HEAT PUMP MODULE AND LAUNDRY TREATMENT DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20100223960A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Dong Won, Yoo, Hea Kyung, KIM, Na Eun
• Granted Patent: US 9,163,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/20
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/42 related to filters or pumps
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 25/00 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 Class Codes: D06F 34/20 Parameters relating to constructional components, e.g. door sensors
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/30 characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/10 Filtering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/206 Heat pump arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/22 Lint collecting arrangements

Abstract

A laundry treatment device is provided. The laundry treatment device includes a dual filter structure which may prevent heat transfer efficiency of a heat pump module from becoming poor due to introduction of lint to an inlet duct. The laundry treatment device may include a cabinet, which may form an exterior of the laundry treatment device, a tub mounted in the cabinet configured to accommodate washing water therein, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub configured to receive laundry therein, a heat pump module mounted under the tub that supplies hot air to the drum and having an inlet duct that receives air from the drum and an outlet duct that discharges the heated air, and a filter module mounted to be accessible through a lower side of a front of the cabinet that filters air received therethrough.

Claims

1. A laundry treatment device, comprising:

a cabinet that forms an exterior of the laundry treatment device;

a tub mounted in the cabinet that accommodates washing water;

a drum rotatably mounted in the tub configured to receive laundry therein;

a heat pump module mounted under the tub that supplies heated air to the drum, the heat pump module having an inlet duct configured to receive air from the drum, and an outlet duct configured to discharge the heated air; and

a filter module mounted to be accessible through a lower side of a front of the cabinet that filters air, wherein the filter module has a receiving space configured to receive foreign matter that falls down from the inlet duct.

2. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receiving space has an inlet portion and an outlet portion with shapes corresponding to a shape of a lower side of the inlet duct.

3. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter module includes:

a filter member that filters foreign matter; and

a filter guide member that detachably supports the filter member.

4. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filter member includes:

a first filter that filters lint produced from the laundry and foreign matter; and

a second filter that filters particles relatively smaller than that filtered by the first filter.

5. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the filter guide member includes:

a supporting member coupled to the inlet duct; and

a filter sliding member disposed in the supporting member so as to be detachably coupled to an inside of a lower side of the inlet duct with one end exposed from the second cabinet.

6. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the inlet duct has a receiving space having one lower side opening configured to receive the filter sliding member therein.

7. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the filter sliding member includes:

a hand grip portion exposed outside of the second cabinet;

a connection portion attached to the hand grip portion; and

a filter supporting portion attached to the connection portion and configured to receive the first filter detachably coupled thereto.

8. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the hand grip portion, the connection portion, and the filter supporting portion are formed as one body.

9. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connection portion has a length corresponding to a length of the supporting member.

10. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the filter sliding member further includes:

a sealing member provided between the hand grip portion and the connection portion to seal a space between the hand grip portion and the supporting portion in a state in which the filter guiding member is mounted to the heat pump module.

11. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second filter is mounted to an air outlet side of the inlet duct.

12. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first filter is slidably mounted to a side of the filter supporting portion facing the second filter in a state in which the filter guiding member is mounted to the heat pump module.

13. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the filter supporting portion comprises the receiving space configured to receive foreign matter that falls down from the inlet duct.

14. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the receiving space has an inlet portion and an outlet portion with shapes corresponding to a shape of a lower side of the inlet duct.

15. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the filter supporting portion is closely fastened to the inlet duct, such that no foreign matter escapes through a gap to an open portion of the inlet duct.

16. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the supporting member includes at least one fastening hook, and the inlet duct includes a hook hole configured to receive the fastening hook therein.

17. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the inlet duct further includes at least one holding projection having a predetermined elasticity that projects from an inside bottom surface thereof, and wherein the connection portion further includes at least one holding recess configured to hold the at least one holding projection in a state in which the filter supporting portion is placed in the inlet duct.

18. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the filter guiding member further includes a sensor that senses whether the filter supporting portion is coupled to a coupling position at an inside of the inlet duct.

19. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the coupling of the filter supporting portion to the coupling position at the inside of the inlet duct is displayed on a control panel or announced with an alarm.

20. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cabinet comprises a first cabinet and a second cabinet and the control panel comprises at least one of a main control panel provided on the first cabinet or a sub-control panel provided on the second cabinet.

21. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the alarm is provided from a voice output device provided on the main control panel or the sub-control panel.

22. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cabinet comprises a first cabinet and a second cabinet.

23. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the tub and drum are mounted in the first cabinet and the heat pump module and the filter module are mounted in the second cabinet.

24. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second cabinet is detachably coupled to the first cabinet.

25. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second cabinet is disposed below the first cabinet.

26. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second cabinet is in the form of a drawer.

27. A laundry treatment device, comprising:

a cabinet which forms an exterior of the laundry treatment device;

a tub mounted in the cabinet that accommodates washing water therein;

a drum rotatably mounted in the tub configured to receive laundry therein;

a heat pump module mounted under the tub that supplies heated air to the drum, the heat pump module having an inlet duct configured to receive air from the drum, and an outlet duct that discharges the heated air; and

a filter module that filters air received through the inlet duct to capture foreign matters, wherein the filter module is disposed at a rear portion of the laundry treatment device, but is accessible by a user from a front portion of the laundry treatment device.

28. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the filter module has a receiving space configured to receive foreign matter that falls down from the inlet duct.

29. The device as claimed in claim 27, wherein the receiving space has an inlet portion and an outlet portion with shapes corresponding to a shape of a lower side of the inlet duct.

30. A laundry treatment device, comprising:

a cabinet which forms an exterior of the laundry treatment device;

a tub mounted in the cabinet that accommodates washing water therein;

a drum rotatably mounted in the tub configured to receive laundry therein;

a heat pump module mounted under the tub that supplies heated air to the drum, the heat pump module having an inlet duct configured to receive air from the drum, and an outlet duct that discharges the heated air; and

a filter module that filters air received through the inlet duct to capture foreign matters, wherein the filter module is slidably accessible from a front portion of the laundry treatment device.

31. The laundry treatment device as claimed in claim 30, wherein the filter module has a receiving space configured to receive foreign matter that falls down from the inlet duct.

32. The device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the receiving space has an inlet portion and an outlet portion with shapes corresponding to a shape of a lower side of the inlet duct.