourth guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434 of
the dry chamber
24 described above may be modified to various structures and layouts to
increase cir-
culation of hot air and upwardly guide flow of hot air toward the cover shelf
27
according to a structure of the bottom surface 241 and the side wall 242 of
the dry
chamber 24 and a layout and a shape of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[192] Also, the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 includes first and
second
reservoirs 2461 and 2462 respectively disposed to be adjacent to the third and
fourth
corner parts 2413 and 2414.
[193] The first and second reservoirs 2461 and 2462 may be recessed
downwards from the
bottom surface 241 to allow water dropped or flowing down to the bottom
surface 241
from wet laundry to gather therein.
[194] Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 to 8, the third and fourth guide
protrusions 2433 and
2434 may be disposed on a front side of the first and second reservoirs 2461
and 2462,
20
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
respectively.
[195] The third and fourth guide protrusions 2433 and 2434 include third
and fourth re-
flective walls 24333 and 24343 disposed on a front side of the first and
second
reservoirs 2461 and 2462 and coupled to rear ends of the third and fourth
sloped
surfaces 24330 and 24340, respectively.
[196] The third and fourth reflective walls 24333 and 24343 may protrude
upwards from
the bottom surface 241 to block the first and second reservoirs 2461 and 2462
and the
third and fourth sloped surfaces 24330 and 24340 from each other, and reflect
hot air,
which moves toward the rear surface 2422 along the first and second side
surfaces
2423 and 2424, toward the third and fourth sloped surfaces 24330 and 24340.
[197] Accordingly, hot air moving backwards along the first and second side
surfaces 2423
and 2424 is prevented from moving to the first and second reservoirs 2461 and
2462,
and flow of hot air moving backwards along the first and second side surfaces
2423
and 2424 may be upwardly guided through the third and fourth sloped surfaces
24330
and 24340, without being delayed by the first and second reservoirs 2461 and
2462.
[198] Also, the dry chamber 24 includes a first guide member 2441
protruding toward the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H from a central portion of the front surface
2421 to
guide hot air colliding with the front surface 2421 in a direction toward the
first and
second side surfaces 2423 and 2424.
[199] The first guide member 2441 may have a shape in which a sectional
area thereof is
gradually decreased toward the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H from the front
surface 2421 of the dry chamber 24. Accordingly, hot air injected toward the
front
surface 2421 from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be divided into hot
air
moving along the front surface 2421 in a direction toward the first side
surface 2423 by
the first guide member 2441 and hot air moving along the front surface 2421 in
a
direction toward the second side surface 2424.
[200] In detail, the first guide member 2441 includes a pair of first guide
surfaces 2441a
and 2441b sloped toward the front surface 2421 from a front end portion facing
the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[201] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pair of first guide surfaces 2441a and
2441b may have a
shape protruding upwards from the bottom surface 241 and include a curved
surface.
[202] Hot air injected toward the front surface 2421 from the first
discharge hole 2401H
flows to the front surface 2421 along the first guide surface 2441a of the
first guide
member 2441 and subsequently moves toward the first side surface 2423 along
the
front surface 2421. Also, hot air injected toward the front surface 2421
through the
second discharge hole 2402H flows to the front surface 2421 along the second
guide
surface 2441b of the first guide member 2441 and subsequently moves toward the
second side surface 2424 along the front surface 2421.
21
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[203] In this manner, because the first guide member 2441 guides hot air
injected from the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H to flow the front surface 2421 along the first
and
second guide surfaces 2441a and 2441b, hot air injected from the discharge
holes
2401H and 2402H is prevented from colliding with the front surface 2421 in a
direction perpendicular to the front surface 2421 and becoming stagnant.
[204] Also, the first and second guide protrusions 2431 and 2432 disposed
to be adjacent to
the front surface 2421 of the dry chamber 24 are disposed on a rear side
relative to the
first guide member 2441. Accordingly, hot air guided toward the first and
second side
surfaces 2423 and 2424 from the first guide member 2441 may easily be
introduced to
the inlet borders 24312 and 24322 of the first and second sloped surfaces
24310 and
24320, respectively.
[205] Also, the dry chamber 24 includes a pair of second guide members
2442a and 2442b
respectively disposed on both sides of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H to
spread
hot air discharged from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[206] As described above, the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H are formed at
a central
lower end portion of the rear surface 2422 of the dry chamber 24 to discharge
hot air
toward the front surface 2421, a flow amount of hot air may be small on both
side
portions adjacent to the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424 with
respect to
the central line CL of the bottom surface 241.
