Patent Abstract:
An operation method for a combination dryer is disclosed. The present invention relates to a combination dryer, and more particularly, to an operation method for a combination dryer which enables air in a drying drum and a cabinet for drying the laundry to circulate continuously and enables condensed water generated in the circulation process to perform a refreshing cycle by using the water.

Full Description:
This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No. P2004-91274, filed on Nov. 10, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a combination dryer, and more particularly, to an operation method for a combination dryer which enables air in a drying drum and a cabinet for drying the laundry to circulate continuously and enables condensed water generated in the circulation process to perform a refreshing cycle by using the water. 
   2. Discussion of the Related Art 
   In general, a dryer is an electric home appliance which can dry cloth items, cloths and beddings (hereinafter, ‘the laundry’). The dryer dries the laundry by supplying hot air to the washed laundry continuously. 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional tumble dryer of a related art dryer. 
   That is, the related art tumble dryer includes a body  10 , a drying drum  20 , a door  40 , a motor  50 , a drying heater  60  and a fan  70 . 
   The body  10  defines an exterior of the tumble dyer, and the drying drum  20  is rotatably mounted inside of the body  10 . 
   Also, an opening  11  is formed in front of the body  10 , and the door  40  is coupled for opening/closing the opening  11 . 
   The motor  50  is secured to an inner downside of the body  10  for creating a driving force to rotate the drying drum  20  and the fan  70 . 
   The drying heater  60  is mounted on an inner portion of a hot air supply channel  81  for heating air flowing within the hot air supply channel  81 . The hot air supply channel  81  guides a hot air passage supplied into the drying drum  20 . 
   The fan  70  discharges dry air flowing inside of the drying drum  10  outside, and is provided in communication with a hot air discharge channel  82 . 
   Thus, once the fan  70  is put into operation, external air is guided by the hot air supply channel  81  and heated by passing through the drying heater  60  to be drawn into the drying drum  10 . 
   Thereby, the damp laundry introduced into the drying drum  10  is getting dried by the heated external air gradually. 
   The air having dried the laundry by being circulated within the drying drum  10  is guided by the hot air supplying channel  82  to be discharged outside. 
   Once drying is completed by the repeated performance of the above process, the fane  70  and the drying heater  60  are stopped to finish a drying cycle. 
   However, the related art tumble 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. 
   There is another problem that it is impossible to keep the laundry for a long time in the related art tumble dryer. 
   Thus, recently demands have been increasing accordingly for a new type of a combination dryer having a drying capacity thereof enlarged as well as capable of keeping the laundry for a long time. There are various combination dryers provided with tumble dryers having auxiliary cabinet dryers provided therewith, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2004-0194339 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 2004-0154194. 
   The above combination dryer allows a cabinet dryer provided on a top of a conventional dryer having a rotatory drum. The cabinet dryer has space for the laundry and receives hot air used to dry or keep the laundry for a long time. 
   However, the combination dryer described above has an inconvenience that a user should directly supply water needed for steam generation to refresh the laundry by using steam. 
   Especially, since a refreshing process may be performed even in lack of the water needed for the steam generation, a problem may be caused that the refreshing process is not performed smoothly. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an operating method for a combination dryer that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide an operating method for a combination dryer that enables air for drying in a drying drum of a tumble dryer and a space of a cabinet dryer to be circulated continuously, such that water is generated in the circulation process to perform a refreshing cycle. 
   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. 
   To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an operation method for a combination dryer comprises a controlling process for alternatively operating a drying cycle for drying the laundry and a refreshing cycle for refreshing the laundry, wherein the refreshing cycle comprises a step of supplying water for supplying water stored in a water storing chamber into a heating part; a step of generating steam for generating steam by evaporating the water within the heating part; and a step of supplying steam for supplying the steam into a drying drum of a tumble dryer and/or a laundry-keeping space of a cabinet dryer. 
   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 
     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: 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an inner structure of a conventional tumble dryer. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram schematically illustrating an exterior of a combination dryer according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram schematically illustrating the combination dryer according to the present. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart schematically illustrating a controlling process when operating a refreshing cycle in the combination dryer according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow chart schematically illustrating a controlling process during the operation of the refreshing cycle. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   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. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a combination dryer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a tumble dryer  100 , a cabinet dryer  200 , and a control part  300 . 
   The tumble dryer  100  performs only a drying cycle of the laundry. 
   The tumble dryer  100  includes a drying drum  110  capable of rotating and agitating, a hot air supplying pipe, a hot air supplying part  130 , and an air condensing part  140 . 
   The hot air supplying pipe as a pipe guiding a flow of high-temperature hot air is connectedly in communication with inside space among the drying drum  110 , the air condensing part  140  and a cabinet dryer  200 . 
