Abstract:
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 in which air for drying within a drum and a cabinet is circulated continuously and condensed water is generated in the circulating process for a refreshing cycle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     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.  
         [0003]     2. Discussion of the Related Art  
         [0004]     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’). A dryer of the laundry devices used in a house usually dries a small amount of the laundry.  
         [0005]     That is, the dryer receives the laundry washed by the washing machine, and dries the laundry by supplying hot air.  
         [0006]     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.  
         [0007]     There is another problem that it is impossible to keep the laundry for a long time in the related art dryer.  
         [0008]     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 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. 2004-01943399 A1 or US Laid-open Patent Application No. 2004-0154194.  
         [0009]     The above combination dryer allows a cabinet dryer provided on a top of a conventional dryer having a rotatory drum.  
         [0010]     The cabinet dryer has space for the laundry and receives hot air used to dry or keep the laundry for a long time.  
         [0011]     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.  
         [0012]     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.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a laundry device that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.  
         [0014]     An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry device combining a washing machine and a cabinet dryer as one body which enables installation space secured and a production cost reduced, as well as performing a washing cycle and a drying cycle at the same time.  
         [0015]     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. 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.  
         [0016]     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 comprises a washing machine only for washing the laundry; a cabinet dryer for drying the laundry therein; a controller provided in at least one of the washing machine and the cabinet dryer for controlling the washing machine and the cabinet dryer; a steam generating part provided in at least one of the washing machine and the cabinet dryer for generating steam; a steam supplying pipe for supplying steam generated by the steam generating part into the cabinet dryer; a hot air supplying pipe provided along an inside of the cabinet dryer for guiding hot air; and a hot air supplying part provided within the hot air supplying pipe for generating hot air by heating air.  
         [0017]     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  
       [0018]     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:  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a diagram schematically illustrating an exterior of a laundry device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram schematically illustrating the laundry device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a sectional view from a side schematically illustrating an extending part of a cabinet dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a block view illustrating the laundry device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     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.  
         [0024]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a laundry device according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a washing machine  100 , a cabinet dryer  200 , and a controller  300 .  
         [0025]     The washing machine  100  performs only a washing cycle, and includes a drum  120  capable of rotating and agitating.  
         [0026]     The cabinet dryer  200  according to the present invention is configured to have space for keeping the laundry for drying the laundry. The cabinet dryer  200  is mounted on a top of the washing machine  100 , and preferably the cabinet dryer  200  and the washing machine  100  are provided as one body.  
         [0027]     The cabinet dryer  200  includes a body  210 , a laundry keeping space  220 , an opening/closing door  230 , a hot air supplying pipe  240 , and a hot air supplying part  250 .  
         [0028]     The body  210  defines an exterior of the cabinet dryer  200 , and is formed in a cabinet shape having a front thereof opened.  
         [0029]     An extending part  260  may be further provided in the body  210  for extending to reach an inside of the tumble dryer  100 .  
         [0030]     The extending part  260  is employed for hanging the long laundry such as pants or coats so that the long laundries may not overlap one another. Preferably, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the extending part  260  extends toward one side so as not to affect rotation of the drying drum  110 .  
         [0031]     Also, the laundry keeping space  220  is provided within the body  210 , and includes a plurality of racks  221  and a bar  222 .  
         [0032]     At that time, each rack  221  is detachable from the body  210 , and formed for holding various kinds of the laundries thereon. The bar  222  is coupled along a front and a rear of a first side of upper space within the body  210 .  
         [0033]     The opening/closing door  230  is provided in front of the body  210  for opening/closing the opened front of the body  210 .  
         [0034]     The hot air supplying pipe  240  is an air passage for guiding high temperature hot air. An air inlet of the hot air supplying pipe  240  is formed in communication with an outside of the cabinet dryer  200  (an outside of the body) for drawing external air, and an air outlet thereof is formed in communication with an inside of the body  210 .  
         [0035]     At that time, the body  210  further includes a discharging part  211 . the discharging part  211  is an opened portion for discharging humid air having dried the laundry within the laundry keeping space  220  to an outside of the body  210 . The discharging part  211  is in communication with a room (an outside of the body), and an auxiliary exhausting fan (not shown) may be provided in the discharging part  211 .  
         [0036]     The hot air supplying pipe  240  is provided along upper space of the cabinet dryer  200 . Alternatively, the hot air supplying pipe  240  may be provided in downside space within the body  210  or side space within the body  210 .  
