Patent Publication Number: US-10329708-B2

Title: Dryer for clothes

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a U.S. National Stage Application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT Application No. PCT/KR2015/003927, filed Apr. 20, 2015, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10- 2014-0047179, filed Apr. 21, 2014, whose entire disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a dryer for clothes. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Dryer for clothes are home appliances that supply hot wind into a drying drum to remove moisture absorbed into clothes in a state where objects to be dried are put into the rotating drum. Hot wind supplied into a drum may be generated by using electrical resistance heat or combustion heat using a gas fuel. Then, the hot wind may be supplied into the drying drum by using a blower fan. 
     Also, dryers for clothes may be classified into forced convection dryers and air vented dryers according to a hot air supply method. That is, the forced convection dryers may be dryers in which hot air supplied into a drying drum is repeatedly heated and cooled while circulating the inside of the dryer, and the air vented dryers may be dryers in which hot air supplied into a drying drum is discharged from the drying drum to the outside. 
     During the drying of clothes, various flexible and rigid foreign substances contained in the clothes may be separated out of the clothes to drop down onto the bottom of the drying drum, as well as lint attached to clothes may be separated and thus floated in air discharged from a drying drum. 
     Thus, when the flexible and rigid foreign substances are introduced into a discharge passage for the air discharged from the drying drum, the foreign substances may damage a drying fan or increase in load of the fan to deteriorate drying performance. Also, the lint generated during the drying process may be introduced into a combustion device or electric component through a gap between the drying drum and a cabinet to cause fire in the dryer. 
     Particularly, during the drying, vibration and noises may be generated by the rigid foreign substances that drop down onto the bottom of the drying drum. Here, the flexible foreign substances may include hairs, rubber bands, threads, snack packs, fabrics, and the like. The rigid foreign substance may include cotton swabs, toothpicks, hairpins, underwear wires, safety pins, small accessories, buttons, and the like. In the dryer according to the related art, when foreign substances are put into the dryer, a foreign substance dropping groove has to be separately defined in a front end of a blower. 
     Also, when the foreign substance dropping groove is defined, a structure for taking and throw out the foreign substances accumulated in the foreign substance dropping groove is needed. 
     In addition, although the heavy foreign substances drop down and then are collected into the foreign substance dropping groove, light foreign substances such as cotton swabs may not drop into the foreign substance dropping groove, but be introduced into the blower to damage the blower or deteriorate blowing performance. 
     Also, when the foreign substances are deposited in the foreign substance dropping groove, the lint may be caught by the deposited foreign substances and thus deposited together with the foreign substances to significantly increase air flow resistance. 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     The present disclosure has been proposed to improve the above-described limitations. 
     Solution to Problem 
     In one embodiment, a dryer for clothes includes: a cabinet; a drying drum accommodated in the cabinet and into which an object to be dried is put; a suction passage supplying hot air into the drying drum;a heating unit disposed on one position of the suction passage to heat the air introduced into the suction passage at a high temperature; an exhaust passage through the hot air discharged from the drying drum flows; a blower mounted on one position of the exhaust passage to forcibly blow the air within the drying drum; a lint filter mounted on the other position of the exhaust passage; a guide duct defining a portion of the exhaust passage to accommodate the lint filter therein; and a blocking member disposed at a position where the air discharged from the drying drum flows, the blocking member configured to filter foreign substances contained in the air discharged from the drying drum before the air discharged from the drying drum is guided to the guide duct, wherein the blocking member comprises: a plurality of blocking ribs horizontally spaced a predetermined distance from each other; and a plurality of partition ribs horizontally extending and vertically spaced a predetermined distance from each other, the plurality of partition ribs configured to connect the plurality of blocking ribs to each other, and wherein one surface of each of the plurality of blocking ribs defines an inclination surface that is inclined at an acute angle, which is less than an angle of 90 degrees, with respect to a vertical surface that extends in a horizontal direction of the drying drum. 
