HEAT PUMP MODULE FOR LAUNDRY TREATMENT DEVICE AND LAUNDRY TREATMENT DEVICE

A heat pump module for a laundry treatment device and the laundry treatment device are provided. The heat pump module includes a base plate, a top cover and a compressor. The base plate has a first side wall and a second side wall adjacent to the first side wall; the top cover defines a mounting chamber together with the base plate; the compressor is located in the mounting chamber; and an extension line of an axis of the compressor intersects with the first side wall and the second side wall separately. For the heat pump module according to the present invention, the extension line of the axis of the compressor intersects with the first side wall and the second side wall, which facilitates the layout of leads and pipes connected with the compressor and the arrangement of other components on the base plate, thereby improving utilization rate of installation space on the base plate and optimizing the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 201610378789.3 and Chinese Patent Application Serial No. 201620519264.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of P. R. China on May 31, 2016, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a technical field of household appliances, and more particularly to a heat pump module for a laundry treatment device and the laundry treatment device.

BACKGROUND

A washer-dryer is an intelligent novel washing machine, provided with an additional drying function based on an automatic washing machine, and thus combining many functions, such as washing, spinning and drying, into a single machine in one. The washer-dryer may have two types, namely, an air-vented washer-dryer and a condensation-based washer-dryer. The air-vented washer-dryer works in such a principle that air is heated by a heater to heat clothes and then becomes wet hot air to be exhausted, thereby carrying away moisture in the clothes in such a circulation and achieving a purpose of drying the clothes. The condensation-based washer-dryer works in such a principle that air enters a drum to heat clothes after heated by a heater, the drum is filled with wet hot air which is condensed into water by a condensation system and then collected in a water storage box, and hence moisture in the clothes is taken away in such a circulation, so as to achieve a purpose of drying the clothes.

A heat pump washer-dryer belongs to the condensation-based washer-dryer, but a heat pump module has layout difficulty due to space limit, a compressor generates vibration and noise in operation, and a service life of components of the heat pump washer-dryer is shortened.

SUMMARY

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the problems existing in the related art. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide a heat pump module for a laundry treatment device that has advantages of simple structure and convenient assembling.

Embodiments of the present invention further provide a laundry treatment device having the heat pump module.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the heat pump module includes: a base plate having a first side wall and a second side wall adjacent to the first side wall; a top cover defining a mounting chamber together with the base plate; and a compressor located in the mounting chamber, in which an extension line of an axis of the compressor intersects with the first side wall and the second side wall separately.

For the heat pump module according to the present invention, the extension line of the axis of the compressor intersects with the first side wall and the second side wall, which facilitates the layout of leads and pipes connected with the compressor and the arrangement of other components on the base plate, thereby improving utilization rate of installation space on the base plate and optimizing the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an included angle α between the axis of the compressor and the first side wall is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 30 degrees.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the included angle α is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 20 degrees.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a starting capacitor of the compressor is located in an area defined by the first side wall, the second side wall and the axis together.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface of the base plate is recessed downwards to form a first receiving groove, and the compressor is embedded in the first receiving groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, part of an outer peripheral wall of the first receiving groove protrudes beyond a lower surface of the base plate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first receiving groove is configured as a semi-circular groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a damping sheath is fitted over the compressor, and at least part of an outer peripheral wall of the damping sheath abuts against an inner peripheral wall of the first receiving groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer peripheral wall of the damping sheath is provided with a plurality of ribs.

The laundry treatment device according to the embodiments of the present invention includes: a housing provided with an opening; a drum assembly disposed in the housing and having an open end opposite the opening; and the heat pump module mentioned above and disposed in the housing.

For the laundry treatment device according to the present invention, the extension line of the axis of the compressor intersects with the first side wall and the second side wall, which facilitates the layout of leads and pipes connected with the compressor and the arrangement of other components on the base plate, thereby improving utilization rate of installation space on the base plate and optimizing the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail and examples of the embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, which are used to illustrate the present invention, but should not be construed to limit the present invention.

In the following, a heat pump module for a laundry treatment device and the laundry treatment device according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 6. It should be noted that the laundry treatment device may be a clothes dryer, a washer-dryer, or a washing machine with a drying function.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 6, the heat pump module according to the embodiments of the present invention includes a base plate1, a top cover and a compressor2.

