Abstract:
The present invention relates to a laundry device, and more particular, to a new type of laundry device provided with a washing machine and cabinet dryer as one body for reducing production cost, which can gain suitable output for an operation of each cycle by varying a structure of a drying heater as well as can perform a washing and drying cycle simultaneously.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos. P2004-116154 and P2004-116159, filed on Dec. 30, 2004, both of which are 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 a laundry device, and more particularly, to a new type of laundry device provided with a washing machine and a cabinet dryer as one body for reducing production cost, which can gain suitable output for an operation of each cycle by varying a structure of a drying heater as well as can perform a washing and drying cycle simultaneously.  
         [0004]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In general, laundry devices including washing machines and dryers are electric home appliances which can wash or dry cloth items, cloths and beddings (hereinafter, ‘the laundry’).  
         [0006]     A dryer of the laundry devices used in a house usually dries a small amount of the laundry.  
         [0007]     That is, the dryer receives the laundry washed by the washing machine, and dries the laundry by supplying hot air.  
         [0008]     However, the related art dryer has a problem that drying for a tangled portion of the laundry is not dried smoothly, because the drying cycle is in process in a state of the laundry being introduced together at one time.  
         [0009]     There is another problem that it is impossible to keep the laundry for a long period of time in the related art dryer.  
         [0010]     Thus, recently demands have been increasing accordingly for a new type of a dryer having a drying capacity thereof enlarged as well as capable of keeping the laundry for a long period of time. There are various kinds of combination dryers provided with tumble dryers and auxiliary cabinet dryers therewith, for example, US Laid-open patent Application No. 2004-0194339 A1 or US Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-0154194 A1.  
         [0011]     The above combination dryer allows a cabinet dryer provided on a top of a conventional dryer having a rotatory drum.  
         [0012]     The cabinet dryer has space for the laundry and receives hot air used to dry or keep the laundry for a long time.  
         [0013]     However, the combination dryer described above has an inconvenience that it performs only a drying cycle and keeping of the laundry, not a washing cycle.  
         [0014]     That is, since an auxiliary washing machine should be provided for washing the laundry, a user should purchase a washing machine and a combination dryer separately. Thus, it is difficult to secure an installation space, and production cost may rise due to overlapping of some configurations.  
         [0015]     Also, since the related art combination dryer has only one drying heater for generating hot air, and the output of a drying heater needed for operating a tumble dryer and the output needed for operating a cabinet dryer are the same, there may be a problem of unnecessary electric consumption.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry device and a method thereof that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0017]     An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry device and a method thereof combining a washing machine and a cabinet dryer as one body, which can gain suitable output for an operation of each cycle by varying a structure of a drying heater as well as can perform a washing and drying cycle simultaneously.  
         [0018]     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.  
         [0019]     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.  
         [0020]     To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a laundry device comprising a washing machine with a drying function comprising a drum, a hot air supplying pipe for guiding hot air inflow into the drum and more than two drying heaters provided within the hot air supplying pipe for heating flowing air; a cabinet dryer mounted on a top of the washing machine with a drying function having a connecting pipe connected with the hot air supplying pipe for drying the laundry therein by receiving air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe; and a controller provided in at least one of the washing machine and the cabinet dryer for controlling the washing machine with a drying function and the cabinet dryer.  
         [0021]     At that time, the drying heaters of the washing machine with a drying function are two and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power or a different output capacity of power are paralleled.  
         [0022]     Also, the drying heaters of the washing machine with a drying function are two, and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power or having a different output capacity of power are connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0023]     Furthermore, the drying heaters of the washing machine with a drying function are three, and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power are connected so as to adjust linear output and the other drying heater parallels the two drying heater.  
         [0024]     A method of the above laundry device comprising steps of receiving a user&#39;s request for a drying cycle; identifying if an operation object is a washing machine with a drying function and/or a cabinet dryer; and controlling more than two drying heaters to selectively radiate heat based on the identified operation object.  
         [0025]     At that time, all of the drying heaters are controlled to be on in case that the operation object is identified as a washing machine with a drying function, and one of the drying heaters is controlled to be on in case that the operation object is identified as a cabinet dryer, and all of the drying heaters is controlled to be on in case that the operation object is identified as both of the washing machine with a drying function and the cabinet dryer.  