     In another embodiment, a dryer for clothes, includes: a cabinet; a drying drum accommodated in the cabinet and into which an object to be dried is put; a suction passage supplying hot air into the drying drum; a heating unit disposed on one position of the suction passage to heat the air introduced into the suction passage at a high temperature; an exhaust passage through the hot air discharged from the drying drum flows; a blower mounted on one position of the exhaust passage to forcibly blow the air within the drying drum; a lint filter mounted on the other position of the exhaust passage; a guide duct defining a portion of the exhaust passage to accommodate the lint filter therein; and a blocking member disposed at a position where the air discharged from the drying drum flows, the blocking member configured to filter foreign substances contained in the air discharged from the drying drum before the air discharged from the drying drum is guided to the guide duct, wherein the blocking member comprises: a plurality of blocking ribs horizontally spaced a predetermined distance from each other; and a plurality of partition ribs horizontally extending and vertically spaced a predetermined distance from each other, the plurality of partition ribs connecting the plurality of blocking ribs to each other, and each of the plurality of blocking ribs extends to be rounded towards the blower. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     The dryer for the clothes according to the embodiment may have following effects. 
     First, it may be unnecessary to form the separate foreign substance dropping groove for collecting the foreign substances in the air passage within the dryer. 
     Second, since the separate groove structure for collecting the foreign substances is unnecessary, it may be unnecessary to perform the separate maintenance for removing the deposited foreign substances in the foreign substance dropping groove. 
     Third, the introduction of the flexible or rigid foreign substances except for the lint into the passage may be fundamentally prevented to prevent the components of the dryer from being damaged due to the accumulation of the foreign substances. 
     Fourth, since the flexible or rigid foreign substances are not put into the air passage, the occurrence of the vibration and noise may be reduced during the drying. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a dryer for clothes, which includes a blocking member according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the dryer for the clothes. 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the blocking member according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the blocking member. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view illustrating a structure of a blocking rib of a blocking member according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating a structure of a blocking member according to another embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a blocking rib constituting the blocking member according to another embodiment. 
     
    
    
     MODE FOR THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, a dryer for clothes including a lint filter cleaning device according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Also, an air vented dryer will be described as an example of the dryer for the clothes including the lint filter cleaning device according to an embodiment. However, the lint filter cleaning device according to an embodiment may be applied to various types of dryers for clothes including a forced convection dryer as well as the air vented dryer. 
       FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a dryer for clothes, which includes a blocking member according to an embodiment, and  FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the dryer for the clothes. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a dryer for clothes (hereinafter, referred to as a “clothes dryer”) including a blocking member may include a drying drum  11  into which objects to be dried are put, a front cabinet  12  supporting a front portion of the drying drum  11 , the blocking member  30  mounted on a bottom part of the front cabinet  12 , and a rear cabinet  13  supporting a rear portion of the drying drum  11 . 
     In detail, the clothes dryer  10  may further include a suction duct  21  for suctioning air to be supplied into the drying drum  11 , a rear duct  19  connecting the suction duct  21  to an air inflow hole defined in a rear surface of the drying drum  11 , a guide duct  15  connected to a bottom surface of the front cabinet  12  to guide air discharged from the drying drum  11 , a blower  16  connected to an outlet end of the guide duct  15 , and an exhaust duct  20  connected to an outlet end of the blower  16 . Also, a lint filter (not shown) for collecting lint may be mounted inside the guide duct  15 . 
     A middle cabinet (not shown) is disposed between the front cabinet  12  and the rear cabinet  13  to protect the drying drum  11  and various components disposed under the drying drum  11 . The middle cabinet may define both side surfaces and top surface of the clothes dryer  10 . A base plate  101  defining a bottom portion of the clothes dryer  10  may be disposed on a bottom surface of the middle cabinet, and the components may be mounted on the base plate  101 . 
     Also, the blocking member  30  may prevent foreign substances contained in the objects to be dried, for example, bulky and rigid foreign substances a coin, a ballpoint pen, and the like or soft foreign substances such as a rubber band and the like from being suctioned into the guide duct  15  during the drying process. The foreign substances such as the lint may be filtered by the lint filter  15  even though the foreign substances are introduced into the guide duct  15 . Other foreign substances, i.e., bulky and rigid foreign substances may be blocked by the blocking member  30  to remain in the drying drum  11 . If the foreign substances except for the lint are suctioned into the guide duct  15 , the blower  16  may be damaged, or a rattling sound may be generated inside the exhaust duct  20 . Thus, it may be necessary to prevent the foreign substances from being out of the drying drum  11  through the blocking member  30 . Also, the blocking member  30  may be detachably coupled to the front cabinet  12 . Also, the blocking member  30  may be mounted on a boundary between the guide duct  15  and the drying drum  11 . That is, air passing through the blocking member  30  may flow into the guide duct  15  and then be guided into the exhaust duct  20  by the blower  16  mounted on an outlet end of the guide duct  15 . 
