U.S. patent application number 11/060779 was filed with the patent office on 2005-10-20 for drum type washing machine with laundry drying function.
This patent application is currently assigned to LG Electronics Inc.. Invention is credited to Kim, Jae Mun, Kim, Kwang Soo.
Application Number | 20050229650 11/060779 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35094860 |
Filed Date | 2005-10-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050229650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim, Jae Mun ; et
al. |
October 20, 2005 |
Drum type washing machine with laundry drying function
Abstract
Drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function
including a tub for receiving hot air through a front, and
discharging the hot air through a rear, a drum rotatably mounted in
the tub, a drying duct having a heater and a fan mounted therein
for producing hot air, the drying duct being fixedly secured to an
outside of an upper portion of the tub, to serve as a
counterweight, and a condensing duct for removing moisture from the
hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of the rear
of the tub, thereby providing a new flow passage structure for
improving a drying efficiency, and a drying performance, and making
the drying duct to serve as the counterweight that suppress
vibration of the tub, too.
Inventors: |
Kim, Jae Mun; (Jinhae-si,
KR) ; Kim, Kwang Soo; (Changwon-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Assignee: |
LG Electronics Inc.
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
35094860 |
Appl. No.: |
11/060779 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/20 ;
68/23.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 58/02 20130101;
D06F 58/26 20130101; D06F 58/24 20130101; D06F 25/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
068/020 ;
068/023.2 |
International
Class: |
D06F 029/02; D06F
037/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 19, 2004 |
KR |
P2004-26739 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function
comprising: a tub for receiving hot air through a front, and
discharging the hot air through a rear; a drum rotatably mounted in
the tub; a drying duct having a heater and a fan mounted therein
for producing hot air, the drying duct being fixedly secured to an
outside of an upper portion of the tub, to serve as a
counterweight; and a condensing duct for removing moisture from the
hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of the rear
of the tub.
2. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
hot air inlet hole is formed in an upper portion of a front of the
tub, and the hot air outlet hole is formed in the lower portion of
the rear of the tub.
3. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
drum includes hot air pass through holes in a front of the drum for
introduction of the hot air passed through the hot air inlet hole
into an inside of the drum.
4. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
tub is a plastic injection molding.
5. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
drum is formed of stainless steel.
6. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein
the tub includes a plurality of hot air inlet holes and a plurality
of hot air outlet holes, the drying duct connected to the hot air
inlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an
outlet side thereof, and the condensing duct connected to the hot
air outlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an
inlet side thereof, so that the branched outlet side of the drying
duct and branched inlet side of the condensing duct are connected
to the hot air inlet holes in the tub and the hot air outlet holes
in the tub, respectively.
7. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising heat dissipation fins on an upper surface of the drying
duct for preventing the upper surface from overheating.
8. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein
there are a plurality of hot air pass through holes in the front of
the drum arranged in a radial shape.
9. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are arranged in
concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and in a line in
a radial direction.
10. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein
the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are
arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and
in a zigzag shape in a radial direction.
11. A drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function
comprising: a tub of plastic injection molding having a hot air
inlet hole in an upper portion of a front, and a hot air outlet
hole in a lower portion of a rear; a drum of stainless steel
rotatably mounted in the tub, the drum having hot air pass through
holes in a front thereof for introduction of the hot air passed
through the hot air inlet hole in the tub into an inside of the
drum; a counterweight mounted on the tub; a drying duct having a
heater and a fan for producing hot air, the drying duct being
fixedly secured to one side of an outside of an upper portion of
the tub, for serving as a counterweight which suppresses system
vibration together with the counterweight, too; a heater for
producing the hot air, and a fan for forced circulation of the hot
air to a drum side; and a condensing duct for removing moisture
from the hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of
the rear of the tub.
12. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the tub includes a plurality of hot air inlet holes and a plurality
of hot air outlet holes, the drying duct connected to the hot air
inlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an
outlet side thereof, and the condensing duct connected to the hot
air outlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an
inlet side thereof, so that the branched outlet side of the drying
duct and branched inlet side of the condensing duct are connected
to the hot air inlet holes in the tub and the hot air outlet holes
in the tub, respectively.
13. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, further
comprising heat dissipation fins on an upper surface of the drying
duct for preventing the upper surface from overheating.
14. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
there are a plurality of hot air pass through holes in the front of
the drum arranged in a radial shape.
15. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are
arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and
in a line in a radial direction.
16. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are
arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and
in a zigzag shape in a radial direction.
17. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, further
comprising a heat shielding plate between the tub and the drying
duct for preventing transmission of heat from the drying duct to
the tub.
18. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the heat shielding plate is formed of non-combustible steel plate,
or fire retarding plastic.
19. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the counterweight has a position, a shape, and a weight set up,
taking entire system vibration of the drum type washing machine
into account.
20. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein
the counterweight is mounted on the tub in front of the drying
duct, the counterweight having a position, a shape, and a weight
set up, taking a mounting position, a shape, and a weight of the
drying duct into account.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Application
No. P2004-0026739 filed on Apr. 19, 2004, which is hereby
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to drum type washing machines,
and more particularly, to a drum type washing machine with a
laundry drying function, in which a new flow passage structure is
employed for improving a drying efficiency, and a drying
performance.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] In general, the drum type washing machine is an apparatus
for washing laundry by rotating a drum with a driving force of a
motor in a state detergent, washing water, and the laundry are
introduced into the drum. The drum type washing machine has
advantages in that damage to the laundry is small, entangling of
the laundry is small, and a washing effect of pounding and rubbing
can be made.
[0006] A related art drum type washing machine will be described in
detail, with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a side section
of a related art drum type washing machine, schematically.
[0007] Referring to FIG. 1, the related art drum type washing
machine is provided with a cabinet 1 having a front opening for
introduction of laundry, a door 2 mounted at the opening of the
cabinet 1 for opening/closing the opening, a metal tub 3 in the
cabinet 1 for holding washing water, a drum 4 rotatably mounted in
the tub 3, and a motor unit 5 mounted on the tub 3, for providing
driving force to the drum 4.
[0008] The door 2 has a glass 2a projected toward an opening of the
tub 3.
[0009] There are hanging springs 6 between an inside of a top of
the cabinet 1 and a top of an outside circumference of the tub 2,
and, though not shown, there are dampers (not shown) between an
inside of a bottom of the cabinet 1 and an underside of the outside
circumference of the tub 2, for damping vibration of the tub 2
occurred during operation of the drum washing machine.
[0010] As the motor unit 5, an indirect coupling type is used
mostly, in which the driving force is transmitted from a motor 5a
to a washing shaft 5c via a belt 5b for rotating the drum 4.
[0011] In the meantime, there is a drying duct 7 in an upper
portion of an inside of the cabinet 1. The drying duct 7 has a
heater 7b and a fan 7a for producing hot air and forced blowing of
the hot air.
[0012] One end of the drying duct 7 is connected to a gasket 8
connected between a circumference of the front opening of the tub
3, and a circumference of the door at the front of the cabinet
1.
[0013] That is, the gasket 8 is mounted along a front inside
circumference of the tub 3, and has a bellows shape for absorbing
vibration of the tub 3. According to this, leakage of hot air
through a connection of the drying duct 7 and the tub 3 is
prevented.
[0014] The tub 3 has a condensing duct 9 connected to the drying
duct 7. The condensing duct 9 has one end connected to an outside
of the tub 3, and the other end connected to the drying duct 7. The
condensing duct 9 has a water supply device 9a mounted thereon for
supplying cooling water to condense, and remove moisture from
air.
[0015] The drum type washing machine performs a washing cycle, a
rinsing cycle, a spinning cycle, and a drying cycle.
[0016] The drying cycle of the drum type washing machine will be
described.
