Laundry machine having a drying function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255353-B2
Application number	US-201414173928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2014
Priority date	May 28, 2009
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry machine having a drying function for drying an object to be dried, especially clothes. In the laundry machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, lint and the like that may be contained in the hot air are removed by the filter, whereby the lint and the like can be prevented from being piled on the duct. Also, the filter is placed in a way that it is exposed into the tub, whereby the filter can be cleaned automatically while it is being driven.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A combo washer dryer, comprising:
a tub to contain wash water,
a drum rotatably installed in the tub; and
a drying duct located above the tub to supply hot air to the tub, wherein the tub includes a hot air outlet integrally formed with the tub, wherein the hot air outlet protrudes upward from a rear circumference of the tub, and a hot air inlet located at a front end of the tub to guide hot air into the tub, and wherein a central longitudinal axis of each of the hot air inlet and the hot air outlet extend at an angle of less than 10 degrees to a vertical line such that hot air advances through the hot air inlet and through the hot air outlet at the angle of less than 10 degrees to the vertical line.

2. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , further including a filter provided along a flow path of hot air passing through the hot air outlet to filter lint from the hot air.

3. The combo washer dryer according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is installed inside of the hot air outlet.

4. The combo washer dryer according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is inserted into and installed in the hot air outlet.

5. The combo washer dryer according to claim 4 , wherein the filter is provided at an inner circumference of the tub.

6. The combo washer dryer according to claim 4 , wherein the filter is provided at an inner circumference of the tub and protrudes toward the drum.

7. The combo washer dryer according to claim 2 , further including a filter housing, in which the filter is mounted, wherein the filter housing is inserted into and installed in the hot air outlet.

8. The combo washer dryer according to claim 7 , wherein the filter housing is removably provided at or in the hot air outlet.

9. The combo washer dryer according to claim 2 , further including a filter cleaning device to supply cleaning water for filter cleaning to the filter.

10. The combo washer dryer according to claim 9 , wherein the filter cleaning device supplies the cleaning water to an outside of the filter.

11. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the drum defines a drying space in which drying is carried out using the hot air and the tub defines a channel along which the hot air supplied from the hot air inlet moves to the hot air outlet and, at the same time, a condensing space in which the hot air is condensed.

12. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air outlet is located at a rear of one side of a central axis of the tub.

13. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , further including a fan installed above the hot air outlet to move the hot air.

14. The combo washer dryer according to claim 13 , wherein a flow path of hot air passing through the hot air inlet and the hot air outlet, and a flow path of hot air moved by the fan extend parallel to each other.

15. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the tub is provided at a front thereof with a rim, to which a front gasket is coupled.

16. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air inlet supplies the hot air into the tub through the front gasket.

17. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air outlet is located at one side of a central axis of the tub above a rear circumference of the tub.

18. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air inlet, the hot air outlet, and the duct are arranged such that hot air supplied through the hot air inlet is circulated via the drum, the tub, the hot air outlet, and the duct.

19. The combo washer dryer according to claim 1 , wherein the hot air outlet is spaced from a perpendicular line passing through a central axis formed in a longitudinal direction of the tub by a predetermined distance.

Assignees

• Kwon Ig Geun
• Hong Sangwook
• Kim Youngsuk
• Seo Hyunseok
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kwon Ig Geun
• Hong Sangwook
• Kim Youngsuk
• Seo Hyunseok

Classifications

• D06F37/267

  Tubs specially adapted for mounting thereto components or devices not provided for in preceding subgroups (D06F37/206 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F25/00 Primary

  Washing machines with receptacles, e.g. perforated, having a rotary movement, e.g. oscillatory movement, the receptacle serving both for washing and for centrifugally separating water from the laundry and having further drying means, e.g. using hot air  (control of washing or of washing and drying D06F33/00, D06F34/00; domestic laundry dryers D06F58/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/04

  Details  (controlling or regulating devices D06F34/00) · CPC title

• D06F58/24

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/22

  Lint collecting arrangements · CPC title