[207] The pair of second guide members 2442a and 2442b include a pair of
second guide
surfaces 2442a1 and 2442b1 protruding toward the front surface 2421 from the
rear
surface 2422 of the dry chamber 24 and sloped toward the first and second side
surfaces 2423 and 2424 from both ends of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H,
re-
spectively.
[208] The pair of second guide surfaces 2442a1 and 2442b1 may protrude
upwards from
the bottom surface 241 and include a curved surface.
[209] Accordingly, hot air injected from the discharge holes 2401H and
2402H may be
spread along the pair of second guide surfaces 2442a1 and 2442b1 from both
ends of
the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[210] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pair of second guide members 2442a and
2442b may be
disposed at one end of the first discharge hole 2401H adjacent to the first
side surface
2423 and at one end of the second discharge hole 2402H adjacent to the second
side
surface 2424. Accordingly, hot air discharged from the first discharge hole
2401H may
be spread in a direction toward the first side surface 2423 along the second
guide
surface 2442a1 disposed to be adjacent to the first side surface 2423, and hot
air
discharged from the second discharge hole 2402H may be spread in a direction
toward
the second side surface 2424 along the second guide surface 2442b1 disposed to
be
adjacent to the second side surface 2424.
22
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[211] In addition, the dry chamber 24 includes a third guide member 2443
disposed at a
central portion of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H, e.g., between the
first
discharge hole 2401H and the second discharge hole 2402H.
[212] The third guide member 2443 may protrude toward the front surface
2421 from the
rear surface 2422 of the dry chamber 24 between the first discharge hole 2401H
and
the second discharge hole 2402H, and may have a shape in which a sectional
area
thereof is gradually decreased toward the front surface 2421 from the rear
surface
2422.
[213] Also, the third guide member 2443 includes a rib member 24431
perpendicular to the
bottom surface 241.
[214] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the rib member 24431 may extend along a
portion of the
central line CL of the bottom surface 241. Accordingly, hot air discharged
from the
first and second discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may move toward the front
surface
2421, without interfering with each other, so that hot air discharged from the
discharge
hole 2401H and hot air discharged from the discharge hole 2402H are prevented
from
being slowed in flow rate or from being rapidly changed in flow due to
interference
with each other.
[215] The first guide member 2441, the pair of second guide members 2442a
and 2442b,
and the third guide member 2443 may be modified to various structures and
layouts for
circulating flow of hot air below the cover shelf 27.
[216] Also, the dry chamber 24 includes a plurality of support protrusions
247 disposed on
the bottom surface 241. The plurality of support protrusions 247 may support
the cover
shelf 27 disposed to face the bottom surface 241 from above the bottom surface
241.
[217] Because the cover shelf 27 is supported by the plurality of support
protrusions 247,
although wet laundry is introduced to an upper portion of the cover shelf 27,
the cover
shelf 27 may support the laundry without a change in shape thereof.
[218] However, the cover shelf 27 may be configured to have hardness
sufficient for
supporting laundry even without the plurality of support protrusions 247, and
as the
cover shelf 27 is firmly supported on the side wall 242 of the dry chamber 24,
the
plurality of support protrusions 247 of the dry chamber 24 may be omitted.
[219] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the dry chamber 24, taken along
line I-I of FIG. 6,
and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the dry chamber 24, taken along line
II-II of
FIG. 6.
[220] Hereinafter, a drain structure of the dry chamber 24 will be
described with reference
to FIGS. 6 to 10.
[221] As illustrated in FIG. 9, the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber
24 includes first
and second sloped parts 241c1 and 241c2 upwardly sloped in a direction toward
the
front surface 2421 from the rear surface 2422.
23
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[222] The first sloped part 241c1 may be a curved surface upwardly sloped
from a lower
end of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[223] The first sloped part 241c1 may be disposed to be adjacent to the
discharge holes
2401H and 2402H and may be upwardly sloped at a sharp angle from the lower end
of
the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H. For example, the first sloped part 241c1
may be
a curved surface forming a substantial slope at an angle equal to or greater
than 600
from the lower end of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[224] Thus, hot air discharged from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may
be
upwardly guided along the first sloped part 241c1 and introduced to the inner
side of
the dry chamber 24, and accordingly, hot air introduced to the inner side of
the dry
chamber 24 may easily upwardly be guided to the cover shelf 27.