[0017] Upon starting the drying cycle of the drum type washing
machine, power is applied to the heater 7b on the drying duct 7. As
the fan 7a and the heater 7b are put into operation, the fan 7a
blows hot air.
[0018] The hot air is guided by the drying duct 7, hits a sloped
portion of the door glass 2a, and, therefrom, is introduced into an
inside of the drum 4.
[0019] Then, the hot air heats laundry and vaporizes moisture from
the laundry. In the instance, the drum 4 rotates slowly, to turn
the laundry upside down, so that the laundry is exposed to the hot
air uniformly, to help vaporization of the moisture.
[0020] The moisture vaporized thus is discharged through the
condensing duct 9 carried by the air. In this instance, by spraying
water from the water supply device 9a of the condensing duct 9, the
moisture is removed from the air. The air having the moisture
removed therefrom thus is introduced into the drying duct 7 again,
and turned into hot air by the heater 7b and the fan 7a, and
introduced into the drum 4 again, for performing drying of the
laundry.
[0021] By repeating the foregoing process, the laundry is
dried.
[0022] However, the related art drum type washing machine has
problems in many aspects, such as the related art drum type washing
machine has limitations in drying efficiency and drying performance
because the related art drum type washing machine has a circulating
structure in which the hot air is supplied to the inside of the
drum through the connection portion of the drying duct at one side
of an upper portion of the gasket, and discharged through a side of
a front of the tub again.
[0023] First, because the air is discharged through the side of the
front of the tub in a state the air supplied to the inside of the
drum can not penetrate deep into the inside of the drum yet, drying
of the laundry at the deep inside of the drum has not been
adequate. Therefore, the related art flow passage structure has
disadvantages of dropping the drying efficiency, and the drying
performance.
[0024] Second, the gasket is liable to wear and tear because the
gasket, which moves according to vibration of the tub, is connected
to the drying duct which is fixedly secured, to require an
expensive gasket 8 which has a relatively small thermal
deformation, to increase a production cost.
[0025] The vertical downward discharge of the hot air from the
drying gasket 7 through the gasket causes the problem that the hot
air fails the penetration deep into the inside of the drum, because
the vertical downward direction is away from a direction of the
shaft of the drum, and the hot air hits the door glass to have a
resistance from the door glass. In order to overcome this problem,
a fan with a large capacity is required.
[0026] Moreover, as described before, because the hot air is
introduced into the drum 4 through the drying duct 7, and the
gasket 8, and deflected at the sloped portion of the door glass 2a,
the door 2 is heated, unnecessarily.
[0027] In the meantime, the connection of the drying duct 7 to an
outside circumference of upper side of the gasket 8, making the
gasket 8 asymmetric between an upper side and a lower side of the
gasket 8, causes the gasket to fail in balanced holding of a front
of the tub 3.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a drum
type washing machine with a laundry drying function that
substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and
disadvantages of the related art.
[0029] An object of the present invention is to provide a drum type
washing machine with a laundry drying function, which has a new
improved flow passage structure for improving a drying efficiency
and a drying performance.
[0030] Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum
type washing machine with a laundry drying function, in which a
drying duct is fixedly secured to a tub so that the drying duct
also serves as a balance weight for suppressing vibration of the
tub.
[0031] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be
learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other
advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and
claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0032] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in
accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and
broadly described herein, a drum type washing machine having a
laundry drying function includes a tub for receiving hot air
through a front, and discharging the hot air through a rear, a drum
rotatably mounted in the tub, a drying duct having a heater and a
fan mounted therein for producing hot air, the drying duct being
fixedly secured to an outside of an upper portion of the tub, to
serve as a counterweight, and a condensing duct for removing
moisture from the hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower
portion of the rear of the tub.