         [0026]     In another aspect of the present invention, a laundry device comprising: a drum washing machine only for washing the laundry; a cabinet dryer mounted on a top of the drum washing machine for drying the laundry, the cabinet dryer comprising a keeping part for keeping the laundry therein, a hot air supplying pipe for guiding hot air inflow, more than two drying heaters provided within the hot air supplying pipe for forcibly ventilating air; and a controller provided in at least one of the washing machine and the cabinet dryer for controlling the drum washing machine and the cabinet dryer.  
         [0027]     At that time, the drying heaters of the cabinet dryer are two and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power or a different output of power are paralleled.  
         [0028]     Also, the drying heaters of the cabinet dryer are two, and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power or a different output of power are connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0029]     Furthermore, the drying heaters of the cabinet dryer are three, and the two drying heaters having the same output capacity of power are connected so as to adjust linear output and the other drying heater parallels the two drying heater.  
         [0030]     A method of the above laundry device comprising steps of receiving a user&#39;s request for a cycle of a cabinet dryer; identifying if a kind of operation is one of a drying, laundry-keeping and a refreshing cycle; and controlling more than two drying heaters to selectively radiate heat based on the identified kind of the operation.  
         [0031]     At that time, all of the drying heaters are controlled to be on in case that the kind of the operation is identified as a drying cycle, and one of the drying heaters is controlled to be on in case that the kind of the operation is identified as a laundry-keeping cycle.  
         [0032]     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  
       [0033]     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:  
         [0034]      FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating an exterior of a laundry device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0035]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram schematically illustrating the laundry device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0036]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart schematically illustrating a controlling process of the laundry device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0038]      FIG. 5  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0039]      FIG. 6  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0040]      FIG. 7  is a diagram schematically illustrating an exterior of a laundry device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0041]      FIG. 8  is a block diagram schematically illustrating the laundry device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0042]      FIG. 9  is a flow chart schematically illustrating a controlling process of the laundry device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0043]      FIG. 10  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0044]      FIG. 11  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0045]      FIG. 12  is a block view illustrating a laundry device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0046]     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.  
         [0047]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a laundry device according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a washing machine with a drying function  100 , a cabinet dryer  200 , and a controller  300 .  
         [0048]     The washing machine with a drying function  100  performs a washing and drying cycle, and includes a tub  110 , a drum  120 , a hot air supplying pipe  130 , a drying heater  141  and  142  and a fan  150 .  
         [0049]     The drum  120  is mounted within the tub  110  and capable of rotating and agitating for having a washing and drying cycle performed therein in a state of the laundry being loaded.  
         [0050]     Also, the hot air supplying pipe  130  is a pipe guiding high temperature hot air into the drum  120 . The hot air supplying pipe  130  receives air within the tub  110  and circulates the air to re-supply it into the tub  110 .  
         [0051]     The drying heater  141  and  142  is provided within the hot air supplying pipe  130  for heating air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe  130 .  
         [0052]     The drying heaters  141  and  142  are two, and the drying heaters having the same output capacity of power are paralleled each other.  
         [0053]     For example, each drying heater has an output of 2700-watt. Also, the drying heaters are paralleled each other to have an output of 5400-watt at most.  
         [0054]     Alternatively, the drying heaters  141  and  142  may be two, and may be paralleled each other to have a different output capacity.  
         [0055]     For example, one drying heater  141  may have an output of 3000-watt and the other drying heater  142  may have an output of 2400-watt, thereby having the maximum output of 5400-watt.  
         [0056]     The fan  150  is provided within the hot air supplying pipe  130  for forcibly ventilating air.  
         [0057]     The cabinet dryer  200  having a keeping part  220  for keeping the laundry therein is mounted on a top of the washing machine with a drying function  100 .  
         [0058]     The cabinet dryer  200  includes a hot air inlet pipe  241  and an air outlet pipe  242 .  
         [0059]     The hot air inlet pipe  241  receives hot air flowing in the hot air supplying pipe  130  and guides the hot air into the keeping part  220 . A first end of the hot air inlet pipe  241  is connectedly in communication with the keeping part  220 , and a second thereof is connectedly in communication with the hot air supplying pipe  130 .  
         [0060]     At that time, preferably, an air channel valve  180  is further provided at a connecting portion between the hot air inlet pipe  241  and the hot air supplying pipe  130  for selectively changing a supplying direction of hot air.  
