Drying apparatus and washing machine having the same and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657432-B2
Application number	US-201213561764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2012
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A drying apparatus having a structure capable of improving condensation efficiency, and a washing machine having the same. The washing machine including a cabinet, a tub installed inside the cabinet, a drum rotatably installed inside the tub, a condenser duct configured to condense moisture in air introduced from the inside the drum, a drying duct configured to heat the air introduced from the condenser duct and supply the heated air to the inside the drum, and a condensation water storage unit formed at a circumference of the condenser duct to store condensation water that is used to condense the moisture in the air moving inside the condenser duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub installed inside the cabinet;
a drum rotatably installed inside the tub;
a condenser duct connected to the tub and configured to condense air discharged from the tub;
a drying duct connected to the condenser duct and configured to heat the air discharged from the condenser duct and supply the heated air to the inside of the tub; and
a condensation water storage unit having a housing disposed surrounding the condenser duct to form a storage space between an outer circumferential surface of the condenser duct and an inner surface of the housing,
wherein the condensation water storage unit further comprises:
a water supply nozzle disposed at the housing to introduce water from a lower portion of the storage space; and
a communicating hole disposed at the outer circumferential surface of the condenser duct configured to communicate an inside of the condenser duct with the storage space, the communicating hole being positioned at an upper portion of the storage space such that water introduced from the water supply nozzle flows along the outer circumferential surface of the condenser duct and discharges to the inside of the condenser duct.

2. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the condensation water storage unit further comprises a dispersion member that allows the water passed through the communicating hole to be dispersed inside the condenser duct and fall.

3. The washing machine of claim 2 , wherein the dispersion member comprises:
a dispersion board which is provided at a lower portion of the communicating hole and extends from an inner circumferential surface of the condenser duct toward a central direction of the condenser duct, and
a through hole which passes through the dispersion board to drop the condensation water positioned at an upper surface of the dispersion board.

4. The washing machine of claim 1 , wherein the condensation water storage unit further comprises a drain nozzle provided at a lower portion of the housing to drain the condensation water stored in the storage space.

5. The washing machine of claim 4 , wherein the condensation water storage unit further comprises a condensation water drain hose connected between the drain nozzle and the tub, and a condensation water drain valve configured to selectively open/close a passage between the drain nozzle and the tub.

6. A washing machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a tub installed inside the cabinet;
a condenser duct connected to the tub and configured to condense discharged from the tub;
a drying duct connected to the condenser duct and configured to heat the air discharged from the condenser duct;
a draft fan which is positioned between the condenser duct and the drying duct to supply the air heated through the drying duct; and
a condensation water storage unit to cool the air moving inside the condenser duct,
wherein the condensation water storage unit comprises:
a housing surrounding at least a portion of the condenser duct to provide a water storage space between an outer surface of the portion of the condenser duct and an inner surface of the housing;
a water inlet disposed at the housing to introduce water from a lower portion of the water storage space; and
a communicating hole disposed at the outer surface of the condenser duct to communicate an inside of the condenser duct with the water storage space, the communication hole being positioned an upper portion of the water storage space such that the water introduced from the water inlet flows along the outer surface of the condenser duct,

wherein the water discharged from the communication hole flows to the tub through the condenser duct while the air discharge from the tub flows in an opposite direction to a direction of the water flowing through the condenser duct.

7. The washing machine of claim 6 , wherein the condensation water storage unit further comprises:
a dispersion member that allows the condensation water introduced through the communicating hole to be dispersed at the inner side passage and fall,
wherein the dispersion member comprises:
a dispersion board which is extended from one end of the heat exchange unit toward a central direction of the housing, and
a plurality of through holes which passes through the dispersion board to drop the condensation water positioned at an upper surface of the dispersion board.

Assignees

• Bae Seok Keun
• Oak Seong Min
• Chang Phil Soo
• Kang Min Hee
• Seok Hye Joon
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bae Seok Keun
• Oak Seong Min
• Chang Phil Soo
• Kang Min Hee
• Seok Hye Joon

Classifications

• D06F58/24 Primary

  Condensing arrangements · CPC title

• D06F58/28

  Textiles & Paper · mapped topic

• D06F2105/36

  Condensing arrangements, e.g. control of water injection therefor · CPC title

• D06F2105/08

  Draining of washing liquids · CPC title

• D06F2103/52

  related to electric heating means, e.g. temperature or voltage · CPC title