     Also, the blower  16  includes a fan motor (not shown) and a blower fan (not shown) connected to a rotation shaft of the fan motor. The blower fan may be accommodated in a fan housing. The fan housing has an inlet end connected to the outlet end of the guide duct  15  and an outlet end connected to the exhaust duct  20 . 
     Also, in case of the air vented dryer, a gas combustion device  22  may be disposed on an inlet of the suction duct  21  to heat air suctioned into the suction duct at a high temperature. Also, in case of an electric dryer, an electric heater is mounted inside the rear duct  19  to heat air introduced into the suction duct  21  at a high temperature before the air is introduced into the drying drum  11 . 
     Briefly explaining the drying process of the clothes dryer  10  including the above-described constitutions, objects to be dried are put into the drying drum  11  through an input hole  121  defined in the front cabinet  12 . Also, when a drying start command is inputted, the blower  16  operates to heat air introduced into the suction duct  21  at a high temperature by using the gas combustion device or electric heater. 
     Then, the air heated at the high temperature is introduced into the drying drum  11  through a rear surface of the drying drum  11  along the rear duct  19 . The high-temperature and dry air introduced into the drying drum  11  changes into high-temperature and humidity air while drying the objects to be dried. Also, the high-temperature and humidity air passes through the blocking member  30  in a state where the air contains lint generated from the objects to be dried and then is guided to the guide duct  15 . 
     Here, the flexible or rigid foreign substances except for the lint may be filtered by the blocking member  30 . Also, the lint contained in the high-temperature and humidity air is filtered by the lint filter mounted inside the guide duct  15 . Also, the air passing through the guide duct  15  may be guided into the exhaust duct  20  by the blower  16  and then discharged to the outside of the dryer. 
     Hereinafter, a structure and function of the blocking member  30  according to an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the blocking member according to an embodiment,  FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view illustrating a rear surface of the blocking member, and  FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I of  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the blocking member  30  according to an embodiment may include a body  31  rounded along an edge of the input hole  121  of the front cabinet  12 , a plurality of partition ribs  32  extending from the inside of the body  31  in a left/right direction and vertically spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of blocking ribs  33  disposed between the partition ribs  32  that are adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each other in a left/right direction. 
     In detail, the blocking member  30  may be disposed under the input hole  121  and rounded at a curvature that is equal or similar to that of the input hole  121 . Also, the blocking member  30  may be bent in a “┐” shape, and the partition ribs  32  and the blocking ribs  33  may be disposed on a vertical surface of the blocking member  30 . 
     Also, the partition ribs  32  may extend from a left edge to a right edge of the blocking member  30  and be vertically spaced a predetermined distance from each other. 
     Also, each of the blocking ribs  33  may have top and bottom surfaces that respectively contact top and bottom surfaces of each of the partition ribs  32 . Also, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , each of the partition ribs  32  may be inclined downward from a horizontal surface at a predetermined angle α. Particularly, the partition rib  32  may extend toward the inside of the drying drum  11  and inclinedly extend downward. Thus, the foreign substances colliding with the blocking member  30  may not be guided into the guide duct  15 , but drop into the drying drum  11  by the partition ribs  32 . 
       FIG. 6  is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the blocking ribs  33  constituting the blocking member  30  according to an embodiment may be horizontally spaced a predetermined distance from each other. 
     In detail, the blocking ribs  33  may include a first part  331  contacting bottom and top surfaces of the partition ribs  32  which are vertically adjacent thereto and a second part  332  rounded to extend forward from the first part  331 . 
