Clothes treating apparatus

A clothes treating apparatus includes a reception unit for receiving clothes, a discharge duct for guiding air coming from an interior of the reception unit to the outside, a filter unit including a frame that is detachably inserted into the discharge duct and a filter provided in the for filtering air, and an attachment unit to detachably couple the filter unit to the discharge duct. The attachment unit includes a body provided in the frame and configured to rotate to allow coupling between the filter unit and the discharge duct, and a coupling part located at one side of the body for selectively coupling to the discharge duct through a through hole in the frame. The body defines a body through hole passing through the body, the body through hole being configured to prevent foreign substances from remaining.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0090942 filed Jul. 18, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a clothes treating apparatus.

BACKGROUND

In general, clothes treating apparatuses are home appliances for washing, drying, or in some cases both washing and drying clothes, and include washing machines, dryers, and all-in-one washer/dryers.

Clothes treating apparatuses for drying clothes supply air at a high temperature (e.g. hot air) to the clothes, and may be classified as an exhaust-type clothes treating apparatus or a circulation-type (condensation-type) clothes treating apparatus according to the manner of air flow.

The circulation-type clothes treating apparatus can dehumidify and heat air discharged from a reception unit and then re-supply the air to the reception unit when the air in a reception unit, which holds clothes, is circulated. The exhaust-type clothes treating apparatus can exhaust air discharged from a reception unit to the outside without circulation when heated air is supplied to the reception unit.

In some cases, a clothes treating apparatus for drying clothes may need to remove foreign substances, such as lint, from air discharged from a reception unit.

In the case of a circulation-type clothes treating apparatus, air discharged from a reception unit is dehumidified and heated by a heat exchanger and then the heated air is re-supplied to the reception unit. If foreign substances are not removed from the air discharged from the reception unit, the foreign substances can accumulate in the heat exchanger and lower heat exchange efficiency.

Further, in the case of an exhaust-type clothes treating apparatus, if air in a reception unit is exhausted without filtration, lint or dust included in the exhausted air can be supplied to the home in which the clothes treating apparatus is installed.

Therefore, in a clothes treating apparatus for drying clothes, air discharged from a reception unit is typically filtered.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect, a clothes treating apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive clothes, a discharge duct configured to guide air coming from an interior of the reception unit to an outside of the reception unit, a filter unit including a frame that is configured to be detachably inserted into the discharge duct and a filter provided in the frame that is configured to filter air, and an attachment unit configured to detachably couple the filter unit to the discharge duct. The attachment unit includes a body provided in the frame and configured to rotate to thereby allow coupling between the filter unit and the discharge duct, and a coupling part located at one side of the body and configured to be selectively coupled to the discharge duct through a through hole that is defined in the frame. The body defines a body through hole passing through the body, the body through hole being configured to prevent foreign substances from remaining in a space between the body and the through hole.

Implementations according to this aspect may include one or more of the following features. For example, the attachment unit may further include a rotary shaft configured to rotatably couple the body to the frame, and the body through hole may include at least one of a lower through hole located between the rotary shaft and the coupling part or an upper through hole located between the rotary shaft and a free end of the body opposite the coupling part. The filter unit may further include an elastic support part configured to apply a force to the body so as to maintain the state of the coupling part inserted into the through hole, and a handle configured to apply pressure to the free end of the body so as to withdraw the coupling part from the through hole. The elastic support part may include an elastic body connecting the free end of the body to the handle. The elastic body may define a support part through hole located between the free end of the body and the handle to provide a moving path for foreign substances. The filter unit may further include a handle configured to rotate the free end of the body to withdraw the coupling part from the through hole, and the handle may be fixed to the free end of the body. The body may include a bending part located between the rotary shaft and the handle and may have a concave shape. The frame may include a second through hole located above the through hole to communicate the inside of the frame with the outside of the frame. The filter unit may further include a scraper provided within the frame and configured to reciprocate within the filter unit to thereby separate foreign substances remaining on an interior surface of the filter from the filter. The attachment unit may be located within a rotation region of the scraper. The clothes treating apparatus may further include a shaft passing through the frame, the scraper being fixed to the shaft, a driven gear fixed to the shaft and located externally of the frame, a driving gear located within the discharge duct and configured to couple to and drive the driven gear, and a motor located within the discharge duct and configured to rotate the driving gear.