[225] Also, a height of a flow channel between the bottom surface 241 and
the cover shelf
27 is configured to be lower than a height of the discharge holes 2401H and
2402H
through the first sloped part 241c1, whereby hot air discharged from the
discharge
holes 2401H and 2402H may be accelerated in flow rate, while passing through
the
first sloped part 241c1. Accordingly, flow of hot air below the cover shelf 27
is ac-
celerated, and thus, a speed and strength of hot air upwardly injected through
the
plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 may be increased.
[226] The second sloped part 241c2, a part of the bottom surface 241
upwardly sloped
from the rear surface 2422 toward the front surface 2421, may be a part
downwardly
sloped toward the rear surface 2422 from one end of the bottom surface 241
coupled to
the front surface 2421 of the dry chamber 24.
[227] The second sloped part 241c2 may be upwardly sloped at a first angle
al toward a
front side from a horizontal plane.
[228] Thus, because the bottom surface 241 is disposed to be sloped upwards
from the rear
side to the front side through the second sloped part 241c2, water dropped or
flowing
down from wet laundry to the bottom surface 241 may flow down toward the rear
surface 2422 of the bottom surface 241.
[229] Also, because the flow channel between the bottom surface 241 and the
cover shelf
27 is gradually decreased in height from the rear surface 2422 of the dry
chamber 24 to
the front surface 2421 due to the second sloped part 241c2, a sectional area
of the flow
channel is reduced. Accordingly, a reduction in rate of hot air as hot air
discharged
from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H moves toward the front surface 2421
may
be prevented. Thus, because hot air discharged from the discharge holes 2401H
and
2402H moves to the front surface 2421, while maintaining the rate thereof, hot
air may
be upwardly injected at the same rate and with the same strength from the
plurality of
through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27.
[230] Also, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the bottom surface 241 of the dry
chamber 24 is
24
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
downwardly sloped toward opposing sides with respect to the central line CL
connecting the front surface 2421 and the rear surface 2422. For example, the
bottom
surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 is downwardly sloped at a second angle a2 in
both
directions toward the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424 from the
central line
CL.
[231] Thus, water dropped or flowing down to the bottom surface 241 from
wet laundry
may flow down toward the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424, and
here,
because the bottom surface 241 is downwardly sloped toward the rear side from
the
front side as described above, water flowing down to the first and second side
surfaces
2423 and 2424 on the bottom surface 241 flows down toward the rear surface
2422.
That is, water on the bottom surface 241 may flow down toward the third and
fourth
corner parts 2413 and 2414.
[232] As illustrated in FIG. 8, the dry chamber 24 includes first and
second drains 2451
and 2452 extending along edges respectively connected to the first and second
side
surfaces 2423 and 2424 of the bottom surface 241.
[233] As illustrated in FIG. 10, the first and second drains 2451 and 2452
may be
downwardly concave between the bottom surface 241 and the first and second
side
surfaces 2423 and 2424. Thus, water flowing down toward the first and second
side
surfaces 2423 and 2424 on the bottom surface 241 may be introduced to the
first and
second drains 2451 and 2452, and water introduced to the first and second
drains 2451
and 2452 may flow down toward the third and fourth corner parts 2413 and 2414
along
the first and second drains 2451 and 2452.
[234] Also, as described above, the first and second reservoirs 2461 and
2462 may be
formed on both sides adjacent to the third and fourth corner parts 2413 and
2414 of the
bottom surface 241 and, because the first and second drains 2451 and 2452 are
connected to the first and second reservoirs 2461 and 2462, respectively,
water flowing
down along the first and second drains 2451 and 2452 may be stored in the
first and
second reservoirs 2461 and 2462.
[235] The first and second angles al and a2, sizes allowing water on the
bottom surface
241 to easily flow down to the first and second reservoirs 2461 and 2462, may
be
angles of 50 to 10 with respect to the horizontal surface.
[236] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cover shelf 27 illustrated in
FIG. 5, FIG. 12 is a
bottom perspective view of the cover shelf 27 illustrated in FIG. 11, and FIG.
13 is a
cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which the cover shelf 27
is coupled
to the dry chamber 24 illustrated in FIG. 9.
