RU2774949C2 - Device for clothing processing, containing heat pump module - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: household appliances.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to household drying devices. A device for clothing processing contains a case, a tank located inside the case, a reel mounted with the possibility of rotation in the tank and forming an accommodation area for laundry and drying clothes, and a heat pump module. The module is made with the possibility of a refrigerant circulation to a compressor, a capacitor, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a gas-liquid separator, and re-circulation of air coming out of the reel to the reel via the evaporator and the capacitor. The heat pump module contains a built-in case made with the possibility of merge into a single whole of the compressor, the capacitor, the evaporator and the gas-liquid separator. The built-in case contains a compressor base made with the possibility of support of the compressor, and an installation part for the gas-liquid separator, made with the possibility of installation of the gas-liquid separator. The compressor is located in the compressor base, which supports a compressor case by means of hanging on the upper surface of the compressor base, using a bracket and an anti-vibration support located on the upper surface of the compressor base.

EFFECT: simplification of the assembly, diagnostics and maintenance of a device.

11 cl, 9 dwg

Description

The field of technology to which the invention belongs

The present invention relates to a garment treatment apparatus which supplies hot air to a drum by means of a heat pump.

Background of the invention

In general, the garment treating apparatus refers to a washing machine that performs a function of washing clothes, a dryer that performs a function of drying washed clothes, or a washing and drying machine that performs both washing and drying functions.

In addition, in recent years, a garment treatment apparatus equipped with a steam generating apparatus having a refreshing function such as removing wrinkles from clothing, removing unpleasant odors, removing static electricity and the like, or a sterilization function has been developed.

Generally, the garment treatment apparatus having a drying function includes a hot air blowing apparatus for supplying hot air to the laundry loaded into the garment accommodating compartment such as a drum, thereby evaporating the moisture in the laundry and drying the laundry. Such a hot air supply device can be divided into a gas heater, an electric heater, and a heat pump system depending on the heat source for heating the air.

The heat pump system uses the refrigerant circulating through the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator to heat the air leaving the drum and then re-supply the hot air to the drum.

Since such a heat pump system is preferable for efficient use of energy compared to gas and electric heaters, the expansion of the use of the heat pump system in the form of a device for supplying hot air of a garment treatment device is being actively pursued.

In addition, the drum type washing and drying machine among the clothes treating apparatus includes a tub located in a body having a hexagonal shape, and a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, and the cylindrical tub (or drum) has a large volume in addition to internal components. , so that it occupies most of the interior area of the case. For example, the outer circumferential portion of the tub is adjacent to the left and right side surfaces, the top surface, or the bottom surface of the body.

In order to use the heat pump system in the drum type washer and dryer, the heat pump system such as the compressor, condenser, and evaporator is installed in an area different from the area occupied by the tub (including the drum) in the cabinet area, that is, the area between the side edges of the cabinet at the top or bottom of the tank, or at the top (or bottom) of the tank.

In the case of the heat pump system used in the prior art garment treatment apparatus, a heat exchanger such as an evaporator and a condenser is located at the top of the tank, and a compressor is located at the bottom of the tank and on the bottom surface of the casing.

However, when the compressor is located at the bottom of the tank and the heat exchanger is located at the top of the tank at a distance from the compressor, there is a problem that it is very difficult to assemble the compressor and the heat exchanger because the installation area of the heat pump system is very narrow.

In addition, it is possible to perform the performance test of the heat pump system only in the state in which the known garment treatment apparatus is assembled as a finished product, and it is possible to perform the performance test of the heat pump system separately when separated from the clothing treatment apparatus. Therefore, when a defect occurs in operation in a state where the heat pump system is assembled with the garment treatment apparatus as a finished product, for example, when the temperature of the heat pump system does not rise or rises slowly due to refrigerant leakage or the like, it is difficult to understand where the leaks occur. refrigerant when the heat pump system is assembled into a finished product, and even if a defective part is found, the heat pump system must be dismantled and replaced with a new part, reassembled and retested.

In addition, when a heat exchanger such as an evaporator and a condenser is separated from the compressor, the length of the refrigerant pipe connecting them becomes long, thus causing energy loss.

Figure 9 shows that the heat pump system is located on the tank in the dryer of the earlier patent document D1. The heat pump system 30 sucks in the air exiting the upper center of the tank 2 by means of the suction fan 9, and passes the sucked air through the evaporator 34 and the condenser 32, and after heat exchange with the refrigerant, re-supplies the air into the drum 3. The compressor 31 receives the gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator 34 , compresses it to high temperature and high pressure and feeds it to condenser 32.

According to the earlier patent document D1, since the tank 2 is inclined downwardly towards the rear side of the body 1 at an angle of approximately 30°, the rear area between the top of the tank and the top cover 1c is relatively wide, so that it does not affect the compressor 31 of the vertical type was arranged lengthwise in the vertical direction.

However, according to the earlier patent document D1, if the angle of inclination is less than 10° or almost coincides with the horizontal direction, since the rear area between the top of the tank 2 and the top cover 1c is relatively narrow, the installation area is insufficient to accommodate the vertical type compressor .

In addition, according to the earlier patent document D1, two holes are formed respectively on the upper center surface and the rear surface of the tank 2, and through these holes, the tank 2 and the heat exchangers 32 and 34 are connected by pipes 581 and 582, but the two holes formed on the tank 2 reduce the rigidity of the tank 2.

[Prior art document]

[Patent document]

(Patent document 1) D1: EP 2 339 063 A2

(Patent document 2) D2: EP 2 381 934 A1

Disclosure of invention

Technical problem

Therefore, it is an aspect of the detailed description to provide a garment treatment device including a heat pump module that optimizes the area for the location of the heat pump system.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a garment treatment apparatus including a heat pump module for easy assembly of a heat pump system.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a garment treatment apparatus including a heat pump module for checking the operating parameters of the heat pump system with the module.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a clothing treatment device for saving energy by reducing the length of a tube between a heat exchanger such as an evaporator, a condenser, and the like, and a compressor in a heat pump system.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a garment treatment apparatus in which installation of a compressor is possible even when the area between the top of the tub and the body is narrow.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a garment treatment device for reducing the number of holes connected to the heat exchanger channel.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a garment treatment device for compactly optimizing a heat pump module in an enclosure by modulating with an integral enclosure in which the evaporator, condenser, compressor and expansion valve are housed as one unit.

Another aspect of the detailed description is the creation of a heat pump module that assembles the modules as one heat exchange channel that accommodates the evaporator and condenser, and a compressor base that supports the compressor is mounted on top of the tank.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a horizontal compressor in which the axis of rotation is downward in the front and rear direction of the housing.

Another aspect of the detailed description is to provide a part of the heat exchange channel connected to communicate with the tank, which is connected with a rubber gasket.

Solution

To achieve these objects and other advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of this specification, as embodied and broadly described herein, a garment treatment apparatus is described, including a housing, a tub located within the housing, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub. and forming an area for placement, for washing and drying clothes, and a heat pump module configured to circulate the refrigerant to the compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator, and recirculate the air exiting the drum into the drum through the evaporator and condenser, and the heat pump module includes an integral housing configured to mount the compressor, condenser and evaporator as one unit, located at the top of the tank and supported by a plurality of fasteners on the front surface and rear surface of the housing.

A plurality of fastening parts protruding in the form of a tube may be disposed on the front surface and the rear surface of the embedded housing, and the plurality of fastening elements can be inserted and screwed on the plurality of fastening parts.

The built-in housing may include a heat exchange channel configured to accommodate an evaporator and a condenser and connected to the tank to form a flow channel for circulating air exiting the tank, and a compressor base integral with the heat exchange channel and maintaining the compressor, and a plurality of mounting elements can fix the front surface of the heat exchange channel from the front surface of the casing and fix the rear surface of the compressor base to the rear surface of the casing.

A plurality of fastening portions may be formed at at least two locations on each of the front surface of the heat exchange portion and the rear surface of the compressor base.

The clothing treatment device may further include a first stiffening rib configured to surround the outer peripheral surface of the fastening part and located at a distance when facing the outer peripheral surface of the fastening part, and a plurality of stiffening ribs configured to protrude in a circumferential direction from the outer the peripheral surface of the fastening part to the reinforcing part.

The garment treatment device may further include a stiffening rib configured to protrude in a circumferential direction from the outer peripheral surface of the fastening portion to contact each of the front surface or rear surface of the integrated body.

The garment treatment device may further include a second stiffening rib configured to protrude from the front surface or rear surface of the integrated body to surround the outer peripheral surface of the fastening part and ensure contact of at least one inner side surface with the fastening part.

The garment treatment apparatus may further include a protrusion configured to be protruded to be located at a distance from the fastening part on the front surface and the back surface of the embedded body, wherein a guide hole into which the protrusion is inserted can be formed on each of the front surface. and back of the case.

Also described is a laundry treatment device, which includes a housing, a tub located inside the housing, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and forming an area for placement, for washing and drying laundry, and a heat pump module configured to circulate the refrigerant in the tub. compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator, and recirculation of the air exiting the drum into the drum through the evaporator and condenser, wherein the heat pump module integrates the evaporator, condenser, and compressor into one with an integrated housing, and the integrated housing includes a duct a heat exchanger configured to accommodate an evaporator and a condenser and connected to the tank to form a channel for circulating air flow, and a compressor base integrally formed with the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel and supporting the compressor.

The built-in housing can be installed on the top of the tank.

The suction port of the heat exchange path may extend from the center line of the tank to the left rear side as viewed from the top of the body, and the outlet port of the heat exchange path may extend to the right front side.

The fan passage may be fixed integrally on a side surface of the heat exchange passage outlet, and the fan passage may include an inside suction fan for sucking in air discharged from the tub.

The suction fan may be located between the side covers to form the right side surface of the heat exchange channel and the right side surface of the housing to ensure that the axis of rotation connecting the impeller and the fan motor faces the outlet of the heat exchange channel.

The heat exchange passage suction port may be connected to the tank air outlet formed offset from the back side of the tank center line to the right side through the tank connection passage, and the heat exchange passage outlet may be connected to the tank air inlet formed offset from the front side of the center line. to the right side through the fan duct.

The air inlet of the tub may be formed on the right upper surface of the gasket located on the front surface of the tub.

The evaporator and condenser may be located at a distance from each other from the center line of the tank in the direction of the right side, when viewed from the front side of the case.

The evaporator and condenser may be spaced apart in a direction intersecting with the center line of the tank as viewed from the top of the housing.

The evaporator may extend below the top center of the tank from the top surface of the heat exchange channel as viewed from the front side of the housing, the condenser may extend below the lower end of the evaporator from the top surface of the heat exchange channel, and the condenser may have a larger heat exchange area than the evaporator.

Also described is a laundry treatment device, which includes a housing, a tub located inside the housing, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and forming an area for placement, for washing and drying laundry, and a heat pump module configured to circulate the refrigerant in the tub. compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator, and recirculation of air exiting the drum into the drum through the evaporator and condenser, further including a gas-liquid separator located separate from the compressor.

The heat pump module may include an integral housing configured to integrate an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, an expansion valve, and a gas/liquid separator into one.

The built-in housing may include a heat exchange channel configured to accommodate an evaporator and a condenser and connected to the tank to form a channel for circulating air flow, a compressor base integral with the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel and maintaining the compressor, and an installation part for gas-liquid a separator made as a single piece of the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel and one side surface of the compressor base and the gas-liquid separator installation.

The compressor base may surround and support the outer peripheral surface of the compressor.

The heat exchange channel may include a body and a cover removably connected to the top and bottom.

The heat exchange channel may be located at the top of the tank, and the compressor base may be located in the region between the top rear of the tank and the side edge of the casing.

The compressor may be a horizontal compressor including an axis of rotation, wherein both end portions of the axis of rotation may be positioned transversely to a front surface and a rear surface of the housing.

The horizontal compressor can be placed in the compressor base and supports the compressor housing by hanging on the front surface of the compressor base with a bracket and an anti-vibration support located on the top surface of the compressor base.

The built-in housing may be located in the area between the top of the tank and the side edge of the housing.

The buffer element may be located on the upper outer peripheral surface of the tank, and when the heat pump module sag occurs, the built-in housing and the buffer element may contact each other to eliminate the impact.

The tank can be mounted at an angle greater than 0° and less than 10° to ensure that the front is higher than the rear.

Positive results of the present invention

In accordance with the present invention, based on the solution methods described above, the following results are obtained.