According to another aspect, a filter assembly for a clothes treating apparatus includes a filter unit including a frame that is configured to be detachably inserted into a discharge duct of the clothes treating apparatus and a filter provided in the frame that is configured to filter air, and an attachment unit configured to detachably couple the filter unit to the discharge duct. The attachment unit includes a body provided in the frame and configured to rotate to thereby allow coupling between the filter unit and the discharge duct, and a coupling part located at one side of the body and configured to be selectively coupled to the discharge duct through a through hole that is defined in the frame. The body defines a body through hole passing through the body, the body through hole being configured to prevent foreign substances from remaining in a space between the body and the through hole.

Implementations according to this aspect may include one or more of the following features. For example, the attachment unit may further include a rotary shaft configured to rotatably couple the body to the frame, and the body through hole may include at least one of a lower through hole located between the rotary shaft and the coupling part or an upper through hole located between the rotary shaft and a free end of the body opposite the coupling part. The filter unit may further include an elastic support part configured to apply a force to the body so as to maintain the state of the coupling part inserted into the through hole, and a handle configured to apply pressure to the free end of the body so as to withdraw the coupling part from the through hole. The elastic support part may include an elastic body connecting the free end of the body to the handle. The elastic body may define a support part through hole located between the free end of the body and the handle to provide a moving path for foreign substances. The filter unit may further include a handle configured to rotate the free end of the body to withdraw the coupling part from the through hole, and the handle may be fixed to the free end of the body. The body may include a bending part located between the rotary shaft and the handle and may have a concave shape. The frame may include a second through hole located above the through hole to communicate the inside of the frame with the outside of the frame. The filter unit may further include a scraper provided within the frame and configured to reciprocate within the filter unit to thereby separate foreign substances remaining on an interior surface of the filter from the filter. The attachment unit may be located within a rotation region of the scraper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. A configuration or control method which will be described below is only to describe implementations of the present application but does not limit the scope of the application. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings.

As exemplarily shown inFIG. 1, a clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application includes a cabinet1, a reception unit3provided within the cabinet1and having a space to receive clothes (e.g., laundry to be washed or laundry to be dried), an air supply unit7to discharge air in the reception unit3to the outside of the reception unit3, and a filter unit9provided within the air supply unit7to filter the air discharged from the reception unit3.

An opening11and a door13to open and close the opening11are provided on the cabinet1, and the inlet911communicates with the reception unit3. Therefore, a user may supply clothes to the reception unit3through the opening11and take clothes within the reception unit3out of the cabinet1.

If the clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application is an apparatus only for drying clothes, the reception unit3may include only a drum31provided within the cabinet1so as to be rotatable.

In such cases, the drum31may have a cylindrical shape, the front and rear surfaces of which are open, and may be supported by a front support unit33and a rear support unit35fixed to the inside of the cabinet1.

The front support unit33may include a drum opening331communicating with the opening11and a front flange333supporting the front surface of the drum31. The rear support unit35may include a communication hole351, through which air is introduced into the drum31, and a rear flange353supporting the rear surface of the drum31.

The drum31supported by the above-described front support unit33and rear support unit35can be rotated using a drum driving unit5, and the drum driving unit5may include a drum motor51and a power transmission unit53to transmit power supplied from the drum motor51to the drum31.FIG. 1exemplarily illustrates the power transmission unit53as including a belt connecting the circumferential surface of the drum31to a rotary shaft of the drum motor51. However, other driving mechanisms and methods may be used.

The air supply unit7for supplying air to the reception unit3may include a discharge duct71to discharge air within the drum31, a supply duct73connected to the communication hole351to supply air to the drum31, and a connection duct75including a heat exchanger77and a fan79.

