Dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765471-B2
Application number	US-201514962324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A dryer includes a cabinet that defines an outer appearance of the dryer and has at least one opening, a main drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet and configured to accommodate an object to be dried, a door portion coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet, and a sub drum rotatably mounted to the door portion and extending toward an inner space of the cabinet. The sub drum defines an accommodation space that is separated from the inner space of the main drum.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dryer comprising:
a cabinet that defines an outer appearance of the dryer and has an opening;
a main drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a door portion coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet, wherein the door portion includes:
a motor coupled to a side of the door portion and configured to generate a rotational force,
a gear unit having a saw teeth shape, the gear unit being connected to an end part of the motor and configured to be rotated by the motor, and
a sub drum rotatably mounted to the door portion and extending toward an inner space of the cabinet, the sub drum defining an accommodation space that is separated from an inner space of the main drum,
wherein the sub drum includes a sub drum gear located at an outer circumferential surface of the sub drum, the sub drum gear being configured to be engaged with and rotated by the gear unit;

a first passage defining a first flow path along which air is discharged out of the main drum;
a second passage defining a second flow path along which air is discharged out of the sub drum;
an exhaustion passage defining an exhaustion flow path where outlets of the first and second flow paths meet; and
a damper unit that is rotatably mounted in the exhaustion flow path, the damper unit being configured to selectively open and close each outlet of the first flow path and the second flow path.

2. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the door portion includes:
a lid member having a front window; and
an accommodation member hinge-coupled to the lid member and defining a space for accommodating the sub drum, the accommodating member being configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet.

3. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the sub drum is configured to be detachably mounted to the lid member and the accommodation member.

4. The dryer of claim 3 , wherein the lid member includes a rotation protrusion protruding toward the inner space of the cabinet, and
wherein the sub drum includes a protrusion accommodation portion that corresponds to the rotation protrusion, the protrusion accommodation portion being configured to rotatably receive the rotation protrusion.

5. The dryer of claim 1 , further comprising
a filter unit disposed at the exhaustion flow path and configured to filter foreign materials from the air discharged out of the first and second flow paths.

6. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the damper unit is configured to open the second flow path based on the object to be dried being accommodated in the main drum, such that an area of air flow is increased compared to the second flow path being closed.

7. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the damper unit is configured to block the first flow path based on the object to be dried being accommodated in only the sub drum.

8. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the cabinet further includes a control panel unit disposed above the opening and configured to be manipulated by a user, and
wherein the control panel unit includes a first dial for setting a drying mode of the main drum, and a second dial for setting a drying mode of the sub drum.

9. The dryer of claim 8 , wherein the first and second dials are configured to be rotatable by a user's manipulation, and wherein the first and second dials are disposed to be concentric with each other.

10. The dryer of claim 8 , wherein the control panel unit further includes:
a first LED configured to be turned on and off in response to an operation of the first dial; and
a second LED configured to be turned on and off in response to an operation of the second dial, and
wherein the first and second LEDs are configured, based on both the first and second dials being set to the drying mode, to be turned on.

11. The dryer of claim 8 , wherein the main drum and the sub drum are configured to be rotatable at different speeds from each other.

12. The dryer of claim 11 , wherein the second dial is configured to control a temperature of air introduced into the sub drum.

13. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the damper unit is configured to block the second flow path based on the object to be dried being accommodated in only the main drum.

14. The dryer of claim 3 , wherein the main drum is configured to receive air to dry the object to be dried, and
wherein a rear surface of the accommodation member defines a plurality of holes, the plurality of holes being configured to allow passage of the air from the main drum to the accommodation member.

15. The dryer of claim 14 , wherein the sub drum defines a plurality of holes that are configured to allow passage of air from the air from the main drum to the sub drum.

16. The dryer of claim 14 , wherein rear or side surfaces of the sub drum defines a plurality of holes that are configured to allow passage of the air from the main drum to the sub drum.

17. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the main drum and the sub drum are configured to be operated simultaneously.

18. The dryer of claim 1 , wherein the main drum and the sub drum are configured to be operated independently from each other.

19. A dryer comprising:
a cabinet that defines an outer appearance of the dryer and has at least one opening;
a main drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet and configured to accommodate an object to be dried;
a door portion coupled to the cabinet and configured to open and close the opening of the cabinet;
a sub drum rotatably mounted to the door portion and extending toward an inner space of the cabinet, the sub drum defining an accommodation space that is separated from the inner space of the main drum;
a main motor configured to generate a rotational power for rotating the main drum; and
a sub motor coupled to a side of the door portion and configured to generate a rotational force for rotating the sub drum.

20. The dryer of claim 19 , further comprising a damper unit configured to selectively open and close one of a first outlet through which air from the main drum is discharged and a second outlet through which air from the sub drum is discharged.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Kim Jongseok
• Park Daeyun
• Ryoo Byeongjo

Classifications

• D06F34/28

  Arrangements for program selection, e.g. control panels therefor; Arrangements for indicating program parameters, e.g. the selected program or its progress · CPC title

• D06F2105/28

  Electric heating · CPC title

• D06F58/04 Primary

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

• D06F2103/36

  Flow or velocity · CPC title

• D06F2101/00

  User input for the control of domestic laundry washing machines, washer-dryers or laundry dryers · CPC title