[237] Hereinafter, a structure of the cover shelf 27 and a structure of the
plurality of
through holes 272 upwardly injecting hot air from a lower side of the cover
shelf 27
through the cover shelf 27 will be described in detail.
25
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[238] As described above, the cover shelf 27 includes the shelf body 271
corresponding to
a shape of the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24 and disposed to face
the
bottom surface 241 and the plurality of through holes 272 distributed in the
shelf body
271.
[239] The cover shelf 27 is disposed between the discharge holes 2401H and
2402H of the
dry chamber 24 and the exhaust hole 2403H of the dry chamber 24 to upwardly
inject
hot air, which is introduced to the dry chamber 24 through the discharge holes
2401H
and 2402H and circulates below the cover shelf 27, through the plurality of
through
holes 272.
[240] As illustrated in FIG. 12, the cover shelf 27 includes a plurality of
ribs 273 commu-
nicating with the plurality of through holes 272 and protruding toward the
bottom
surface 241 of the dry chamber 24.
[241] The plurality of ribs 273 may increase a rate of hot air introduced
to the plurality of
through holes 272 from a lower side of the cover shelf 27 and passing through
the
cover shelf 27. Accordingly, strength of hot air applied to the laundry
disposed on an
upper side of the cover shelf 27 may be increased, increasing drying
efficiency of the
laundry. The plurality of ribs 273 may have a height of 5 mm.
[242] Also, the plurality of ribs 273 may be modified in height or shape
depending on a
position thereof on the shelf body 271. For example, the plurality of ribs 273
may be
decreased in height toward the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H. That is, a
height of
the plurality of ribs 273 is increased as they are away from the discharge
holes 2401H
and 2402H to further increase a rate of hot air upwardly injected through the
through
holes spaced apart from the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H. Accordingly, a
rate of
hot air injected through the plurality of through holes 272 may be uniformly
maintained, regardless of distance to the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H.
[243] As illustrated in FIG. 13, the cover shelf 27 is disposed below the
exhaust hole
2403H of the dry chamber 24, whereby hot air F upwardly injected through the
plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27 is discharged to the
outside of the
dry chamber 24 through the exhaust hole 2403H. That is, hot air F upwardly
injected
toward laundry from the plurality of through holes 272 of the cover shelf 27
absorbs
moisture included in the laundry and is subsequently discharged outwardly from
the
dry chamber 24 through the exhaust hole 2103H.
[244] Also, because hot air circulating below the cover shelf 27 is
upwardly guided toward
the cover shelf 27 through the first to fourth guide protrusions 2431, 2432,
2433, and
2434, uniform hot air may be upwardly injected through the plurality of
through holes
272 in the entire area of the cover shelf 27.
[245] In FIG. 13, illustration of the second door 23 closing the opening of
the dry chamber
24 is omitted for the purposes of description.
26
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[246] Also, as described above, because the bottom surface 241 of the dry
chamber 24
includes the first sloped part 241c1 upwardly sloped from the lower end of the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H, flow of hot air F introduced to the inner
side of the
cover shelf 24 may be accelerated.
[247] FIG. 14 is a front view of the exhaust duct 26 illustrated in FIG. 5,
FIG. 15 is a side
view of the exhaust duct 26 illustrated in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is a bottom
perspective
view of the dry chamber 24 to which the hot air unit 25 and the exhaust duct
26 il-
lustrated in FIG. 4 are coupled, viewed from a rear side.
[248] Hereinafter, a structure in which hot air discharged from the exhaust
hole 2103H of
the dry chamber 24 is discharged outwardly from the second drying apparatus 20
through the exhaust duct 26 will be described.
[249] The exhaust duct 26, a duct having a flow channel therein, includes a
first opening
2601H connected to the exhaust hole 2403H of the dry chamber 24, a second
opening
2602H disposed to face the first opening 2601H and outwardly discharging hot
air in-
troduced to the first opening 2601H, and a bypass holes 2603H and 2604H formed
on
one side adjacent to the hot air unit 25.
[250] In detail, the exhaust duct 26 includes an upper surface part 261, a
lower surface part
262 disposed on the opposite side of the upper surface part 261, first and
second side
parts 263 and 264 connecting the upper surface part 261 and the lower surface
part 262
to each other from both sides, and a rear surface part 265 disposed to face
the first
opening 2601H and having the second opening 2602H formed therein.
