Laundry treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184207-B2
Application number	US-201615223259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2016
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes an outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a circulation duct that is configured to guide air circulating through the outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes an exhaust duct that is configured to guide air exhausted from the outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes an air suction duct that is configured to guide air from outside the laundry treatment apparatus into the outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a fan that is configured to circulate air through the outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a heater that is located in the circulation duct and that is configured to heat air entering the outer tub. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a plurality of heat-exchanging tubes. The laundry treatment apparatus further includes a condensed water pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
a cabinet;
an outer tub that is located in the cabinet;
a circulation duct that is configured to guide air circulating through the outer tub;
an exhaust duct that is configured to guide air exhausted from the outer tub;
an air suction duct that is configured to guide air from outside the laundry treatment apparatus into the outer tub;
a fan that is configured to circulate air through the outer tub; a heater that is located in the circulation duct and that is configured to heat air entering the outer tub;
a plurality of heat-exchanging tubes that are located at the exhaust duct and that is configured to allow air to pass through gaps that are defined by the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes that are spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance; and
a condensed water pipe that is configured to guide water that condenses on the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

2. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the air suction duct is configured to guide air into the circulation duct; and
the heater is located between (i) an intersection of the air suction duct and the circulation duct and (ii) the outer tub.

3. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cold air duct that is configured to guide air from outside the laundry treatment apparatus through the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes; and
a cooling fan to move air in the cold air duct.

4. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the cold air duct is configured to guide air into the circulation duct and into a downstream side of the gaps of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

5. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the heater is located between (i) an intersection of the cold air duct and the circulation duct and (ii) the outer tub.

6. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cooling water pipe that is configured to guide water through the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

7. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the condensed water pipe is connected to the cooling water pipe and is configured to guide condensed water to a downstream side of the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

8. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the condensed water pipe is connected to the cooling water pipe and is configured to guide condensed water to an upstream side of the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

9. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a detergent supplier that is configured to supply detergent and water to the outer tub,
wherein the cooling water pipe is configured to guide water to the detergent supplier from a downstream side of the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

10. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a filter that is configured to filter foreign matter from air; and
a filter washing nozzle that is configured remove filtered foreign matter from the filter by providing water to the filter,
wherein the cooling water pipe is configured to guide water from a downstream side of the gaps in the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes to the filter washing nozzle.

11. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detergent supplier that is configured to supply detergent and water to the outer tub,
wherein the condensed water pipe is configured to guide condensed water to the detergent supplier.

12. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter that is configured to filter foreign matter from air; and
a filter washing nozzle that is configured remove filtered foreign matter from the filter by providing water to the filter,
wherein the condensed water pipe is configured to guide condensed water to the filter washing nozzle.

13. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein upstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are coupled together and downstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are coupled together.

14. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes each define a center point and center points of six heat-exchanging tubes define corners of a regular hexagon,
a center point of a seventh heat-exchanging tube is located at a center of the regular hexagon, and
each distance that separates adjacent heat-exchanging tubes of the six and seventh heat-exchanging tubes is a same predetermined distance.

15. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein downstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are sloped towards the exhaust duct.

16. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the condensed water pipe is connected to the downstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

17. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein upstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are sloped towards the exhaust duct.

18. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the condensed water pipe is connected to the upstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes.

19. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the downstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are sloped towards the exhaust duct 90 degrees.

20. The laundry treatment apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the upstream ends of the plurality of heat-exchanging tubes are sloped towards the exhaust duct 90 degrees.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Doohyun
• Han Seungwoo

Classifications

• F28F2009/029

  with increasing or decreasing cross-section, e.g. having conical shape · CPC title

• D06F39/083

  Liquid discharge or recirculation arrangements · CPC title

• F28D21/0014

  the heat being recuperated from waste air or from vapors (for air conditioning F24F12/001) · CPC title

• F28F21/062

  the heat-exchange apparatus employing tubular conduits · CPC title

• F28D7/1653

  the conduit assemblies having a square or rectangular shape · CPC title