[0033] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide
further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principle of the invention. In the drawings;
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates a side section of a related art drum type
washing machine, schematically;
[0036] FIG. 2 illustrates a side section of a drum type washing
machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0037] FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of key parts
of FIG. 2; and
[0038] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate front views showing different
embodiments of arrangements of hot air holes in a front of the drum
in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0039] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0040] FIG. 2 illustrates a side section of a drum type washing
machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded perspective view of key
parts of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate front views showing
different embodiments of arrangements of hot air holes in a front
of the drum in FIG. 2.
[0041] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the drum type washing machine in
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention
includes a tub 20 in a cabinet 10 for holding washing water, having
hot air inlet hole 20a in an upper portion of a front, and hot air
outlet hole 20b in a lower portion of a rear, a drum 30 rotatably
mounted in the tub 20, having a plurality of hot air pass through
holes 30a of a predetermined array in a front, a drying duct 40
fixedly secured to an outside circumference of an upper portion of
the tub 20, having a heater 41 and a fan 42 mounted therein for
producing hot air, and one end connected to the hot air inlet holes
in the tub 20 for supplying the hot air from the drying duct 40 to
the drum 30, and a condensing duct 50 mounted in rear of the tub 20
such that one end thereof is connected to the hot air outlet hole
20b at the lower portion of the rear of the tub 20, and the other
end thereof is connected to the drying duct 40, for removing
moisture from the air discharged from the tub 20.
[0042] It is preferable that the tub 20 is a plastic injection
molding, and the drum 30 is formed of stainless steel.
[0043] The hot air pass through holes 30a in the drum 30 are
arranged in a radial direction, on the whole (see 4A, and 4B).
[0044] In more detail, referring to FIG. 4A, the hot air pass
through holes 30a in the front of the drum 30 are arranged in
concentric circles in a circumferential direction as the holes go
from an inner side to an outer side of the radial direction,
aligned in a line in the radial direction.
[0045] In the meantime, the drying duct 40 is fixedly secured to an
outside of a top side of the tub 20 with fastening members, such as
screws, to serve also as counterweight for suppressing vibration of
the tub, together with a counterweight 70 secured to a front of the
tub, separately.
[0046] In this instance, it is required that a position, a shape, a
weight, and so on of the counterweight 70 are set up, taking
vibration of an entire system of the drum type washing machine into
account. Especially, in the setting up of a position, a shape, a
weight, and so on of the counterweight 70, taking vibration of an
entire system of the drum type washing machine into account, an
optimal position of attachment, weight, and so on can be set up
actually through simulation and actual test.
[0047] Meanwhile, there is a heat shielding plate 43 between the
tub 20 and the drying duct 40 for shielding transmission of heat
from the drying duct 40 to the tub 20.
[0048] That is, the heat shielding plate 43 is fastened to the
outside of the tub 20, and the drying duct 40 is fastened to the
heat shielding plate 43 with fastening members, such as screws, in
a state the heat shielding plate is secured to the tub.
[0049] The heat shielding plate 43 may be formed of a
non-combustible material, such as steel plate, or a plastic that is
fire retardant and has a low thermal conductivity.
[0050] In the meantime, even though it is preferable that the drum
30 is rotated by a direct coupling type outer rotor type motor
including a shaft 61 passed through the tub 20 and coupled to the
drum 30, a rotor 62 coupled to a rear end portion of the shaft 61,
and a stator 63 secured to a rear wall of the tub 20 so as to be
positioned on an inner side of the rotor 62, the rotating system of
the drum 30 is not limited to above.
[0051] There may be heat dissipation means, such as heat
dissipation fins 44, on an upper surface of the drying duct 40 for
increasing a heat dissipation area to prevent the upper surface of
the drying duct from overheating.
[0052] The operation of the drum type washing machine having a
laundry drying function of the present invention will be
described.
[0053] The tub 20 has the hot air inlet hole 20a in the upper
portion of the front of the tub 20, and the hot air outlet hole 20b
in the lower portion of the rear of the tub 20, making the hot air
to flow in a diagonal direction in the tub 30, enabling the hot air
to reach deep into an inside of the drum uniformly throughout the
drum to dry the laundry, uniformly.