As exemplarily shown inFIG. 1, if the clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application is a circulation-type clothes treating apparatus, the connection duct75should be provided so as to connect the discharge duct71and the supply duct73to each other.

Here, the fan79can circulate air within the reception unit3along the discharge duct71, the connection duct75and the supply duct73, and the heat exchanger77can dehumidify and heat air introduced into the discharge duct71.

Alternatively, if the clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application is an exhaust-type clothes treating apparatus, the connection duct75may be connected only to the supply duct73and the discharge duct71may guide air discharged from the reception unit3to the outside of the cabinet1.

Therefore, when air is supplied to the inside of the reception unit3by the fan79provided in the connection duct75(if the connection duct75includes the fan79) or when air within the reception unit3is discharged (if the discharge duct71includes a fan), air within the cabinet1is supplied to the reception unit3via the heat exchanger77and the supply duct73and the air supplied to the reception unit3exchanges heat with clothes and is then discharged to the outside of the cabinet1through the discharge duct71.

The filter unit9to filter air discharged from the reception unit3is shown provided within the air supply unit7.

If the clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application is a circulation-type clothes treating apparatus, the filter unit9may be detachably provided in the discharge duct71. If the discharge duct71is located under the opening11, a user may easily mount the filter unit9in the discharge duct71.

However, if the clothes treating apparatus100in accordance with the present application is an exhaust-type clothes treating apparatus, the filter unit9may be detachably provided in the discharge duct71or may be provided in the connection duct75to filter air supplied to the heat exchanger77.

Hereinafter, the filter unit9in accordance with the present application will be described with reference toFIGS. 2A and 2B.

The filter unit9in accordance with the present application may include a frame F inserted into an insertion hole711(with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B) provided on the discharge duct71and a filter93provided in the frame F to filter air introduced into the frame F.

The frame F may include a first frame part91and a second frame part92which are opposite each other and the first frame part91and the second frame part92may be foldable through a frame connection part921. Due to such configuration, a user may remove foreign substances, gathered in the frame F, from the inside of the frame F.

Inlets911through which air discharged from the reception unit3is introduced into the frame F may be provided on the upper surface of the frame F.FIG. 2exemplarily illustrates the inlets911as being formed on the upper surface of the first frame part91.

Therefore, when the filter unit9is inserted into the discharge duct71, the inlets911are located within the insertion hole711of the discharge duct71and, thus, air discharged from the reception unit3may be supplied to the inside of the frame F through the inlets911.

The filter93may include a first filter part931provided on the first frame part91and a second filter part933provided on the second frame part92. The reason why the first filter part931and the second filter part933are disposed opposite each other is to ensure that a sufficient amount of air is filtered by the filter unit9.

In order to increase the amount of air filtered by the filter unit9, the filter93may further include a third filter part935provided on the frame connection part921.

Further, the filter unit9in accordance with the present application may further include a scraper95to separate foreign substances remaining in the filter93from the filter93.

The scraper95may be provided in any shape that allows it to separate foreign substances from the surface of the filter93. For example,FIGS. 2A and 2Billustrate the scraper95as having a bar shape that contacts the surfaces of the first filter part931and the second filter part933.

The scraper95may be provided so as to be rotatable within the frame F, as exemplarily shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B. In such case, the filter unit9may further include a shaft951provided so as to be rotatable within the frame F and configured such that the scraper95is fixed to the shaft951, a driven gear953provided at the outside of the frame F and fixed to the shaft951, and a driving unit97provided on the discharge duct71to rotate the driven gear953.

The driving unit97may include a motor971fixed to the outside of the discharge duct71and a driving gear973located within the discharge duct71and rotated by the motor971. Therefore, the driving gear973and the driven gear953may be connected to each other only if the filter unit9is inserted into the discharge duct71.

