LAUNDRY DRYER

• US 20100154250A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Bae, Sang Hun, Kim, Dong Hyun, Son, Young Bok, Choi, Chul Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,353,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/549
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/62 related to systems for water or steam used for conditioning or finishing
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/28 Electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/62 Stopping or disabling machine operation
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/26 Heating arrangements, e.g. gas heating equipment D06F58/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/44 of conditioning or finishing, e.g. for smoothing or removing creases

Abstract

The present invention relates to a laundry dryer capable of removing and/or preventing wrinkles of laundry. A laundry dryer includes a drum in which laundry is held, a hot air heater that heats air to supply hot air to the drum, and a water heating part that heats water by using the heat generated at the hot air heater to generate steam.

Claims

1. A laundry dryer comprising:

a drum in which laundry is held;

a hot air heater that heats air to supply hot air to the drum; and

a water heating part that heats water by using the heat generated at the hot air heater to generate steam.

2. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hot air heater comprises,

a heat generating part that generates heat;

and

a housing that holds the heat generating part.

3. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the water heating part is formed in a pipe shape.

4. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the water heating part is adjacent to the housing.

5. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 4, wherein the water heating part is provided at an outer surface of the housing.

6. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a fin provided at the water heating part to enhance heat-exchange efficiency.

7. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the water heating part is provided in front or rear of the housing along a path through which the hot air flows.

8. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a duct that holds the hot air heater and the water heating part.

9. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a fin provided at the water heating part to enhance heat-exchange efficiency.

10. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor provided at a predetermined portion of the water heating part.

11. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 10, wherein an operation of the heat generating part is stopped if a temperature of the water heating part is beyond a predetermined temperature range.

12. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a warning generator that gives a warning to a user if the temperature of the water heating part is beyond the predetermined temperature range.

13. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a damper that selectively prevents the hot air generated at the hot air generator from being supplied to the drum.

14. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 13, wherein the damper is provided at a hot air supply duct that supplies the hot air of the hot air heater to the drum.

15. The laundry dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steam generated at the water heating part is supplied to the drum through a hot air supply duct that supplies the hot air of the hot air heater to the drum.