[0054] The hot air inlet hole 20a is formed in the upper portion of
the front of the tub 20, and the hot air pass through holes 30a in
the front surface of the drum 30 are arranged in concentric circles
in a circumferential direction, and in the same line drawn outward
from a center of the drum 30 in the radial direction as shown in
FIG. 4A, or in a zigzag form along the radial direction as shown in
FIG. 4B.
[0055] That is, the hot air pass through holes in the front of the
drum 30 are arranged such that a flow passage cross sectional area
is the maximum while strength of the front of the drum 30 is not
impaired.
[0056] The effective arrangement of the hot air pass through holes
30a throughout the entire front surface of the drum 30, such that
the hot air inlet hole 20a and the hot air pass through holes 30a
are in communication even if the drum 30 rotates, enables supply of
the hot air to an inside of the drum 30 smoothly through the hot
air pass through holes 30a in the front of the drum 30.
[0057] In the meantime, the heat shielding plate 43 under the
drying duct 40 shields transmission of heat from the drying duct 40
to the tub 20.
[0058] Along with this, the drying duct 40 fixed to the outside
surface of the tub with the heat shielding plate therebetween
permits to dispense with the gasket at a connection portion of the
drying duct 40 and the tub 20 for absorbing vibration. This is
because the drying duct 40 fixed to the tub 20 moves together with
the tub 20 when the tub 20 vibrates or shakes.
[0059] Of course, it is apparent that a person in this field of art
knows that a sealing member may be mounted at the connection
portion of the drying duct 40 and the tub 20 for preventing heat
from leaking from the drying duct 40.
[0060] In the meantime, as the condensing duct 50 is secured to the
rear of the tub 20 directly too, no gasket is required at a
connection portion of the condensing duct 50 and the tub 20 for
absorbing the vibration.
[0061] A drying process of the drum type washing machine having a
laundry drying function will be described.
[0062] Upon starting the drying cycle of the drum type washing
machine, power is applied both to the heater 41 in the drying duct
40 and the fan 42, to produce hot air.
[0063] The hot air produced thus in the drying duct 40 is
introduced into the drum 30 through the hot air inlet hole 20a in
the front of the tub 20 and the hot air pass through holes 30a in
the front of the drum 30.
[0064] In this instance, because the hot air pass through holes 30a
are arranged throughout the front surface of the drum so as to
maximize the flow passage sectional area while strength of the
front of the drum 30 is not impaired, and to position the hot air
pass through holes 30a opposite to the hot air inlet hole 20a even
if the drum 30 rotates, the hot air introduced into the inside of
the tub 20 through the hot air inlet hole 20a can be introduced
into an inside of the drum 30 directly without going around through
other path.
[0065] Then, the hot air introduced into the drum 30 proceeds
toward the hot air outlet hole 20b in the tub in a diagonal
direction, and absorbs moisture from the laundry, thereby drying
the laundry.
[0066] In this instance, since the drum rotates slowly to turn the
laundry upside down, to expose the laundry to the hot air
uniformly, the laundry drying efficiency is improved.
[0067] By rotating the drum 30 slowly, to turn the laundry upside
down, and, from this state, raising the rotating speed of the drum
30 to a level at which the laundry does not separate from an inside
surface of the drum 30, a time period of contact between the hot
air introduced into the inside of the drum 30 and the laundry can
be increased, adequately.
[0068] In the meantime, the hot air, finishing the drying, is
discharged to the condensing duct 50 without temperature drop in a
state the hot air contains the moisture, wherein, as the condensing
duct 50 is connected to the lower portion of the rear of the tub 20
which is diagonal to the upper portion of the drum 30 into which
the hot air is introduced, the air can be discharged out of the
drum 30 more smoothly through the condensing duct 50.