   The hot air supplying pipe includes a first supplying pipe  121  for supplying hot air into the drying drum  110 , a second supplying pipe  122  for receiving and supplying the air having passed through the air condensing part  140  to the first supplying pipe  121 , and a third supplying pipe  123  for receiving and transmitting the air discharged from the drying drum  110  to the air condensing part  140 . 
   A filtering part  124  may be further provided in the third supplying pipe  123  for filtering foreign substances contained in the flowing air. 
   Also, the hot air supplying part  130  is provided in the second supplying pipe  122  for generating hot air. 
   The hot air supplying part  130  includes a drying heater  131  for heating the air flowing inside of the second supplying pipe  122 , a fan  132  for forcibly ventilating the air within the second supplying pipe  122 . 
   Preferably, the fan  132  is provided in a portion of the second supplying pipe  122  allowing air drawn into the drying heater  131 . 
   That is for minimizing damage of the fan  132  due to hot air. 
   Also, the air condensing part  140  condenses the air flowing along the hot air supplying pipe to radiate heat of the air. 
   The air condensing part  140  includes a condenser  141  and a condensing fan  142 . 
   The condenser  141  receives the hot air from the third supplying pipe  123 , and includes a pipe having a plurality of branched portions and a cooling pin. 
   The condensing fan  142  ventilates external air toward the condenser  141 . 
   Furthermore, a water holding chamber  150  is further provided in the air condensing part  140 . The water holding chamber  150  is connected with the air condensing part  140 , the cabinet dryer  200  and a drain pipe  160 . 
   The water holding chamber  150  holds condensed water generated in the air condensing part  140  and remaining washing water generated within the space for keeping the laundry in the cabinet dryer  200 . Alternatively, a user may directly supply water to the water holding chamber  150 . 
   Furthermore, a pump  161  is further provided in the drain pipe  160  for transmitting the water to the water holding chamber  150  after pumping the water forcibly. 
   Preferably, a water level sensor  151  is further provided in the water holding chamber  150  for sensing a level of the water stored in the water holding chamber  150 . 
   The cabinet dryer  200  is mounted on a top of the tumble dryer  100 , with a predetermined space having lots of the laundry kept therein. 
   The cabinet dryer  200  includes space  220  for keeping the laundry therein, a hot air inlet pipe  241 , and an air outlet pipe  242 . 
   A first end of the hot air inlet pipe  241  is connected to a portion of the second supplying pipe  122  where air is discharged, and a second end thereof is connectedly in communication with the space  220  keeping the laundry therein for transmitting the hot air from the second supplying pipe  122  into the space  220  keeping the laundry therein. 
   Preferably, an air channel valve  125  may be further provided in the second supplying pipe  122  for choosing and guiding a direction of the air flowing to the first supplying pipe  121  and/or the hot air inlet pipe  241 . 
   Also, a first end of the air outlet pipe  242  is in communication with the space  220  keeping the laundry therein, and a second end thereof is connected to the third supplying pipe  123  to discharge the high-temperature humid air having passed through the laundry within the space  220 . 
   At that time, an auxiliary exhaustion fan (not shown) may be further provided in the air outlet pipe  242 . 
   On the other hand, the combination dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention further includes a steam generating part  410  for generating steam after receiving the water stored in the water holding chamber  150 , and a steam supplying pipe  420  for supplying the steam generated in the steam generating part  410  to the cabinet dryer  200 . 
   The steam generating part  410  is provided in either of the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 . 
   The steam generating part  410  includes a water supplying pipe  412  for receiving the water from the water holding chamber  150 , a heating part  413  having space for temporally holding the water from the water supplying pipe  412 , and a heating element  414  provided within the heating part  413  for heating the stored water into steam. 
   Preferably, an opening/closing valve  415  may be further provided for alternatively opening or closing the inflow of the water supplied to the heating part  413 . 
   The control part  300  according to the present invention controls operation of the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 . 
   At that time, the control part  300  may be provided in at least one of the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , and it is preferred but not necessary that the control part  300  is provided only in the tumble dryer as shown in the embodiment of the present invention. 
   If the control part  300  is provided in both the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200 , the control parts  300  are connected by a data cable (not shown) to make possible to intercommunicate information. 
   Also, the control part  300  may control the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200  respectively, and may control the tumble dryer  100  and the cabinet dryer  200  to communicate each other. 
   The combination dryer with the configuration described above may operate a refreshing cycle for refreshing the laundry, as well as a drying cycle. 
   At that time, the refreshing cycle makes the dried laundry in a state before getting dressed such as smoothing out the wrinkles, and is operated by using a high-temperature steam. 