         [0037]     Preferably, an enlarged pipe part  241  is further provided at the air outlet of the hot air supplying pipe  240  for having a relatively enlarged air passage.  
         [0038]     The enlarged pipe part  241  prevents hot air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe  240  from being discharged to some particular portion within the body  210  of the cabinet dryer  200  too fast.  
         [0039]     That is, an air passage of the hot air is enlarged at some portion, thereby reducing a speed of a hot air inflow. Thus, damage of the laundry kept within the body  210  of the cabinet dryer  200  may be prevented.  
         [0040]     Also, the hot air supplying part  250  is provided within the hot air supplying pipe  240  for heating air within the hot air supplying pipe  240 .  
         [0041]     The hot air supplying part  250  includes a drying heater  251  for heating flowing air. Preferably, the hot air supplying part  250  further includes a fan  252  for forcibly ventilating air within the hot air supplying pipe  240 .  
         [0042]     Preferably, the fan  252  is provided at an air inlet of the drying heater  251  with respect to a direction of an air inflow within the hot air supplying pipe  240 .  
         [0043]     That is, the fan  252  forcibly draws external dry air to pass through the drying heater  251 .  
         [0044]     Alternatively, the fan  252  may be provided at an air outlet of the drying heater  251  within the hot air supplying pipe  240 , but in that case, a fan motor (not shown) driving the fan  252  may be damaged by the hot heat. Therefore, it is not preferred.  
         [0045]     On the other hand, it is preferred but not necessary to supply hot air generated by the operation of the hot air supplying part  250  to the washing machine  100 , too. Hence, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a connecting pipe  130  is further provided in the washing machine  100  for being connected with the hot air supplying pipe  240  of the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0046]     The hot air flowing through the hot air supplying pipe  240  may be supplied to the washing machine  100  through the connecting pipe  130 .  
         [0047]     The high temperature hot air is used so that a temperature of the washing machine  100  may be high enough to separate dirt from the laundry.  
         [0048]     Alternatively, another enlarged part (not shown) may be provided in the connecting pipe  130 , just like the enlarged pipe part  241  of the hot air supplying pipe  240 .  
         [0049]     Te controller  300  according to the present invention controls the operations of the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0050]     The controller  300  may be provided in at least one of the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , but preferably provided only in the washing machine  100  as described in the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0051]     when the controller  300  is provided in both of the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , the two controllers  300  may be connected by a data cable (not shown) for exchanging information.  
         [0052]     The controller  300  may control the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , or may control the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200  to communicate each other.  
         [0053]     An operation controlling process according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0054]     First, a washing cycle is performed, once the laundry is loaded into the drum  120  of the washing machine  100 .  
         [0055]     Then, the washing cycle may be performed by a general method of rotating and agitating the drum  120 , and also by the other various methods.  
         [0056]     For example, the washing cycle is performed by using the hot air supplying part  250 . According to the above method, hot air is flown within the hot supplying pipe  240  by the operating the hot air supplying part  250 . Hence the hot air is supplied into the drum  120  to heighten a temperature therein. Thus, dirt may be separated from the laundry more smoothly, and the laundry may be washed by rotating/agitating the drum  120  under the condition.  
         [0057]     Alternatively, in a washing cycle hot air may be supplied only into the washing machine  100  by closing an air passage of an air outlet into the cabinet dryer  200 . Also, the hot air may be supplied into the cabinet dryer  200  by opening the air passage.  
         [0058]     That is, the washing machine  100  performs a washing cycle, and the cabinet dryer  200  performs a drying cycle at the same time.  
         [0059]     On the other hand, a process of drying the laundry using a laundry device according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0060]     In case of drying the damp laundry, the hot air supplying part  250  is operated after loading the damp laundry into the laundry keeping space  220  of the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0061]     At that time, in case of drying the long laundry such as pants and/or coats, the long laundry is hung on a portion of a bar  222  where the extending part  250  of the cabinet dryer  200  is formed.  
         [0062]     As described before, the drying heater  251  is operated by the hot air supplying part  250  to drive the fan  252 , and then air within the hot air supplying pipe  240  is changed into hot air while passing trough the drying heater  251 . the hot air is supplied into the laundry keeping space  220  of the cabinet dryer  200  after passing though the fan  252 .  
         [0063]     At that time, since the enlarged pipe part  241  is formed at the air outlet of the hot air supplying pipe  240 , air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe  240  passes through the enlarged pipe part  241  before being discharged into the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0064]     Thus, the air has its inflow speed slower as well as enlarged while passing through the enlarged pipe part  241 , thereby being discharged to all portions within the laundry keeping space  220  equally.  