         [0061]     The air channel valve  180  may be a 3-way valve selectively opening or closing a branched portion between the hot air supplying pipe  130  and the hot air inlet pipe  241 .  
         [0062]     Also, the hot air outlet pipe  242  supplies humid air having flown within the keeping part  220  into the hot air supplying pipe  130  an air inlet of the hot air outlet pipe  242  is in communication with the keeping part  220 , and an air outlet of the hot air outlet pipe  242  is in communication with the hot air supplying pipe  130 .  
         [0063]     The controller  300  controls the operations of the washing machine with a drying function  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0064]     The controller  300  may be provided in at least one of the washing machine with a drying function  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , but preferably provided only in the washing machine with a drying function  100  as described in the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0065]     Referring to a flow chart of  FIG. 3 , a controlling process of a laundry device operation according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0066]     First, a controller  300  consistently receives a request for a drying cycle by a user (S 110 ).  
         [0067]     Once the user selects a washing cycle, a general washing cycle using a washing machine with a drying function  100  is performed.  
         [0068]     Whereas, once a drying cycle is selected, the controller  300  identifies an operation object for the drying cycle selected by the user (S 120 ).  
         [0069]     At that time, the operation object is a washing machine with a drying function  100  and/or a cabinet dryer.  
         [0070]     Hence, the controller  300  controls an air channel valve  180  to supply hot air only into the identified operation object (S 131 ,  132  and  133 ).  
         [0071]     Hence, the controller  300  controls a pair of drying heater  141  and  142  to generate hot air.  
         [0072]     Especially, the pair of the drying heaters  141  and  142  is controlled to radiate heat differently based on the operation object.  
         [0073]     For example, once the operation object is identified as the washing machine with a drying function  100  or as a simultaneous operation of the washing machine with a drying function  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , the controller  300  controls the pair of the drying heaters  141  and  142  to be on (S 141 ) for gaining the maximum output of 5400-watt. Thereby, a smooth drying cycle is possible.  
         [0074]     In case that the operation object is identified as the cabinet dryer  200 , only one drying heater  141  is controlled to be on (S 142 ) for gaining a relatively small output of 2700-watt.  
         [0075]     That is why the operation of the cabinet dryer  200  is not for an actual drying cycle, but for a refreshing or a laundry keeping. That is, only one drying heater is on, because the operation temperature may be lower than the operation temperature for drying the laundry.  
         [0076]     Also, as described above, due to the selective radiation of each drying heater  141  and  142 , the temperature within the hot air supplying pipe  130  maintains high.  
         [0077]     At that time, since the fan  150  drives, air within the hot air supplying pipe  130  is forcibly ventilated.  
         [0078]     The hot air changed hot by the drying heaters  141  and  142  is flown along the hot air supplying pipe  130  to be consistently supplied into the washing machine with a drying function  100  and/or the cabinet dryer  200 . Thereby, the laundry within the washing machine with a drying function  100  and/or the cabinet dryer  200  is dried.  
         [0079]     On the other hand, the drying heaters  141  and  142  of the drying device according to each embodiment of the present invention are not defined only to be paralleled two structures.  
         [0080]     That is, the drying heaters  141  and  142  are configured to be two. The two drying heaters  141  and  142  have the same output capacity of power and may be connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0081]     That is possible, because the drying heaters  141  and  142  are paralleled and a tap  145  is provided at a connecting portion between the two drying heaters  141  and  142  as well as an output end of the drying heater  142  provided in rear, as shown in  FIG. 4  illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0082]     Power is selectively supplied to one drying heater  141  or both of the drying heaters  141  and  142  by the tap  145  to enable linear output adjusted.  
         [0083]     Reference numbers  21  and  22  not described are relays, and a reference number  23  is an electric power source.  
         [0084]     Alternatively, each drying heater  141  and  142  may have a different output capacity and may be connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0085]     For example, as shown in  FIG. 5  illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention, one drying heater  141  has an output of 3000-watt and the other drying heater  142  has an output of 2400-watt.  
         [0086]     Preferably, the drying heater  142  having the output of 3000-watt is connected with a power-applying end.  
         [0087]     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0088]     According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, three drying heaters  141 ,  142  and  143  are provided. The two of the drying heaters  141  and  142  (hereinafter, referred to as a first drying heater and a second drying heater) are connected so as to adjust linear output. The other drying heater  143  (hereinafter referred to as a third drying heater) parallels the first and second drying heater  141  and  142 .  