   According to the embodiment of the present invention, the refreshing cycle is operated only in the cabinet dryer  200 . 
   Alternatively, the refreshing cycle may be operated in the tumble dryer. But since there is a lots of the laundry tangled in the tumble dryer  100 , the outstanding effect of the refreshing cycle is not expected. If a rack is further provide for holding the laundry after separating the laundry and the refreshing cycle is operated in the tumble dryer  100 , the refreshing effect may be expected. 
   It is a distinguishable outstanding technical feature of the present invention that water used for generating steam is created in the combination dryer itself, unlike the related art in that the user supplies extra water for generating steam. 
   That is, the water stored within the water holding chamber  150  is used for the water needed to generate steam. 
   Since a lot of water is created in the air condensing part  140  of the combination dryer according to the present invention and also there is a lot of water within the space keeping the laundry therein, the water is supplied enough to generate steam. 
   Referring to  FIG. 4 , an embodiment for a refreshing cycle of the combination dryer according to the present invention will be described. 
   First, for the refreshing cycle, a sufficient amount of water is stored in the water storing chamber (S 111 ). 
   At that time, the water may be stored during the drying cycle after receiving the washing water remaining in the drying drum  110  of the tumble dryer  100  and/or the space keeping the laundry in the cabinet dryer  200 . Alternatively, the water is stored after receiving the condensed water created by condensing the high-temperature hot air having passed through the air condensing part. 
   The drying cycle is a series of processes drying the laundry in the drying drum  110  and/or the space  220  keeping the laundry therein by supplying high-temperature dry air into the drying drum  110  and/or the space  220  through the drying heater  131  and the fan  132 . 
   At that time, the dry air supplied into the drying drum  110  and/or the space  220  reaches high temperatures by the drying heater  131 , and flows along each supplying pipe  121 ,  122  and  123  by the fan  132 . Hence, in the middle of passing through the air condensing part  140 , the dry air is heat-exchanged and condensed in the condenser  141  by the condensing fan  142  to be dried. 
   Alternatively, the water may be stored during the refreshing cycle after receiving the water created in the drying drum  110  of the tumble dryer  100  and/or the space  220  of the cabinet dryer  200 . 
   As described above, once the refreshing cycle is required to be operated in a state of a sufficient amount of water being stored in the water storing chamber  150 , the opening/closing valve  413  in the water supplying pipe  412  is opened (S 112 ). 
   Thus, the water in the water storing chamber  150  is supplied to the heating part  413  through the water supplying pipe  412 . 
   If the refreshing cycle is not required to be operated, only a series of the processes storing the water in the water storing chamber  150  is continuously repeated. 
   Hence, the control part  300  controls the heating element  414  provided in the heating part  413  to radiate heat (S 113 ). 
   Thereby, the water within the heating part  413  turns into vapor to created hot steam. 
   The steam is supplied though the steam supplying pipe  420  into the space  220  of the cabinet dryer  200  (s 114 ). 
   Thus, due to the hot steam, wrinkles of the laundry are smoothed out and also microorganisms such as various kinds of mold fungi are sterilized. 
   As described before, it is preferred but not necessary that the amount of the water stored in the water storing chamber  150  should be always sufficient during the refreshing cycle. 
   For that, as shown in a flow chart of  FIG. 5 , the control part  300  constantly identifies a water level within the water chamber  150  by controlling the water level sensor  151  during the refreshing cycle (S 121 ). If the water level identified is lower than the water level preset to create steam, a series of processes is performed for generating condensed water. 
   Preferably, the above control of the water level sensor  151  and the supplementary process for generating the condensed water is performed at the beginning of the refreshing cycle, that is, before generating the steam, so that the water level may always be maintained at proper levels. 
   Also, the series of the processes may be processes generating steam by circulating the air into the hot air supplying pipe and condensing the circulated air. 
   The air circulation into the hot air supplying pipe is possible through the control of the fan driving. Preferably, heating the drying heater  131  as well as controlling to operate the condensing fan  142  may enable more water to be created. 
   In other words, the condensed water needed to create steam is generated by condensing the high temperature hot air after heat-exchanging. At that time, the created condensed water may be supplied to the water storing chamber  150  through controlling of the pump  161  driving (S 123 ). 
   As shown in the series of the processes according to the embodiment of the present, it is possible to supply the water needed to create the steam for the refreshing cycle, thereby preventing lack of the water. 
   Therefore, the combination dryer according to the embodiment of the present invention has an advantageous industrial effect that the laundry may be sterilized, as well as the wrinkles thereof may be smoothed out, due to the refreshing cycle. 
   Especially, since the steam for the refreshing cycle uses the condensed water created in the combination dryer, an inconvenience is removed that the user should identify the water for creating the steam and supply the water. 
   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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3