     In more detail, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , one side surface of the first part  331  may define an inclination surface  331   b  that is inclined at an acute angle θ, which is less than an angle of 90 degrees, with respect to the vertical surface extending in the left/right direction of the drying drum  11 . The rigid or flexible foreign substances a and b that rotate within the drying drum  11  to drop when the drying drum  11  rotates may collide with the inclination surface  331   b  and then be reflected to drop into the drying drum  11  again. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , when the drum rotates in a white arrow direction, the foreign substances colliding with the blocking member  30  may initially collide with the inclination surface  331   b  and then be bounded into the drying drum  11 . Also, the other side surface of the first part  331  may be rounded. 
     The second part  332  may be outer and inner side surfaces  332   b  and  332   a  which are rounded in the same direction and have curvatures different from each other. The outer side surface  332   b  may represent a surface connected to the inclination surface  331 , and the inner side surface  332   a  may represent a surface connected to a surface opposite to the inclination surface  331   b.  Also, the opposite surface of the inclination surface  331   b,  i.e., the other side surface of the first part  331  may be smoothly rounded to be connected to the inner side surface  332   a  of the second part  332 . For example, the other side surface of the first part  331  and the inner side surface  332   a  of the second part  332  may be rounded at the same curvature. 
     As described above, since the second part  332  is rounded at a predetermined curvature, the foreign substance b introduced between the blocking ribs  33  that are adjacent to each other may not pass through the blocking member  30 , but be filtered by the blocking member  30 . If the blocking rib  33  linearly extends to a front side of the drying drum  11 , the foreign substance b may easily pass through the blocking member  30 . However, since the blocking rib  33  is rounded, the possibility of the passing of the foreign substance may be significantly reduced. 
     Also, the second part  332  may be rounded in a direction of the blower  16 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the blower  16  may be disposed at a right downward side of the blocking member  30 . Thus, the air passing through the drying drum  11  flows in a right downward direction along the guide duct  15 . Thus, to minimize the flow resistance of the air, the second part  332  may be rounded in the direction of the blower  16 . A flow of the air passing through the blocking ribs  33  that are adjacent to each other may be expressed as a black arrow. 
       FIG. 7  is a partial perspective view illustrating a structure of a blocking rib of a blocking member according to another embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a blocking member according to the current embodiment may be the same as the blocking member  30  according to the foregoing embodiment except for a structure of the blocking rib  33 . 
     Particularly, the blocking rib  33  according to the current embodiment may have an inclination surface  331   b  that is inclined at an acute angle θ, which is less than an angle of 90 degrees, with respect to a vertical surface and also inclined at an acute angle β, which is less than an angle of 90 degrees, with respect to a horizontal surface or a top surface of a partition rib  32 . According to the foregoing embodiment, the blocking rib  33  is vertically disposed with respect to the partition rib  32 . On the other hand, according to the current embodiment, the blocking rib  33  may be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal surface. As a result, a distance between the partition ribs  32  that are adjacent to each other may be reduced, and thus, the possibility of the passing of the foreign substances may be reduced. 
       FIG. 8  is a cutaway perspective view illustrating a structure of a blocking member according to another embodiment, and  FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a blocking rib constituting the blocking member according to another embodiment. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in a blocking member  30  according to the current embodiment, unlike the foregoing embodiments, blocking ribs  33  that are vertically adjacent to each other may be integrated with each other. 
     In detail, the blocking member  30  includes a first part  331  and a second part  332 . The first part  331  may have the same configuration and structure as those according to the foregoing embodiments. Also, the second part  332  may be the same as those according to the foregoing embodiments in that the outer side surface  332   b  and inner side surface  332   a  of the second part  332  are rounded in the same direction at curvatures different from each other. However, the current embodiment may be different from the foregoing embodiments in that the plurality of second parts  332  that are vertically adjacent to each other are integrated with each other to form one rib that vertically extends. 
     That is, partition rib through-holes  331   c  through which partition ribs  32  horizontally pass may be defined to be vertically spaced a predetermined distance from each other in the first part  332  of the blocking rib  33 . Also, as illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the blocking member  30  according to the current embodiment may have a structure in which a plurality of blocking ribs  33  are arranged to be horizontally spaced a predetermined distance from each other. Also, the plurality of blocking ribs  33  that are horizontally adjacent to each other and the plurality of partition ribs  32  that are vertically adjacent to each other may be provided as one body through injection molding. 
     As described above, since the second part  332  of the blocking rib  33  is provided as one body, air discharged from the drying drum may be smoothly guided toward a blower  16 .