First, a heat exchanger, a compressor, a suction fan and the like are integrally arranged and installed at the top of the tank, thus compactly optimizing the space for the heat pump system and further helping to minimize the volume of the garment treatment apparatus.

Secondly, since the heat pump system is integral, the installation and assembly of the heat pump system is simple.

Thirdly, the operating parameters of the heat pump can be checked with the module before the garment treatment apparatus is assembled into a finished product.

Fourthly, the length of the refrigerant piping connecting the compressor and the heat exchanger is shortened, thus reducing energy losses.

Fifth, since the compressor is arranged in a horizontal form, the narrow area for installing the compressor can be solved.

Sixth, since the air inlet of the tub connected to the heat exchange path is formed in the gasket, the decrease in the rigidity of the tub can be prevented.

Seventh, although the known gas-liquid separator is made as part of the compressor, the gas-liquid separator according to the present invention is located separately from the compressor, and the volume of the gas-liquid separator is larger than the volume of the existing gas-liquid separator, so that a sufficient storage area can be provided for the liquid refrigerant, which does not evaporate even in cold weather, when the temperature drops below negative machine zero.

Brief description of the drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this specification, depict exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

On the drawings

Fig. 1A is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a garment treatment device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept;

Fig. 1B is a perspective view in which the heat pump module is installed in the housing of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 1C is a rear perspective view illustrating the mounting structure of the PCB case shown in Fig. 1B;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the heat pump module of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2 as viewed from the front surface of the housing;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2 as viewed from the rear surface of the housing;

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2;

Fig.6A is a top view of the built-in housing in Fig.5;

Fig.6B is a bottom view of the built-in housing in Fig.5;

Fig.7A is a side view of the built-in housing in Fig.6A, when viewed from the right side cover;

Fig. 7B is an exploded perspective view in which the buffer element of Fig. 7A is mounted on the upper outer circumferential surface of the tub;

8A is a perspective view in which a heat pump module according to the present invention is mounted on top of a tank;

Fig.8B is a top view of Fig.8A;

Fig.8C is a front view of the housing shown in Fig.8A;

Fig.8D is a side view of the housing shown in Fig.8A; and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view in which a heat pump system is disposed at the top of a tub in a dryer of the earlier patent document D1.

The best embodiment of the invention

Below, a garment treatment apparatus including a heat pump unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, even in different embodiments, like reference numerals refer to like elements, and their description is replaced by the first description. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Fig. 1A is a perspective view illustrating the appearance of a garment treatment device according to an embodiment of the inventive concept.

The garment treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 1A includes a body 10 forming an appearance and an outer shape.

The body 10 may be hexagonal in shape and may be provided with a top cover 10a forming a hexagonal top surface, a side cover 10b forming both side surfaces of the hexagon, a base cover 10c forming the bottom surface of the hexagon, a front cover 10d forming the front surface of the hexagon, and a back cover cover 10e forming the back surface of the hexagon.

The laundry inlet is formed on the front cover 10d, and a round door 11 for opening/closing the loading inlet is rotatably mounted on the front cover 10d. One side of the door 11 is connected by a door hinge, and the other side of the door 11 pivots in the forward and backward direction based on the door hinge. The pressure locking device is located on the other side of the door 11, and when pressed once on the other side of the door 11, the door 11 is locked, and when pressed again, the door 11 is unlocked.

A touch-type display unit 13 for user control is located at the upper end of the door 11 so that the operation mode can be selected and changed for washing, dehumidifying and drying cycles.

In addition, the power button 12 is provided on the upper right end of the front cover 10d so that the power can be turned on/off during washing, dehumidifying, and drying cycles of the garment treater.

The detergent supply container can be installed in the lower part of the body 10 in a drawer-like manner, and the bottom cover 14 for closing the detergent supply container can be installed in a vertical direction.

Fig. 1B is a perspective view in which the heat pump module is installed in the housing of Fig. 1A.

A cylindrical tub 17 arranged horizontally is installed in the housing 10 shown in FIG. 1B, and the wash water is contained therein. The laundry loading inlet is formed on the front side of the tub 17 to communicate with the loading inlet of the body 10. A gasket 17a is installed on the front end of the tub 17 to prevent leakage of wash water into the body 10.

The drum 18 is rotatably mounted in the tub 17. The drum 18 includes a laundry inlet open toward the front cover 10d of the case 10, and includes an area for accommodating washing and drying laundry therein. The drum 18 receives the driving force of a drive unit, such as a motor, to rotate. A plurality of holes are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum 18 to allow water or air to pass through the plurality of holes. A plurality of lifting protrusions are disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the drum at a distance from each other in the circumferential direction, so that the laundry loaded into the drum 18 can be turned over.

The heat pump module 100 is installed at the top of the tank 17. The heat pump module 100 can integrally install the compressor 113, the condenser 112, the expansion valve 114 and the evaporator 111 in the built-in housing 120 to package the heat pump system modules as one unit.

The reason why the heat pump module 100 is located at the top of the tub 17 is to protect the heat pump module 100 from leakage, because when the wash water is supplied to the inside of the tub 17, due to a sealing problem, it may leak to the bottom. tank 17. In addition, when installing or disassembling the heat pump module 100 for maintenance, it is more preferable that the heat pump module 100 be located at the top of the tank than at the bottom of the tank 17.

With respect to the heat pump unit 100, together with the heat exchanger 110 such as the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112, the compressor 113 is integrally installed in the built-in housing 120, so that the construction of the heat pump system can be simplified, and also the area for arranging the heat pump system can be compacted. optimized.

Accordingly, with respect to the heat pump module 100, in contrast to the known compressor 113 located at the bottom of the tank 17 separately at a distance from the heat exchanger 110, in addition to the heat exchanger 110, the compressor 113 is located in an integrated housing 120 located at the top of the tank 17, so that the design the pipe connecting the heat exchanger 110 and the compressor 113 becomes simpler, and the length of the pipe is reduced. In addition, since the heat pump system is modular, assembly and installation are simple, and only the heat pump unit 100 can be checked for performance before assembling the finished product.

The built-in housing 120 includes a heat exchange channel 121 for housing and supporting the heat exchanger 110 and a compressor base 122 for mounting the compressor 113. The heat exchange channel 121 and the compressor base 122 are integrally formed. For example, the heat exchange channel 121 and the compressor base 122 may be integrally formed by injection molding.

The heat exchange channel 121 may be located on the upper front side of the tank 17, and the compressor base 122 may be located on the upper rear side of the tank 17. with the possibility of communication with the air outlet at the upper rear of the tank 17, so that the air exiting the drum 18 can pass into the heat exchange channel 121. The other side (i.e., the right front end on the base of the front surface of the body 10) of the heat exchange channel 121 is connected with the possibility of communication with the air inlet of the gasket 17a of the tank 17, so that the heated air that has carried out heat exchange in the heat exchange channel 121 can be re-supplied to drum 18.

Based on the front surface of the case 10, the suction fan 130 can be installed on the right side surface of the heat exchange channel 121. By generating force to circulate air exiting drum 18, suction fan 130 can circulate air exiting drum 18 back into drum 18 after allowing air to pass through evaporator 111 and condenser 112.

Based on the front surface of the housing 10, the built-in housing 120 may further include a gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 behind the heat exchange passage 121 and on the left side surface of the compressor base 122. The gas-liquid separator 115 can be fixed to the gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 when positioned thereon. When the liquid refrigerant is included in the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 111, the gas-liquid separator 115 separates the liquid refrigerant from the gaseous refrigerant and supplies the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 113.

The heat exchange channel 121 is supported at the front by the front surface of the housing 10, and the compressor base 122 is supported at the rear by the rear surface of the housing 10.

The front frame 15 may be configured to connect the upper end inner walls on the front end portions of the side cover 10b located on both side surfaces of the housing 10, and the heat exchange channel 121 may be fixed to the front frame 15 with a screw 16 and supported by the front frame 15. In this case, two screws 16 can be located at a distance from the front frame 15 in a diagonal direction and be fixed to the front frame 15.

In addition, the compressor base 122 can be fixed to the back cover 10e with a screw 16 and supported by the back cover 10e. Meanwhile, two screws 16 may be spaced diagonally apart from the back cover 10e and fixed to the back cover 10e.

The control unit controls all activities of the laundry processor in addition to the heat pump module 100. The control unit may be configured to include a circuit board case 19 in a flat rectangular box shape having a lower height compared to the length and width, a circuit board mounted in the circuit board case 19, and electrical/electronic control components mounted on the circuit board. .

Fig. 1C is a perspective rear view illustrating the mounting structure of the circuit board case shown in Fig. 1B.

The PCB case 19 can be positioned on the left side surface of the heat pump module 100 in a diagonal direction (on the base as viewed from the front cover 10d) by using the area between the top of the tank 17 and the left side edge of the case 10.

In the case of the circuit board body 19, compared to the area between the top center of the tank and 17 and the side cover 10b on the left, the length of the circuit board body 19 is large, and in order to prevent collision with other components and compactly design the circuit board body 19 together with the heat pump module 100, it is desirable, so that the PCB case 19 is positioned from the top center of the case 10 in a downward direction towards the left side as viewed from the front cover 10d. The reason is that the left side surface of the heat pump module 100 is located between the central upper part of the housing 10 and the upper part of the tank 17, and the area from the left side edge of the housing 10 in the downward direction is wider than the area between the central upper part of the housing 10 and the upper part of the tank 17 so that the right side surface of the PCB case 19 faces the left side surface of the heat pump unit 100, and the left side surface of the PCB case 19 is arranged in a diagonal direction to face the left side cover 10b of the case 10.

The PCB case 19 may include a mounting protrusion 191 protruding from one side of the top surface to stably support the PCB case 19 in the case 10. The upper end portion of the mounting lug 191 may be formed into a hook shape. In addition, to support the circuit board case 19, the case 10 may include a fastener 192 extending lengthwise from one side of the top end of the front cover 10d to one side of the top end of the back cover 10e. Since the upper end portion of the fastening protrusion 191 is supported to be engaged by the side surface of the fastening member 192, the circuit board body 19 is stably supported between the left side edge of the body 10 and the heat pump unit 100 and compactly disposed.

The circuit board case 19 is electrically connected to the heat pump module 100 so that the operating parameters of the heat pump module 100 can be checked by the module before assembling the finished product of the garment treatment apparatus. Thus, since the circuit board case 19 is connected to the heat pump module 100 to check the operating parameters of the heat pump module 100, it is desirable that the circuit board case 19 is located adjacent to the heat pump module 100.

Accordingly, since the PCB case 19 is located near the side surface of the heat pump unit 100 and connected to the side surface of the heat pump unit 100 in a diagonal direction, it can be compactly installed in the case 10 together with the heat pump unit 100.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the heat pump module of Fig. 1B, Fig. 3 is a front view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2 as seen from the front surface of the housing, Fig. 4 is a rear view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2 if viewed from the back of the case.

It is shown that the compressor 113 is mounted on the base 122 of the compressor shown in Fig.2, and the gas-liquid separator 115 is installed in the installation part 123 of the gas-liquid separator.

At least two fixing parts 1216a in the form of a round tube for fixing with a screw 16 are located on the front surface of the heat exchange channel 121. A fastening groove is formed in the fastening portion 1216a. For example, one of the two attachment portions 1216a may further include an elliptical attachment portion 1216b. The elliptical attachment portion 1216b is formed to surround the outer side surface of the circular attachment portion 1216a. Since the screw 16 is fixed in the two circular fixing portions 1216a while passing through the front frame 15, the front surface of the built-in housing 120 is supported by the front frame 15.

At least two fixing parts 1216a in the form of a round tube for fixing with a screw 16 are located on the rear surface of the base 122 of the compressor. Since the fastening groove is formed in the fastening part 1226a, the screw 16 can be inserted into the fastening groove of the fastening part 1216a. In addition, in order to increase the strength of the round fastening part 1216a, a rectangular fastening part 1226b can be additionally formed to accommodate two round fastening parts 1226a. A plurality of stiffening ribs 1226c may be located between the round fastener 1226a and the rectangular fastener 1226b. The screw 16 passes through the back cover 10e to be fixed in the inside of the round fastening part 1226a.

Accordingly, with respect to the built-in housing 120, the front surface of the heat exchange passage 121 is supported by the front frame 15 at two points by the fixing member 16, and the rear surface of the compressor base 122 is supported by the rear cover 10e at two points. Thus, the load of the heat pump unit 100 can be sufficiently supported.

To accurately align the assembly position of the screw 16 on the front surface of the heat exchange channel 121 and the rear surface of the compressor base 122, at least one projection 1217 or projection rib 1227 may protrude. For example, at least one projection 1217 may protrude on the front surface of the heat exchange channel 121, and two projections 1227 may protrude on the rear surface of the compressor base 122. The protruding portion 1217 located on the front surface of the heat exchange channel 121 may include a plurality of protruding ribs 1217a on the outer peripheral surface of the round tube. Meanwhile, the protruding rib 1217a has a height or size that gradually decreases as it gradually passes to the end portion of the protrusion 1217, so that it is easy to insert the protruding rib 1217a and the protrusion 1217 into the guide hole 10e1. A cross-shaped protruding rib 1227 may be located on the rear surface of the base 122 of the compressor.

In addition, a guide hole 19e1 is formed on each of the front frame 15 and the back cover 10e separately from the screw fixing part of the body 120. screw assembly position 16.

The protruding portion 1217 or the protruding rib 1227 may serve to fix the position of the screw assembly 16 as well as support the built-in housing 120.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the heat pump module of Fig. 2.

The heat exchange channel 121 shown in FIG. 5 may be separate in the channel body 121a and the channel cover 121b. The channel cover 121b covers the top of the channel body 121a. The channel body 121a and the channel cover 121b are connected to each other to maintain air tightness. To secure the channel body 121a and the channel cover 121b, a U-shaped fastener 1215 is located immediately down at the lower end of the edge of the channel cover 121b, and a plurality of U-shaped fasteners 1215 are located at a distance from each other along the edge of the channel cover 121b. In addition, the wedge-shaped fastening rib 1214 may protrude laterally on the edge portion of the channel body 121a. Two or more fastening ribs 1214 are located next to each other in the same location so that three fastening ribs 1214 can be inserted and secured in the interior of the U-shaped fastener 1215. The fastening rib 1214 and the fastener 1215 can be positioned to face each other and contact with each other when the channel body 121a and the channel cover 121b are assembled. The connection of the fastening rib 1214 and the fastening element 1215 is necessary for the insertion of the wedge-shaped fastening rib 1214 into the hole inside the fastening element 1215 with one downward push of the channel cover 121b.

The heat exchange path 121 may be divided into a heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 and the first and second connecting passages 1211 and 1213 according to the function of each portion. That is, if the channel body 121a and the channel cover 121b are divided into two parts to accommodate the heat exchanger 110, the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 and the first and second connection channels 1211 and 1213 are structured divided according to the function of each channel part.

The heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 is configured to accommodate the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 inside the duct. Evaporator 111 and condenser 112, in the form of heat exchanger 110 for heat exchange of refrigerant and air, may be configured to include refrigerant conduits 110a to allow refrigerant flow to the evaporator 111 and condenser 112, and a heat transfer plate 110b to expand the heat exchange area of refrigerant conduit 110a . A plurality of heat transfer plates 110b are arranged at a predetermined distance (ie, with a narrow gap) from each other to allow air to pass through, and a refrigerant conduit 110a is connected to pass through and contact the heat transfer plate 110b. The evaporator 111 is located on the upstream side, and the condenser 112 is located on the downstream side based on the airflow direction. The direction of air passage is the direction intersecting with the center line 181 of rotation of the drum 18. The evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 are spaced from each other in the direction intersecting with the center line 181 of rotation of the drum 18.

The heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 includes two condensate splash prevention bumps 111a and 111b protruding from the bottom surface between the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112. The condensate splash prevention bumps 111a and 111b prevent the condensate generated by the evaporator 111 from splashing onto the condenser 112 together with air movement. The two condensate splash prevention bumps 111a and 111b may be spaced apart from each other between the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112. passing condensate from the bottom surface of the evaporator 111 to a condensate drain area formed at the bottom between the bulges 111a and 111b to prevent splashing of condensate. The other condensate splash prevention bump 111b (near the air inlet side of the condenser 112) prevents the air flow from splashing the condensate on the bottom surface of the air outlet side of the evaporator 111 so that the condensate is not splashed and passes to the condensate drain area. Meanwhile, since the splashing of the condensate generated by the evaporator 111 occurs mainly at the bottom of the evaporator 111 under the action of the cohesive force, this is independent of the fact that the condensate splash prevention bump 111a protrudes only a predetermined height from the bottom surface of the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 in a vertical upward direction.

The heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 includes a sealing plate 1218 for maintaining airtightness of the refrigerant line 110a of the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112. the air of the heat exchange channel 121 is prevented from leaking to the outside. The refrigerant line 110a of the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 extends from the inside of the heat exchange path 121 to the outside to connect the compressor 113 and the expansion valve 114, and the sealing plate 1218 is located between the refrigerant line 110a passing through the heat exchange path 121 and the heat exchange path 121 for maintaining airtightness. To this end, a sealing groove 1218a that protrudes from the rear side surface of the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 in a vertical upward direction to allow passage of the refrigerant pipe 110a is formed on the sealing plate 1218. The refrigerant pipe 110a is positioned and supported in the sealing groove 1218a, and the sealing ring inserted into the refrigerant pipe 110a to maintain air tightness between the heat exchange path 121 and the refrigerant pipe 110a.

The first connection channel 1211 extends from one side (i.e., the air inlet side of the evaporator 111) of the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 to the upper rear of the tank 17 for communication with the air outlet of the tank 17, and the air exiting the drum 18, passes through the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 in series through the first connecting passage 1211. The air outlet of the tank 17 is formed back from the top of the tank 17 to the back cover 10e. A plurality of air guides 1211a for guiding the flow of air exiting the air outlet of the tub 17 is formed in the first connection passage 1211. The plurality of air guides 1211a protrude lengthwise in the direction of the air flow and are spaced at a distance from the first connection passage 1211 in the transverse direction.

The second connecting passage 1213 is connected to communicate from the other side (i.e., the air outlet side of the condenser 112) of the heat exchanger installation part 1212 to the air inlet of the tank 17, and the air passing through the condenser 112 can be re-supplied to the drum 18 through the second connecting channel 1213 and circulate. The tank air inlet 17 is formed at the top of the gasket 17a.

The suction fan 130 may be located on the second connecting passage 1213. The suction fan 130 is located on the downstream side of the condenser 112 and sucks the air exiting the drum 18 to pass it through the heat exchanger 110 and then generates a force to circulate the air to be recycled. circulation into the drum 18. The suction fan 130 is connected to the fan motor and receives rotational force from the fan motor to rotate.

The second connection passage 1213 may be configured to include a passage connection passage 1213a extending from the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 to the right side cover 10b, and a fan connection passage 1213b extending from the suction fan 130 to the air inlet (i.e., the air inlet of the gasket 17a) of the tank 17. The connecting channel 1213a of the channel part and the connecting channel 1213b of the fan can be connected to communicate with each other. The connecting channel 1213a of the channel part may have an air flow area that becomes narrower as it gradually passes from the air inlet of the condenser 112 to the side cover 10b. The fan connection duct 1213b may accommodate the suction fan 130 and may be configured to include two separate ducts to form a flow path between the condenser 112 and the air inlet of the tub 17. That is, the two fan connection ducts 1213b are arranged vertically facing each other at the right side surface of the heat exchange channel 121 and are releasably connected to each other. Meanwhile, the U-shaped fastener 1215 and the fastening rib 1214 are positioned to face each other in the lateral direction for fastening on each edge of two fan connection channels 1213b. Furthermore, in order to connect the channel portion connecting passage 1213a and the fan connection passage 1213b, the bolting tube-shaped fixing portions 1213a' and 1213b' may be formed respectively on the outer side surface of the passage portion connection passage 1213a and the outer peripheral surface of the fan connection passage 1213b. The tube-shaped fixing parts 1213a' and 1213b' can contact each other when the connecting channel 1213a of the channel part and the connecting channel 1213b of the fan are assembled and can be fixed with the screw 16. Here, in order to increase the strength of the fixing part 1213a', the rib 1213a1 can be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fastening part 1213a'. In addition, a connecting rib 1213a' for connecting the attachment part 1213a' and the connecting duct 1213a of the duct part, and a connecting rib 1213b' for connecting the attachment part 1213a' and the connecting duct 1213b of the fan can be formed.

Herein, in order to increase the heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchanger 110 while compactly optimizing the area for locating the heat pump system, the bottom surface of the built-in housing 120 may be formed to be rounded along the top surface (i.e., a rounded portion formed in a round shape) of the tank 17. The bottom surface built-in housing 120 and the upper surface of the tank 17 can be located at a small distance from each other.

For example, the bottom surface of the channel of the heat exchanger 110 is formed to be rounded, so that the height of the channel of the heat exchanger 110 can gradually increase from the upper center of the tank 17 as it gradually passes to the side cover 10b. That is, the height of the first connection passage 1211 is the smallest, and the height of the heat exchanger installation portion 1212 is further increased compared to the first connection passage 1211, and the heights of the second connection passage 1213 and the suction fan 130 are increased compared to the heat exchanger installation portion 1212.

This is necessary to increase the heat transfer efficiency while maximizing the area between the top surface of the cylindrical tank 17 and the flat top cover 10a, since the area between the top surface of the tank 17 and the top cover 10A gradually expands from the top center of the tank 17 to the side cover 10b.

Accordingly, in order to increase the heat transfer efficiency while maximizing the area between the top of the tank 17 and the top cover 10a, the dimensions of the heat exchanger 110 and the connecting channel can be increased, or an appropriate location is required, taking into account the suction fan 130.

The first connecting passage 1211 for sucking air in the heat exchange passage 121 can be made with a relatively small height, considering the narrow area between the upper central part of the tank 17 and the upper cover 10a, and have a sectional area size that increases as it gradually passes from the inlet of the first connecting passage 1211 to the installation part 1212 for the heat exchanger.

In view of functional aspects, the heat exchanger mounting portion 1212 may further increase the size of the condenser 112 for heating the air supplied to the drum 18 compared to the evaporator 111 for removing moisture from the air leaving the drum 18. Since the size and height of the condenser 112 is larger than the size and height of the evaporator 111, the heat exchange area of the condenser 112 is larger.

The suction fan 130 is positioned vertically in the airflow direction to suck in air, but to maximize the amount of air sucked in a limited area located through the use the area of the widest side edge of the body 10 in the area between the top of the tank 17 and the top cover 10a.

Since the compressor 113 also has a larger volume compared to other components of the heat pump and has a narrow area between the top of the tank 17 and the top cover 10a of the casing 10, the area between the upper outer peripheral surface of the tank 17 and the side edge of the casing 10 is used as the area for the location of the compressor 113 .

To compactly optimize the area for the location of the compressor 113, the compressor 113 is located at the top of the tank 17. The compressor base 122 is located in the region of the side edge of the housing 10. The compressor base 122 may be located on the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel 121. Compressor 113 may be a transverse compressor 113 located downward in a forward and backward direction relative to a horizontal support surface.

The heat pump system is important not only for the compact optimization of a complex configuration, but also for preventing noise and vibration of the compressor 113. Especially, this is even more important when the compressor 113 is on top of the tank 17, as in the present invention.

The support structure of the compressor 113 will be described in more detail.

The compressor base 122 has a structure that surrounds both side surfaces and the bottom surface of the horizontal compressor 113. Viewed from the rear cover 10e, the compressor base 122 may have a U-shaped section open upward. Meanwhile, the lower surface of the compressor base 122 may be formed rounded along the upper surface of the tub 17 like the heat exchange channel 121 .

To minimize vibration generated from the compressor 113, the heat pump module 100 may include a bracket 1131 located on the top surface of the compressor 113, an anti-vibration support 1132 located between the bracket 1131 and the compressor base 122, and a mounting bolt 1133 to secure the anti-vibration support 1132 and 122 compressor bases.

Bracket 1131 is welded in three places on the top surface of the compressor casing. Bracket 1131 is fixed on the upper surface of the compressor housing to transmit vibration generated from the compressor 113 to the anti-vibration mount 1132. The middle section of the bracket 1131 may be convex upwards and rounded to fit tightly on the outer peripheral surface of the compressor 113. The welding section is fixed in three places of the rounded surface of the bracket 1131, which is in close contact with the compressor housing, that is, two places at the outlet of the compressor 113 and one place at its rear. A fixing hole 1131a is formed at each of the four locations of the edge portions of the bracket 1131. The fixing hole 1131a is a hole through which the fixing bolt 1133 passes.

The anti-vibration mount 1132 may be formed from rubber suitable for vibration absorption. Anti-vibration support 1132 has a hollow portion and has a wavy outer side surface. By transmitting vibration from the top of the anti-vibration mount 1132 in an up and down direction and in a left and right/forward and backward direction, the anti-vibration mount 1132 can absorb the vibration. The anti-vibration mount 1132 can be positioned at four locations to fit snugly against the mounting hole 1131a formed on the outside of the bracket 1131.

Both side surfaces of the compressor base 122 include a support 1221 formed in parallel in a vertical upward direction to receive and surround both side surfaces of the compressor 113. upward direction at the bottom of the support 1221 are formed in two places, that is, in front and behind the support 1221.

Mounting bolt 1133 can serve as a bolt. The lower end portion of the mounting bolt 1133 has a larger diameter than the mounting bolt 1133 like the bolt head, and the screw portion is formed on the upper end portion of the mounting bolt 1133. The mounting bolt 1133 passes through the mounting bolt hole of the pedestal 1221, the anti-vibration mount 1132, and the bracket mounting hole 1131a 1131, and the screw portion of the fixing bolt 1133 is fixed with a nut. As a result, the mounting bolt 1133 can secure the bracket 1131, the anti-vibration support 1132, and the support 1221 of the compressor base 122.

Due to this support structure of the compressor 113, the vibration generated from the compressor 113 can be transmitted to the anti-vibration support 1132 through the bracket 1131, and the anti-vibration support 1132 can absorb the vibration of the compressor 113.

In addition, the transverse compressor 113 may be inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the horizontal plane. This is to prevent overheating or damage to the compressor 113 resulting from friction between the compression parts formed in the compressor 113, i.e., the rolling piston and the cylinder, during their relative movement.

When examining the internal configuration of the transverse compressor 113, an electrically actuated portion of the apparatus configured to include a stator and a rotor may be located in front of the compressor housing, and a compression portion of the apparatus configured to include a rolling piston, a cylinder, and bearing, can be located behind the compressor housing. Compressor 113 is configured to serve as a lubricant by storing a predetermined amount of oil in the compressor housing and supplying oil between a movable piston and cylinder that have relative movements. However, when the compressor housing is horizontal, the oil moves to the front of the compressor housing, so that the oil on the side of the compression part of the device may be insufficient. In this case, the compressor 113 may overheat or be damaged due to lack of oil, and the operation of the compressor 113 may be stopped. To minimize this lack of oil, since the rear of the compressor 113 is inclined below the horizontal plane, the oil inside the compressor housing can be collected in the compression part of the compressor and supplied to the compression part of the apparatus sufficiently.

The power connection portion and the refrigerant outlet are formed on the front surface of the transverse compressor 113. The front surface of the compressor 113 is a surface near the rear surface of the heat exchange channel 121.

The outlet part of the compressor 113 may be formed on the front surface of the compressor housing, and the suction port of the compressor 113 for sucking the refrigerant may be formed in the lower part of the outer peripheral surface of the compressor housing. This is necessary to reduce the length of the refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor suction port 113 and the evaporator outlet 111, and the length of the refrigerant pipe connecting the compressor outlet 113 and the condenser suction port 112.

In addition, the gas-liquid separator 115 is installed on the refrigerant pipeline connecting the evaporator 111 and the compressor 113. The gas-liquid separator 115 separates the liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant gas due to the difference in specific gravity, and the separated liquid refrigerant is stored in the gas-liquid separator 115, and only the refrigerant gas is transferred to the compressor 113 The gas-liquid separator 115 may be installed in the gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 integrally formed between the rear of the heat exchange passage 121 and the left side surface of the compressor base 122.

The heat pump module 100 circulates two types of fluids, i.e., air and refrigerant, through separate flow channels and provides heat exchange of air and refrigerant through the evaporator 111, thereby removing moisture from the air, and provides heat exchange of air and refrigerant through the condenser 112, thus heating the air.

The heat pump module 100 includes a compressor 113, a condenser 112, an expansion valve 114, and an evaporator 111.

When studying the trajectory of the refrigerant, the refrigerant circulates in a sequence of compressor 113, condenser 112, expansion valve 114, and evaporator 111, which are connected by refrigerant piping. The compressor 113 compresses the gaseous refrigerant to high temperature and high pressure, and applies force to circulate the refrigerant. The refrigerant compressed in the compressor 113 moves to the condenser 112, and as the refrigerant condenses from the gaseous phase to the liquid phase in the condenser 112, it exchanges heat with the air passing through the condenser 112, and since the latent heat of condensation is transferred through the air, the air is heated . As the condensed refrigerant passes through the expansion valve 114, the high temperature, high pressure liquid refrigerant depressurizes to a pressure at which the refrigerant is vaporized by the throttling action of the expansion valve 114 and becomes a low temperature, low pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant at low temperature and low pressure moves to the evaporator 111. The refrigerant in the evaporator 111 exchanges heat with the air passing through the evaporator 111 to absorb heat from the air and evaporates from the liquid phase to the gaseous phase.

When learning the air movement path, the air exits the drum 18 and moves to the evaporator 111 and then exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the evaporator 111 to release heat into the refrigerant. Therefore, the moisture in the air condenses and is removed from the air, and then the condensate sinks to the bottom surface of the evaporator 111 and drains. Then, the moisture-removed air moves directly to the condenser 112, and the refrigerant and air carry out heat exchange in the condenser 112, so that the heat of the refrigerant is transferred to the air, and the air is heated. The heated air is removed from the condenser 112 and re-supplied again to the drum 18 through the air inlet of the tank 17.

Fig.6A is a top view of the built-in housing in Fig.5, and Fig.6B is a bottom view of the built-in housing in Fig.5.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the built-in housing 120 is largely configured to include a heat exchange channel 121 and a compressor base 122. The heat exchange channel 121 is located on the bottom side of the top view, and the compressor base 122 is located on the top side of the top view. In the top view, the bottom side is the front cover 10d side of the casing 10, and the top side is the back cover 10e side of the casing 10. The heat exchange passage 121 and the compressor base 122 are positioned offset from the rotation center line 181 of the drum 18 towards the right side cover 10b. The first connection channel 1211 of the heat exchange channel 121 may be located adjacent to the center line 181 of rotation of the drum 18. The second connection channel 1213 of the heat exchange channel 121 and the compressor base 122 may be located adjacent to the right side cover 10b. The installation portion 123 for the gas-liquid separator may be located between the right side surface of the first connection channel 1211 and the left side surface of the base 122 of the compressor.