Specifically, the top cover and the base plate1together define a mounting chamber, and the compressor2is located in the mounting chamber. The base plate1has a first side wall11and a second side wall12adjacent to the first side wall11, and an extension line of an axis of the compressor2intersects with the first side wall11and the second side wall12separately. That is, the compressor2is obliquely mounted onto the base plate1. For example, as shown inFIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 6, the axis of the compressor2, the first side wall11and the second side wall12form a triangle on a horizontal plane. Accordingly, it is possible to facilitate not only the layout of leads and pipes connected with the compressor2but also the arrangement of other components, e.g. a starting capacitor3, on the base plate1, so as to improve utilization rate of installation space on the base plate1and optimize the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

For the heat pump module according to the present invention, the extension line of the axis of the compressor2intersects with the first side wall11and the second side wall12, which facilitates the layout of the leads and the pipes connected with the compressor2and the arrangement of other components on the base plate1, thereby improving utilization rate of the installation space on the base plate1and optimizing the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown inFIGS. 1, 4, 5 and 6, an included angle α between the axis of the compressor2and the first side wall11is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 30 degrees. Through tests, it proves that it is more conductive to the layout of the heat pump module if the included angle α between the axis of the compressor2and the first side wall1is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 30 degrees. Further, when the included angle α is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 20 degrees, the layout scheme of the heat pump module is preferable.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the starting capacitor3of the compressor2is located in an area defined by the first side wall11, the second side wall12and the axis together. Thus, on one hand, a connection distance between the compressor2and the starting capacitor3is shortened, which saves materials; on the other hand, the installation space is saved.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an upper surface of the base plate1is recessed downwards to form a first receiving groove13, and the compressor2is embedded in the first receiving groove13, so as to enhance stability of connecting the compressor2and the base plate1to reduce vibration and noise generated by the compressor2in operation. In some examples of the present invention, the first receiving groove13may be configured as a semi-circular groove, which can further improve stability of assembling the compressor.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, part of an outer peripheral wall of the first receiving groove13protrudes beyond a lower surface of the base plate1, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, so as to shorten a height by which the compressor2protrudes beyond the upper surface of the base plate1. When the heat pump module is assembled to the laundry treatment device, the part of the outer peripheral wall of the first receiving groove13that protrudes beyond the lower surface of the base plate1may be received in inner space of the laundry treatment device, so as to reduce the overall height of the laundry treatment device to make the structure of the laundry treatment device more compact and reasonable, thereby improving appearance aesthetics of the laundry treatment device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a damping sheath21is fitted over the compressor2, and at least part of an outer peripheral wall of the damping sheath21abuts against an inner peripheral wall of the first receiving groove13, so as to absorb the vibration generated by the compressor2in operation and hence lower the noise of the compressor2. As shown inFIG. 3, the outer peripheral wall of the damping sheath21is provided with a plurality of ribs210. Thus, on one hand, the compressor2may be fixed more stably, and on the other hand, the vibration of the compressor2in operation may be damped to prolong the service life of the compressor2.

The heat pump module1according to a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference toFIGS. 1 to 6. It should be appreciated that the following description is only explanatory and should not be construed to limit the present invention.

As shown inFIGS. 1 to 6, the heat pump module includes the base plate1, the top cover and the compressor2.

As shown inFIG. 1, the top cover and the base plate1together define the mounting chamber, and the compressor2is located in the mounting chamber. The base plate1has the first side wall11and the second side wall12adjacent to the first side wall11, and the extension line of the axis of the compressor2intersects with the first side wall11I and the second side wall12separately. The starting capacitor3of the compressor2is located in the area defined by the first side wall11, the second side wall12and the axis together, that is, the compressor2is obliquely mounted in the mounting chamber of the base plate1. Therefore, the layout structure of the heat pump module may be optimized conveniently.

The included angle α between the axis of the compressor2and the first side wall11is greater than 0 degree and equal to or smaller than 30 degrees. Thus, the compressor2forms a triangular corner with the first side wall11and the second side wall12, which provides an installation position for the starting capacitor3of the compressor2.

As shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface of the base plate1is recessed downwards to form the first receiving groove13, and the compressor2is embedded in the first receiving groove13. Part of the outer peripheral wall of the first receiving groove13protrudes beyond the lower surface of the base plate1, and the first receiving groove13is configured as a semi-circular groove, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3. Therefore, on one hand, the compressor2may be fixed stably, and on the other hand, the overall height of the laundry treatment device may be reduced.

The laundry treatment device according to the embodiments of the present invention includes: a housing, a drum assembly, and the heat pump module mentioned in the above embodiments.

Specifically, the housing is provided with an opening; the drum assembly is disposed in the housing and has an open end opposite the opening; and the heat pump module is used for the laundry treatment device and disposed in the housing.

For the laundry treatment device according to the present invention, the extension line of the axis of the compressor2intersects with the first side wall11and the second side wall12, which facilitates the layout of the leads and the pipes connected with the compressor2and the arrangement of the other components on the base plate1, thereby improving utilization rate of installation space on the base plate1and optimizing the layout scheme of the heat pump module.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the opening is provided in a front side of the housing; the drum assembly is disposed in the housing and has a front end configured as the open end; the open end of the drum assembly is opposite the opening; and the heat pump module is disposed in the housing and located at the top of the housing. Preferably, the heat pump module is configured as a top wall of the housing.

In the specification, it is to be understood that terms such as “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “horizontal,” “top,” “Inner,” and “outer” should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present invention be constructed or operated in a particular orientation.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and illustrated, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, alternatives and variants without departing from the principle and spirit of the present invention are acceptable. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims or the like.