[0069] That is, because, while the air at the hot air inlet hole in
the front of the tub 20 is light and warm, the air at the hot air
outlet hole 20b in the rear of the tub 20 is relatively heavy and
cold, a flow passage structure of the present invention, in which
the hot air inlet hole 20a is formed in the upper portion of the
front of the tub 20 and the hot air outlet hole 20b is formed in a
lower portion of the rear of the tub 20, meets to a natural air
circulating principle.
[0070] Different from the related art, since the hot air is
discharged in a state the hot air passes through the drum 30
completely, enabling the hot air to reach to the laundry at a deep
place of the drum, the drum type washing machine of the present
invention can improve the drying effect.
[0071] Moreover, the supply of cold water to the condensing duct 50
from the water supply device 51 for the moisture laden air
introduced into the condensing duct 50 from the hot air outlet hole
20b enables removal of the moisture from the moisture laden air in
the condensing duct 50 owing to a condensing action of the cold
water.
[0072] The air dried at the condensing duct 50 is introduced into
the drying duct 40 by the fan 42 in the drying duct 40, heated with
the heater 41 in the drying duct 40, and introduced into the drum
30 by the fan 42, again.
[0073] By repeating above process, the laundry is dried.
[0074] In the meantime, a plurality of hot air inlet holes 20a may
be formed in the front of the tub 20, and a plurality of hot air
outlet holes 20b may be formed in the rear of the tub 20, and, in
correspondence to this change, the drying duct 40 is branched into
a plurality of branches at an outlet side, for connection to the
plurality of hot air inlet holes 20a in the tub, and the condensing
duct 50 is branched into a plurality of branches at an inlet side,
for connection to the plurality of hot air outlet holes 20b in the
tub, for increasing a circulating rate of the hot air.
[0075] In the meantime, referring to FIG. 4B, the hot air pass
through holes 30a in the front of the drum 130 may be arranged to
form concentric circles in a circumferential direction as the hot
air pass through holes 30a go from an inner side to an outer side
in the radial direction, in a zigzag form along the radial line, in
other words, in a continuous arrangement of honeycomb type of hot
air pass through holes 130a as shown in "A" part in FIG. 4B. As
described, this arrangement of the hot air pass through holes 30a
is made for having a greatest flow passage sectional area while
strength of the front of the drum 30 is not impaired.
[0076] As has been described, the drum type washing machine of the
present invention having the laundry drying system with a new flow
passage structure has the following advantages.
[0077] First, the new drying system permits deep penetration of the
air into an inside of the drum to dry all the laundry uniformly, to
improve a drying efficiency, and a drying performance.
[0078] That is, the hot air, produced at the drying duct, is
introduced into an upper portion of the drum, flows in a diagonal
direction, and is discharged through a lower portion of a rear of
the drum. According to this, the hot air penetrates deep into an
inside of the drum, to improve a drying efficiency, and a drying
performance.
[0079] Second, different from the related art drum type washing
machine having a laundry drying function, the connection of the
drying duct to the tub prevents the gasket from wear and tear.
[0080] The exact symmetric structure of the gasket in an upper side
and a lower side enabled by the connection of the drying duct to
the tub permits the gasket to absorb vibration of the tub,
uniformly.
[0081] Next, different from the related art, as the hot air is
introduced into the drum through the tub without passing through
the gasket, the unnecessary heating of the door is prevented.
[0082] Fifth, the securing of the drying duct and the condensing
duct to the tub permits to dispense with a separate gasket at the
connection portion like the related art, and shortens an air flow
passage of the ducts.
[0083] Sixth, the drying duct serves as a counterweight, to improve
a balance of the tub.
[0084] Seventh, the hot air pass through holes are effectively
arranged in the front of the drum taking strength of the drum, and
a flow rate of the hot air introduced into the drum from the drying
duct into account. Therefore, the flow rate of the hot air
introduced into the drum can be maximized while the strength of the
drum is maintained.
[0085] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variations can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *