Patent ID: 8490437

Claim:
A drum type washing-drying machine comprising: a water tub elastically mounted in a washing machine body and having a front formed with an opening; a drum rotatably mounted in the water tub; an air supply opening and an air discharge opening both provided in the water tub; a circulation path having opposite ends connected to the air supply opening and the air discharge opening respectively; a heat pump mechanism including a condenser and an evaporator both disposed in the circulation path, the heat pump mechanism being disposed within the washing machine body on a side of the water tub generally opposite the air supply opening and the air discharge opening; a blower fan disposed in the circulation path to circulate air between the circulation path and the water tub; and a plurality of branch paths disposed between the washing machine body and the water tub and extending in a part of the circulation path between the condenser and the air supply opening and/or extending in another part of the circulation path between the evaporator and the air discharge opening, wherein: either the air supply opening or the air discharge opening is provided in an upper part of the front of the water tub; the circulation path includes a heat exchange section where the condenser and the evaporator are disposed so as to be located below the water tub; and the plurality of branch paths extend from either the air supply or the air discharge opening provided in the upper part of the front of the water tub, through a periphery of the opening of the front of the water tub to the heat exchange section to bypass the water tub.