Since the driving gear973and the driven gear953are connected to each other or disconnected from each other according to whether or not the filter unit9is inserted into the discharge duct71, the filter unit9may be withdrawn from the discharge duct71while the driving gear973is being rotated. In order to prevent this from happening, a fixing unit99may be provided on the filter unit9to detachably fix the frame F to the discharge duct71.

The fixing unit99may include only an attachment unit C, provided on the frame F to combine the frame R with the discharge duct71, or may include the attachment unit C and a handle H for operating the attachment unit C. Hereinafter, the case in that the fixing unit99includes the attachment unit C and the handle H (refer toFIGS. 3A and 3B) will be described.

The attachment unit C may include a body993, provided within the frame F so as to be rotatable, and a coupling part995protruding from the body993and inserted into a through hole915provided in the frame F, and the handle H may be provided on the frame F so as to be rotatable and apply pressure to the free end993aof the body993(the other end of the body993that is not provided with the coupling part995).

Here, the body993of the attachment unit C is combined with the frame F so as to be rotatable through a rotary shaft994, and the rotary shaft994is supported by a shaft support part913provided on the frame F.

Further, an elastic support part997may be provided on the attachment unit C. The elastic support part997applies pressure the body993so that the state of the coupling part995inserted into the through hole915of the frame F is maintained, as long as no external force is input to the free end993aof the body993(as long as the handle H does not apply pressure to the free end).

FIGS. 3A and 3Bexemplarily illustrate the case in which the elastic support part997is wound on the rotary shaft994such that one end of the elastic support part997contacts the frame F and the other end of the elastic support part997applies pressure to the coupling part995in the direction of the frame F.

The handle H may have any structure which may apply pressure to the free end993aof the body993, andFIG. 3illustrates the handle H as including a handle shaft991to combine the handle H with the frame F so as to be rotatable and a body support part992contacting the free end993aof the body993.

Because the state of the coupling part995of the fixing unit99having the above-described structure, when it is inserted into the through hole915, is maintained by the elastic support part997, the coupling part995is combined with a fastening part713provided on the discharge duct71only when a user inserts the frame F into the discharge duct71. Therefore, withdrawal of the frame F from the discharge duct71may be prevented even if the driving gear973transmits power to the driven gear953by the driving unit97.

Since the rotary shaft994of the filter unit9is located between the coupling part995and the free end993aand the handle H is provided to apply pressure to the free end993alocated above the rotary shaft994of the handle H, when a user rotates the handle H, the coupling part995moves in a direction of being separated from the fastening part713. When the coupling part995is separated from the fastening part713, the user may separate the filter unit9from the discharge duct71.

However, foreign substances may remain in a space between the body993and the through hole915of the above-described filter unit9. The reason for this is that a space between the body993and the frame F is narrow and the elastic support part997is provided at the rotary shaft994connecting the body993to the frame F.

That is, when foreign substances introduced into the space between the body993and the frame F are caught by the elastic support part997, it may be difficult to discharge the foreign substances to the outside of the space formed between the body993and the frame F.

As described above, the scraper95provided within the frame F separates foreign substances remaining on the surface of the filter93from the filter93using power supplied from the driving unit97and moves the separated foreign substances to the bottom surface of the frame F (the surface of the frame F on which the frame connection part921is located). Further, in order to maximize the filtration capacity of the filter unit9, the area of the filter93needs to be maximized and, thus, the attachment unit C may be located within a rotation region of the scraper95. In this case, since foreign substances separated from the filter93by the scraper95pass through the attachment unit C, a possibility of accumulating foreign substances in the space between the body993and the through hole915may be increased.

When foreign substances accumulate in the space between the body993and the through hole915, the attachment unit C may not operate properly. Therefore, the attachment unit C in accordance with the present application may further include a body through hole996passing through the body993.

As exemplarily shown inFIGS. 4A and 4B, the body through hole996passes through the body993and can discharge foreign substances, introduced into the space formed between the body993and the through hole915, to the outside of the space formed between the body993and the through hole915.

The body through hole996may include an upper through hole996alocated above the rotary shaft994, or may include the upper through hole996aand a lower through hole996blocated below the rotary shaft994.

When the body through hole996is formed through the body993, as described above, the scraper95may move foreign substances located in the space between the body993and the through hole915while passing through the body through hole996.

That is, when the scraper95passes by the body through hole996, the scraper95may move foreign substances, located in the space between the body993and the through hole915, to the bottom surface of the frame F through both side surfaces of the body993, and further drop the foreign substances to the bottom surface of the frame F through the body through hole996according to circumstances.

Therefore, the fixing unit99in accordance with this implementation may prevent foreign substances from accumulating in the space between the body993and the through hole915of the attachment unit.

If foreign substances accumulate between the body993and the through hole915in spite of the presence of the body through hole996, the frame F may include a second through hole917located above the through hole915so that a user may remove the foreign substances.

The second through hole917passes through the frame F and, thereby, a user may withdraw foreign substances located between the body993and the through hole915to the outside of the frame F. Further, when a bar is inserted into the second through hole917, the user may move the foreign substances to the inside of the frame F through the body through hole996.

FIGS. 5A and 5Billustrate an attachment unit C in accordance with another implementation of the present application. This implementation is distinguished from the implementation shown inFIGS. 4A and 4Bin terms of the structure of an elastic support part997.

As described above, when the elastic support part997is located on the rotary shaft994of the body993, a possibility of accumulating foreign substances in the space between the body993and the through hole915may be increased. Therefore, in this implementation, accumulation of foreign substances in the space between the body993and the through hole915may be prevented by changing the position of the elastic support part997.

That is, the elastic support part997in accordance with this implementation includes an elastic body connecting the free end993aof the body993to the body support part992of the handle H. The elastic body may be formed of any material (metal, plastic, rubber or the like) which may provide elastic force, to insert the coupling part995into the through hole915, to the body993.

However, the elastic body may include a support part through hole997alocated between the free end993aof the body993and the handle H. This serves to discharge foreign substances through the support part through hole997a.

FIGS. 6A to 6Cillustrate an attachment unit C in accordance with yet another implementation of the present application. The attachment unit C in accordance with this implementation is provided integrally with the handle H.

In this case, the body993may include a bending part999located between the rotary shaft994and the handle H and formed by bending the surface of the body993in a concave shape.

That is, the bending part999may have any shape, as long as the rotating direction of the handle H and the rotating direction of the body993located above the rotary shaft944based on the bending part999, are opposite to each other when the handle H is rotated.

Although the above-described implementations illustrate the clothes treating apparatus100only for drying clothes, the clothes treating apparatus100of the present application may be provided so as to wash clothes as well as dry clothes.

In such case, the reception unit3may include a tube provided within the cabinet1to store washing water and a drum31provided within the tub.

Further, a water supply unit to supply washing water to the tub and a drain unit to discharge washing water stored in the tub to the outside of the cabinet1may be further provided within the cabinet1.

In some cases, the tub includes a tub opening corresponding to the opening11, and the drum31is provided within the tub so as to be rotatable and has cylindrical shape including a drum opening corresponding to the tub opening. However, the front support unit33and the rear support unit35of the clothes treating apparatus100only for drying clothes may be omitted.

The discharge duct71of the air supply unit7may be provided to discharge air within the tub to the outside of the tub, and the supply duct73may be provided to supply air to the inside of the tub. However, the connection duct75may be provided to connect the discharge duct71and the supply duct73to each other, or may be connected only to the supply duct73, according to the drying method. The characteristics of the connection duct75according to the drying method have been described above, and a detailed description thereof will thus be omitted.

As is apparent from the above description, the present application provides a clothes treating apparatus having a filter unit which may remove foreign substances from air discharged from a reception unit to receive clothes.

Further, the present application provides a clothes treating apparatus having a filter unit which may be automatically cleaned to prevent drying efficiency from being reduced.

Moreover, the present application provides a clothes treating apparatus which may prevent foreign substances from accumulating on an attachment unit to fix a filter unit to the inside of the clothes treating apparatus.