[251] As illustrated in FIG. 14, the first opening 2601H of the exhaust
duct 26 may form a
front surface part facing the rear surface part 265.
[252] As illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, the upper surface part 261 and the
lower surface
part of the exhaust duct 26 may be configured to be reduced in width w from
the first
opening 2601H toward the second opening 2602H, and the lower surface part 262
of
the exhaust duct 26 may be disposed to be downwardly sloped from one end
portion
adjacent to the first opening 2601H toward the other end portion adjacent to
the second
opening 2602H.
[253] Thus, the flow channel toward the second opening 2602H from the first
opening
2601H of the exhaust duct 26 is reduced in width w and increased in height H
from the
first opening 2601H toward the second opening 2602H.
[254] Also, because the first and second side parts 263 and 264 of the
exhaust duct 26
connects a portion of the upper surface part 261 adjacent to the first opening
2601H
and a portion of the lower surface part 262 and the rear surface part 265 is
sloped
toward a front side from both sides of the second opening 2602H, thereby
connecting
another portion of the upper surface part 261 adjacent to the second opening
2602H
and another portion of the lower surface part 262 to each other.
27
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[255] The bypass holes 2603H and 2604H may be formed as a pair on both
sides of the
exhaust duct 26, and the pair of bypass holes 2603H and 2605H may be formed to
be
adjacent to the first opening 2601H between the first and second side parts
263 and
264 and the rear surface part 265.
[256] Also, as described above, the second opening 2602H of the exhaust
duct 26 is
disposed to be adjacent to a central portion of the blow hole 2102H of the
second case
21. Thus, hot air introduced to the inside of the exhaust duct 26 through the
first
opening 2601H may be discharged outwardly from the second drying apparatus 20
through the second opening 2602H.
[257] Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 16, because the pair of bypass
holes 2603H and
2604H are disposed to be adjacent to the first opening 2601H and are
relatively spaced
apart from the second opening 2602H, a partial amount of hot air introduced to
the
inside of the exhaust duct 26 through the first opening 2601H may be
discharged
outwardly from the exhaust duct 26 through the pair of bypass holes 2603H and
2604H.
[258] Because the pair of bypass holes 2603H and 2604H are spaced apart
from the blow
hole 2102H within the second case 21, hot air discharged through the pair of
bypass
holes 2603H and 2604H is discharged to the inside of the second case 21.
[259] As illustrated in FIG. 16, because the hot air unit 25 is disposed
below the exhaust
duct 26, hot air F discharged to the inside of the second case 21 through the
pair of
bypass holes 2603H and 2604H may be introduced to the pair of intakes 2503H
and
2504H of the hot air unit 25.
[260] The pair of bypass holes 2603H and 2604H of the exhaust duct 26 may
be disposed
to be adjacent to the pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H of the hot air unit 25,
and ac-
cordingly, hot air F discharged outwardly from the exhaust duct 26 through the
pair of
bypass holes 2603H and 2604H may easily be introduced to the pair of intakes
2503H
and 2504H of the hot air unit 25.
[261] Thus, a partial amount of hot air F discharged from the exhaust hole
2403H of the
dry chamber 24 and introduced to the first opening 2601H of the exhaust duct
26 may
pass through the blow hole 2102H through the second opening 2602H and is
discharged outwardly, and the other remaining amount of hot air may be
introduced to
the pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H of the hot air unit 25 through the pair of
bypass
holes 2603H and 2604H.
[262] The pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H of the hot air unit 25 intake
ambient air in-
troduced through both end portions of the blow hole 2102H of the second case
21, and
also, re-intake a partial amount of hot air F which has absorbed moisture of
the laundry
through the bypass holes 2603H and 2604H.
[263] Hot air F discharged from the exhaust hole 2403H of the dry chamber
24 has
28
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
increased moisture and lower temperature, compared with hot air discharged
from the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H during a process of drying the laundry.
[264] However, hot air F intaken to the pair of intakes 2503H and 2504H of
the hot air unit
25 through the bypass holes 2603H and 2604H may have a temperature higher than
that of ambient air introduced through both end portions of the blow hole
2102H of the
second case 21.
[265] Thus, because the hot air unit 25 re-absorbs a partial amount of hot
air F which has
finished drying the laundry, through the bypass holes 2603H and 2604H, energy
consumed to generate hot air having a temperature equal to or higher than a
preset tem-
perature through the hot air unit 25 may be reduced.