         [0089]     The first drying heater  141  and the second drying heater  142  may be formed to have the same output capacity of power or to have different output capacity of power.  
         [0090]     Preferably, the entire output capacity of the first and second drying heater  141  and  142  is the same as that of the third drying heater  143 .  
         [0091]     As described before, the operation process of the drying device through controlling the drying heater according to the second to fourth embodiments of the present invention is the same as the operation process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0092]     On the other hand,  FIGS. 7 and 8  illustrate a laundry device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0093]     The laundry device according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention includes a drum washing machine  400 , a cabinet dryer  500  and a controller  600 .  
         [0094]     The drum washing machine  400  performs only a washing cycle, and includes a drum  420  capable of rotating and agitating.  
         [0095]     The cabinet dryer  500  according to the present invention is configured to have space for keeping the laundry for drying the laundry. The cabinet dryer  500  is mounted on a top of the drum washing machine  400   
         [0096]     The cabinet dryer  500  includes a body  510 , a keeping part  520 , an opening/closing door  530 , a hot air supplying pipe  540 , drying heaters  551  and  552  and a fan  560   
         [0097]     The body  510  defines an exterior of the cabinet dryer  500 , and is formed in a cabinet shape having a front thereof opened.  
         [0098]     Also, the keeping part  520  is provided within the body  510 , and includes a plurality of racks  521  and a bar  522 .  
         [0099]     At that time, each rack  521  is detachable from the body  510 , and formed for holding various kinds of the laundries thereon. The bar  522  is coupled along a front and a rear of a first side of upper space within the body  510 .  
         [0100]     The opening/closing door  530  is provided in front of the body  510  for opening/closing the opened front of the body  510 .  
         [0101]     The hot air supplying pipe  540  is an air passage for guiding high temperature hot air. A first end of the hot air supplying pipe  540  is formed in communication with an outside of the cabinet dryer  500 (an outside of the body  510 ) for drawing external air, and a second end thereof is formed in communication with an inside of the body  510 .  
         [0102]     At that time, the body  510  further includes a discharging part  511 . Preferably, the discharging part  511  is an opening in communication with a room for discharging humid air to an outside of the body  510 , and an auxiliary exhausting fan (not shown) may be provided in the discharging part  511 .  
         [0103]     The hot air supplying pipe  540  is provided along upper space of the cabinet dryer  500 . Alternatively, the hot air supplying pipe  540  may be provided in downside space within the body  510  or side space within the body  510 .  
         [0104]     According to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, the hot air supplying pipe  540  is provided along an upper space of the cabinet dryer  500 .  
         [0105]     Also, the drying heaters  551  and  552  are provided within the hot air supplying pipe  540 , and heat air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe  540 .  
         [0106]     The drying heaters  551  and  552  are two, and the drying heaters  551  and  552  having the same output capacity of power are paralleled each other.  
         [0107]     For example, each drying heater has an output of 2700-watt. Also, the drying heaters are paralleled each other to have an output of 5400-watt at most.  
         [0108]     Alternatively, the drying heaters  551  and  552  may be two, and may be paralleled each other to have a different output capacity.  
         [0109]     For example, one drying heater  551  may have an output of 3000-watt and the other drying heater  552  may have an output of 2400-watt, thereby having the maximum output of 5400-watt.  
         [0110]     The fan  560  is provided within the hot air supplying pipe  540  for forcibly ventilating air.  
         [0111]     According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, a connecting pipe  430  is further provided in the drum washing machine  400 , which is connected with the hot air supplying pipe  540  of the cabinet dryer  500  for supplying hot air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe  540  into the drum washing machine  400  as well.  
         [0112]     At that time, the hot air is supplied into the drum washing machine  400  while performing a washing cycle for separating dirt from the laundry more smoothly.  
         [0113]     The controller  600  controls operations of the drum washing machine  400  and the cabinet dryer  500 .  
         [0114]     The controller  600  may be provided in at least one of the drum washing machine  400  and the cabinet dryer  500 , but preferably provided only in the drum washing machine  400  as described in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0115]     Referring to a flow chart of  FIG. 9 , a controlling process of a laundry device operation according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0116]     First, a controller  600  consistently receives a request for a drying cycle of a cabinet dryer  500  by a user (S 210 ).  