         [0065]     Also, hot air supplied into the laundry keeping space  220  according to the series of the processes described above dries the laundry within the laundry keeping space  220 . Hence, moisture generated in that process is added to flowing air to be discharged to a room through the discharging part  211 .  
         [0066]     Thus, only dry hot air is consistently supplied into the laundry keeping space  220 . Thereby the laundry is dried smoothly within the laundry keeping space  220  of the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0067]     Alternatively, the above drying cycle may be performed through the washing machine  100 .  
         [0068]     Supplying hot air only into the washing machine  100  enables the drying cycle of the washing machine  100  by closing an air passage in communication with the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0069]     On the other hand, the laundry device according the first embodiment of the present invention may cause a problem that it is difficult to keep the laundry for a long time, because the laundry device performs only a washing cycle and a drying cycle.  
         [0070]     Thereby, a second embodiment of the present invention suggests that a steam generating part  270  is further provided.  
         [0071]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , inner space between the steam generating part  270  and the cabinet dryer  200  is connected by a steam supplying pipe  280 .  
         [0072]     The steam generating part  270  is provided in at least one of the washing machine  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0073]     Preferably, the steam generating part  270  is provided only in the cabinet dryer  200 , because the washing machine  100  may have almost the same configurations as a conventional washing machine to prevent a production cost of the washing machine  100  from rising.  
         [0074]     Also, the steam generating part  270  includes a heat radiating part  273  and a heating element  274 .  
         [0075]     The heat radiating part  273  is a container storing water for generating steam, and the heating element  274  is a heating element evaporating the water in the heat radiating part  273 .  
         [0076]     The heating element  274  is provided within the heat radiating part  273 .  
         [0077]     preferably, the steam generating part  270  further includes a water chamber  271  provided separately from the heat radiating part  273  for storing water, a water supplying pipe  272  connected with the water chamber  271  for supplying water into the heat radiating part  273  after receiving water from the water chamber  271 . The water chamber  271  receives water from an outside, for example a water pipe.  
         [0078]     On the other hand, steam generated by the steam generating part  270  may be supplied to the washing machine  100 , too.  
         [0079]     For that, the second embodiment of the present invention suggests that a steam supplying channel  140  is further provided.  
         [0080]     The steam supplying channel  140  is connected with the steam supplying pipe  280  guiding a steam inflow from the steam generating part  270  into the body  210  of the cabinet dryer  200 .  
         [0081]     Regardless of any portions but preferably, a connecting portion between the steam supplying channel  140  and the washing machine  100  is connected with the connecting pipe  130  receiving hot air.  
         [0082]     That is for minimizing a change of the structure of the washing machine  100 .  
         [0083]     A refreshing cycle of the laundry device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.  
         [0084]     First, to operate the refreshing cycle such as smoothing out wrinkles of the laundry and/or sterilizing the laundry by using the laundry device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, steam is generated by operating the steam generating part  270 .  
         [0085]     That is, the operation of the heating element  274  evaporates water supplied from the water chamber  271  through the water supplying pipe  272  into the heat radiating part  273  for generating steam.  
         [0086]     At that time, steam generated by the steam generating part  270  is supplied into the body  210  of the cabinet dryer  200  through the steam supplying pipe  280 .  
         [0087]     Thus, the laundry within the body  210  of the cabinet dryer  200  is refreshed by the hot steam.  
         [0088]     When performing a refreshing cycle by using the washing machine  100 , steam is flown into the drum  120  of the washing machine  100  by opening the steam supplying channel  140  connected with the steam supplying pipe  280 .  
         [0089]     Therefore, the laundry device according to the first embodiment of the present invention may have an advantageous effect of performing a washing cycle and a drying cycle.  
         [0090]     Especially, since the drying cycle using the cabinet dryer is performed during the washing cycle, the entire washing time may be reduced.  
         [0091]     Furthermore, the laundry device according to the second embodiment of the present invention may have an advantageous effect of smoothing out wrinkles of the laundry and sterilizing the laundry, because a refreshing cycle is possible for the laundry within the cabinet dryer.  
         [0092]     Still further, the laundry device according to each embodiment of the present invention has an advantageous effect of solving problems caused by a rise of production cost and securing an installation space, because the washing machine and the cabinet dryer are provided as one body  
         [0093]     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 invention. 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.