[266] However, the amount of hot air F re-intaken to the hot air unit 25
through the bypass
holes 2603H and 2604H may be adjusted according to a preset moisture value of
hot
air F discharged to the inner side of the dry chamber 24 through the discharge
holes
2401H and 2402H to easily absorb moisture of the laundry.
[267] FIG. 17 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration in which a
pair of injection
units 29 are coupled to the dry chamber 24 illustrated in FIG. 6.
[268] The pair of injection units 29 injecting hot air toward the inside of
the dry chamber
24 are disposed on both sides of the dry chamber 24. As illustrated in FIG.
17, the pair
of injection units 29 may be disposed on a first side surface 2423 and a
second side
surface 2424, respectively, within the dry chamber 24.
[269] The pair of injection units 29 are disposed to be symmetrical within
the dry chamber
24 and each of the pair of injection units 29 includes a duct part 291
extending in a
discharge direction of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H, i.e., toward the
front side
of the dry chamber 24 from the rear side thereof, and a plurality of injection
nozzles
292 disposed in the duct part 291 in a length direction of the duct part 291.
[270] The pair of injection units 29 may inject hot air toward the inner
side of the dry
chamber 24 from the first and second side surfaces 2423 and 2424 through the
plurality
of injection nozzles 292, and accordingly, hot air may be uniformly injected
in a
horizontal direction of the wet laundry introduced to the inside of the dry
chamber 24.
That is, flow of hot air injected toward the inner side of the dry chamber 24
through the
plurality of injection nozzles 292 may be perpendicular to flow of hot air
injected to
the inner side of the dry chamber 24 through the discharge holes 2401H and
2402H.
[271] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the injection unit 29 illustrated in
FIG. 17.
[272] Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the duct part 291 includes an intake
duct 2911 and an
injection duct 2912 connected to the intake duct 2911.
[273] The intake duct 2911 includes an intake 291H formed at one end
thereof, and the
other end opposing one end of the intake duct 2911 where the intake 291H is
formed is
connected to the injection duct 2912.
29
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[274] Because the intake 291H of the intake duct 2911 is disposed below the
cover shelf
27, a partial amount of hot air discharged to the inner side of the dry
chamber 24
through the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be introduced to the intake
291H
of the intake duct 2911.
[275] The injection duct 2912 connected to the other end of the intake duct
2911 is
disposed above the cover shelf 27 and extends in a discharge direction of the
discharge
holes 2401H and 2402H, i.e., from the rear side of the dry chamber 24 to the
front side
thereof.
[276] As illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18, the intake duct 2911 may be a pipe
extending
vertically from the inside of the dry chamber 24, and the injection duct 2912
may be a
pipe extending in a horizontal direction within the dry chamber 24.
[277] Also, one end portion of the intake duct 2911 where the intake 291H
is formed is
bent to be parallel to the bottom surface 241 of the dry chamber 24, the
intake 291H of
the intake duct 2911 may be disposed to be parallel to the bottom surface 241
of the
dry chamber 24. Accordingly, a partial amount of hot air discharged from the
discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may easily be introduced to the intake 291H of
the
intake duct 2911.
[278] Also, the intake duct 2911 and the injection duct 2912 may be
integrally formed.
[279] FIG. 19 is a perspective view illustrating a modification of the
injection nozzle 292
of the injection unit 29 illustrated in FIG. 18, and FIG. 20 is a cross-
sectional view of
the injection unit 29, taken along line III-III of FIG. 19.
[280] The duct part 291 of the injection unit 29 illustrated in FIGS. 19
and 20 has the same
structure as that of the duct part 291 of the injection unit 29 illustrated in
FIGS. 17 and
18, and thus, a redundant description thereof will be omitted and a
modification of the
injection nozzle 292a will be described.
[281] Referring to FIG. 20, an injection nozzle 292a according to a
modification may be a
venturi tube.
[282] In detail, the injection nozzle 292a includes a first nozzle pipe
292a1 protruding
toward the inside of the dry chamber 24 from the duct part 291 and a second
nozzle
pipe 292a2 coupled to a side surface of the first nozzle pipe 292a1.
[283] As described above, the duct part 291 may include the intake duct
2911 and the
injection duct 2912, and hot air F introduced through the intake 291H of the
intake
duct 2911 may move to the inside of the injection duct 2912 and may be
injected in a
horizontal direction toward the inner side of the dry chamber 24 through the
plurality
of injection nozzles 292a disposed in a length direction of the injection duct
2912.