         [0117]     Once the user selects a washing cycle of a drum washing machine  400 , a general washing cycle using the drum washing machine  400  is performed.  
         [0118]     Whereas, once a drying cycle of the cabinet dryer  500  is selected, the controller  600  identifies a kind of an operation for the drying cycle selected by the user (S 220 ). That is, it is identified if one of cycles using the cabinet dryer  500  is selected.  
         [0119]     At that time, the kinds of cycles using the cabinet dryer  500  include at least one of a drying cycle, a laundry-keeping cycle and a refreshing cycle.  
         [0120]     Hence, once the kind of the operation is identified by the series of the processed described above, the controller  600  controls the pair of the drying heaters  551  and  552  to radiate heat differently based on the identified kind of the operation.  
         [0121]     For example, once the kind of the operation is identified as a drying cycle, the controller  600  controls the pair of the drying heaters  551  and  552  to be on (S 231 ) for gaining the maximum output of 5400-watt. Thereby, a smooth drying cycle is possible.  
         [0122]     In case that the kind of the operation is identified as a laundry-keeping cycle, only one drying heater  551  is controlled to be on (S 232 ) for gaining a relatively small output of 2700-watt.  
         [0123]     The maximum power of each drying heater  551  and  552  does not need outputting, because the operation temperature of the laundry-keeping cycle may be lower than the operation temperature for drying the laundry.  
         [0124]     Also, as described above, due to the selective radiation of each drying heater  551  and  552 , the temperature within the hot air supplying pipe  540  maintains high.  
         [0125]     At that time, since the fan  560  drives, air within the hot air supplying pipe  540  is forcibly ventilated. The hot air changed hot by the drying heaters  551  and  552  is flown along the hot air supplying pipe  540  to be consistently supplied into the cabinet dryer  500 . Thereby, the laundry within the cabinet dryer  500  may be dried and/or kept safely.  
         [0126]     On the other hand, the drying heaters  551  and  552  of the drying device according to each embodiment of the present invention are not defined only to be paralleled two structures.  
         [0127]     That is, the drying heaters  551  and  552  are configured to be two. The two drying heaters  551  and  552  may have the same output capacity of power and may be connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0128]     That is possible, because the drying heaters  551  and  552  are paralleled and a tap  555  is provided at a connecting portion between the two drying heaters  551  and  552 , as well as at an output end of the drying heater  552  provided in rear, as shown in  FIG. 10  illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0129]     Power is selectively supplied to one drying heater  551  or both of the drying heaters  551  and  552  by the tap  555  to enable linear output adjusted.  
         [0130]     Reference numbers  21  and  22  not described are relays, and a reference number  23  is an electric power source.  
         [0131]     Alternatively, each drying heater  551  and  552  may have a different output capacity and may be connected so as to adjust linear output.  
         [0132]     For example, as shown in  FIG. 11  illustrating a seventh embodiment of the present invention, one drying heater  551  has an output of 3000-watt and the other drying heater  552  has an output of 2400-watt.  
         [0133]     Preferably, the drying heater  552  having the output of 3000-watt is connected with a power-applying end.  
         [0134]     Referring to  FIG. 12 , a eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0135]     According to the eighth embodiment of the present invention, three drying heaters  551 ,  552  and  553  are provided. The two of the drying heaters  551  and  552  (hereinafter, referred to as a first drying heater and a second drying heater) are connected so as to adjust linear output. The other drying heater  553  (hereinafter referred to as a third drying heater) parallels the first and second drying heater  551  and  552 .  
         [0136]     The first drying heater  551  and the second drying heater  552  may be formed to have the same output capacity of power or to have different output capacity of power.  
         [0137]     Preferably, the entire output capacity of the first and second drying heater  551  and  552  is the same as that of the third drying heater  553 .  
         [0138]     As described before, the operation process of the drying device through controlling the drying heater according to the sixth to eighth embodiments of the present invention is almost the same as the operation process according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0139]     As described before, the drying device according to each embodiment of the present invention has an industrial effect that it is possible to perform a washing cycle and a drying cycle simultaneously.  
         [0140]     Furthermore, the drying device according to each embodiment of the present invention has an industrial effect of preventing unnecessary power loss, because there are more than two drying heaters capable of selectively supplying output of power due to the paralleled disposition for getting each operation object to gain an appropriate output of power.  
         [0141]     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.