[284] The first nozzle pipe 292a1 may have a cylindrical shape opened in a
horizontal
direction toward the inner side of the dry chamber 24 and may be configured
such that
a sectional area of a flow channel formed therein is gradually decreased.
30
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[285] In detail, as illustrated in FIG. 20, the first nozzle pipe 292a1
includes a first flow
channel 292a1 1 connected to the injection duct 2922 and a second flow channel
292a12 connected to the first flow channel 292a11 and is connected to an
opening of
the first nozzle pipe 291a1.
[286] A diameter of the first flow channel 292a1 1 may be smaller than a
diameter of a flow
channel within the injection duct 2912. Also, the diameter of the first flow
channel
292a11 is smaller than a diameter of the second flow channel 292a12. Thus,
first hot
air Fl, which has been introduced to the first flow channel 292a11 passing
through the
inside of the injection duct 2912 through the intake 291H of the intake duct
2911, is
increased at rate when passing through the second flow channel 292a12
according to
the Bernoulli's law.
[287] Also, the second nozzle pipe 292a2 having a diameter smaller than
that of the first
flow channel 292a11 is coupled to the side surface of the first nozzle pipe
292a1. The
second nozzle pipe 292a1 is vertically connected to the second flow channel
292a12 of
the first nozzle pipe 292a1, whereby a partial amount of second hot air F2
circulating
on an upper side of the cover shelf 27 may rapidly be introduced to the second
nozzle
pipe 292a2.
[288] Accordingly, a rate at which third hot air F3 injected to the inner
side of the dry
chamber 24 from the first nozzle pipe 292a1 may be increased.
[289] In this manner, because the injection nozzle 292a has the venturi
structure, the rate of
the hot air F3 injected to the inner side of the dry chamber 24 through the
first nozzle
pipe 292a1 may be increased, and because the rate and strength of the hot air
F3
applied to the laundry are increased, drying efficiency of the laundry may be
increased.
[290] Also, the first nozzle pipe 292a1 may include a single flow channel,
and by forming
a sectional area of the single flow channel connected to the inside of the
injection duct
2922 to be increased from one end connected to the injection duct 2922 toward
the
other end adjacent to the opening of the first nozzle pipe 292a 1, a rate of
hot air
injected to the inside of the dry chamber 24 through the first nozzle pipe
292a1 may be
increased.
[291] FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating a modification of the pair
of injection units
29 illustrated in FIG. 17, and FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the injection
unit 29' il-
lustrated in FIG. 21.
[292] Hereinafter, a structure of an injection unit 29' according to a
modification will be
described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. Here, because a partial structure
of the
injection unit 29' illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22 is similar to that of the
injection unit 29
illustrated in FIGS. 18 to 20, a redundant description will be omitted.
[293] As illustrated in FIG. 21, a pair of injection units 29' injecting
hot air toward the
inside of the dry chamber 24 according to a modification are disposed on both
sides of
31
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
the dry chamber 24.
[294] The pair of injection units 29' are disposed to be symmetrical within
the dry chamber
24 and inject hot air in a horizontal direction toward the inner side of the
dry chamber
24 from the first and second side surfaces 2123 and 2124 through the plurality
of
injection nozzles 292' disposed in the length direction of the duct part 291'.
[295] As illustrated in FIG. 22, the injection unit 29' includes a duct
part 291' and a
plurality of injection nozzles 292' coupled to the duct part 291'.
[296] The duct part 291' includes an intake duct 2911' and an injection
duct 2912'
connected to the intake duct 2911'.
[297] An intake 291H' is formed at one end of the intake duct 2911', and
the other end of
the intake duct 2911' opposing the one end where the intake 291H' is formed is
connected to the injection duct 2912'.
[298] The intake 291H' of the intake duct 2911' is disposed below the cover
shelf 27,
whereby a partial amount of hot air F discharged to the inner side of the dry
chamber
24 through the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H may be introduced to the intake
291H' of the intake duct 2911'.
[299] With one end connected to the intake duct 2911', the injection duct
2912' may have a
closed loop shape. Accordingly, hot air F introduced to the intake 291H' of
the intake
duct 2911' may circulate in the flow channel formed within the injection duct
2912'.
[300] In detail, the injection duct 2912' includes first and second
injection ducts 29121' and
29122' branched from the other end of the intake duct 2911'.
[301] The first and second injection ducts 29121' and 29122' may be a pipe
extending in a
discharge direction of the discharge holes 2401H and 2402H, i.e., toward the
front side
of the dry chamber 24 from the rear side thereof, and are disposed to be
parallel to each
other within the dry chamber 24.
[302] Also, a plurality of injection nozzles 292a' may be disposed on the
first and second
injection ducts 29121' and 29122' in a length direction of the first and
second injection
ducts 29121' and 29122'.
[303] Thus, because the plurality of injection nozzles 292a' disposed in
the length direction
of the first injection duct 29121' and the plurality of injection nozzles
292a' disposed in
the length direction of the second injection duct 29122' are disposed to be
parallel to
each other on the first and second side surfaces 2123 and 2124 to inject hot
air F
toward the inner side of the dry chamber 24, an area of the hot air F injected
in a
horizontal direction toward the laundry introduced to the inside of the dry
chamber 24
may be increased.
[304] Also, because the other ends of the first and second injection ducts
29121' and 29122'
opposing the end ends thereof connected to the intake duct 2911' are connected
to each
other, the first and second injection ducts 29121' and 29122' may form a
closed loop.
32
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[305] Accordingly, hot air introduced to the first and second injection
ducts 29121' and
29122' through the intake duct 2911' may be injected through the plurality of
injection
nozzles 292a', while circulating within the first and second injection ducts
29121' and
29122'.
[306] Accordingly, a rate and strength of hot air F injected from the
plurality of injection
nozzles 292a' may be uniform.
[307] Also, it is illustrated that the plurality of injection nozzles 292a'
illustrated in FIG. 22
are venturi tubes having the same structure as that of the injection nozzle
292a il-
lustrated in FIG. 20, as an example, but the plurality of injection nozzles
292a may be
replaced with a general tube or a plurality of injection holes formed in a
length
direction of the injection duct 2912'.
[308] As described above, because the clothing drying apparatus 1 according
to an
exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes the first drying
apparatus 10
and the second drying apparatus 20 independently performing drying on wet
laundry,
the first and second drying apparatuses 10 and 20 may be selectively used
according to
amounts and types of laundry, increasing efficiency of energy used for drying
the
laundry through the clothing drying apparatus 1.
[309] Also, because hot air below the cover shelf 27 is circulated and
upwardly guided
through the plurality of guide protrusions 2431, 2432, 2433, and 2434, the
first guide
member 2441, the pair of second guide members 2442a and 2442b, and the third
guide
member 2443 of the dry chamber 24 of the second drying apparatus 20, uniform
and
strong hot air may be injected to the laundry disposed above the cover shelf
27,
whereby performance of drying the laundry through the second drying apparatus
20
may be enhanced.
[310] Also, water dropped or flowing from the laundry may easily be removed
from the
bottom surface 241 through the sloped part applied to the dry chamber 24, the
first and
second drains 2451 and 2452, and the first and second reservoirs 2461 and
2462.
[311] In addition, because the second drying apparatus 20 further includes
the pair of
injection units 29 disposed on the first and second side surfaces 2423 and
2424 on an
inner side of the dry chamber 24, hot air may be injected in a horizontal
direction
toward the laundry from an upper side of the cover shelf 27, whereby
performance of
drying the laundry may be further increased.
[312] In this manner, although the second drying apparatus 20 is configured
to be compact
and have a small size, compared with the related art drying apparatus,
circulation of
hot air may be increased to effectively dry the laundry introduced thereto.
[313] In addition, as described above, the first drying apparatus 10 of the
clothing drying
apparatus 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may
be
replaced with a washing apparatus having a rotary washing tub.
33
CA 03049388 2019-06-28
WO 2018/124598 PCT/KR2017/015072
[314] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been
individually
described but the exemplary embodiments may not necessarily be implemented
alone
and components and operations of the respective exemplary embodiments may be
combined with at least any other exemplary embodiment so as to be implemented.
[315] Although the exemplary embodiments have been illustrated and
described
hereinabove, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned
specific
exemplary embodiments, but may be variously modified by those skilled in the
art
without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as
disclosed in the
accompanying claims. These modifications should also be understood to fall
within the
scope of the present disclosure.