A plurality of rectangular holes 1222 are formed on the lower front and rear sides of the compressor base 122 to prevent collision with other components. For example, since the expansion valve 114 is located on the refrigerant pipe connecting the condenser 112 and the evaporator 111, but is located on the outside of the heat exchange passage 121, the collision between pipes such as the refrigerant pipe connected to the expansion valve 114 and the refrigerant pipe connected to the suction port refrigerant of the compressor 113 and the bottom surface of the compressor base 122 can be prevented by the rectangular openings 1222.

The heat exchange channel 121, the compressor base 122 and the gas-liquid separator 115 are connected as one element and made as one.

A stiffening rib 1223 is formed on the bottom surface of the compressor base 122 shown in FIG.

Fig. 7A is a side view of the integral body of Fig. 6A as viewed from the right side cover, and Fig. 7B is an exploded perspective view in which the buffer element of Fig. 7A is mounted on the upper outer peripheral surface of the tub.

Built-in housing 120, shown in figa, is located in the upper part of the tank 17 at a distance. The buffer member connecting portion 141 for attaching the buffer member 140 protrudes from the outer circumferential upper portion of the tub 17. The buffer member coupling portion 141 includes an insertion groove, and the lower portion of the buffer member 140 is inserted into the insertion groove and supported. The buffer member 140 may be made of rubber sufficient to reduce impact, and the shape of the buffer member 140 is not particularly limited.

The buffer element 140 typically maintains a distance from the bottom surface of the integral housing 120, and if the integral housing 120 buckles, the shock transmitted by the integral housing 120 must be absorbed. surface of the buffer element 140 to contact the buffer element 140. The portion of the integral housing 120 in contact with the buffer element 140 may be located at the center of gravity of the integral housing 120 or near the center of gravity of the integral housing 120.

The buffer element 140 may be positioned near the right side cover 10b along the outer peripheral surface from the top center of the tank 17. When the buffer element 140 is located at the top center of the tank 17, if the entire load of the heat pump module 100 is transferred to the tank 17 through the built-in housing 120, as a result, the upper central part of the tank 17 may be pressed down tightly and destroyed. However, if the buffer member 140 is fixed laterally offset along the outer peripheral surface from the upper center portion of the tub 17, the direction of the transmitted force (i.e., impact force) is the direction of gravity, and the force in the direction of gravity is distributed in the direction along circumference around the outer peripheral surface of the tank 17 for effective shock absorption.

Below will be described the overall layout of the heat pump module 100 in accordance with the present invention with reference to figa-8D.

Fig. 8A is a perspective view in which a heat pump module according to the present invention is mounted on the top of a tank, Fig. 8B is a top view of Fig. 8A, Fig. 8C is a front view of the housing in Fig. 8A, and Fig. 8D is a view of the right side of the housing in Fig.8A.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the heat pump module 100 includes an integrated housing 120 that is compactly located on top of the tank 17.

The built-in housing 120 includes a heat exchange passage 121 and a fan passage 124 located at the front of the tank 17, and a compressor base 122 and a gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 located at the rear of the tank 17.

The heat exchange channel 121 houses and supports the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112. In addition, the heat exchange channel 121 is connected to the tank 17 to form an air flow circulation channel for recirculating the air exiting the tank 17 to the tank 17.

The fan passage 124 includes a suction fan 130 and is vertically disposed on the right side surface of the heat exchange passage 121. Fan channel 124 is releasably connected to heat exchange channel 121 in integral form. The suction fan 130 may be configured to include an impeller 131 and a fan motor 132 to drive the impeller 131.

The compressor base 122 supports the compressor main body 113 and is installed such that the compressor main body 113 is suspended on the top of the compressor base 122 by the bracket 1131 and the anti-vibration support 1132. Thus, vibration of the horizontal compressor 113 can be prevented. In addition, the compressor main body 113 may be placed on the base 122 of the compressor and surrounded by the base 122 of the compressor.

The installation part 123 for the gas-liquid separator is configured to install the gas-liquid separator 115.

The heat exchange channel 122, the fan channel 124, the compressor base 122, and the gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 are formed as one piece.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the tub 17 includes an air outlet 171 formed offset to the left from the upper center rear end portion based on the center line C-C. The heat exchange channel 121 can be connected to the air outlet 171 of the tank 17 via a tank connection channel 173 . The first hose 174 for supplying water is connected to the section connecting the tank 17 and the connecting channel 173 of the tank. The first water supply hose 174 is connected to the water supply trap 176 and supplies the washing water obtained from the water supply source through the air outlet 171. The second water supply hose 175 may be connected to the rear surface of the cover of the heat exchange passage 121. The second water supply hose 175 is a hose for supplying wash water to the spray surface of the evaporator 111.

One end of the tub connecting passage 173 is connected to the air outlet 171 of the tub 17, and the other end of the tub connecting passage 173 is connected to the suction port of the heat exchange passage 121. An anti-vibration member made of rubber having the shape of a bellows is inserted between the other end portion of the tub connecting passage 173 and the suction port of the heat exchange passage 121, so that the vibration generated by the tank 17 is isolated so as not to transmit vibration to the heat exchange passage 121.

As shown in FIG. 8A, a rubber gasket 17a is formed on the front end of the tub 17, and an air inlet 172 is formed on the top right of the gasket 17a.

The suction fan 130 is disposed vertically to the right side surface of the heat exchange passage 121 for sucking air discharged from the tub 17 into the tub connecting passage 173 and the heat exchange passage 121. In addition, the suction fan 130 can convey the intake air back to the tank 17.

With respect to the fan passage 124, the rotation axis 133 of the suction fan 130 is located facing the right side surface of the heat exchange passage 121 and the right side casing cover, and the impeller 131 rotates based on the rotation axis 133.

The fan passage 124 includes an annular-shaped housing 124a to surround the impeller 131 and an outlet portion 124b extending in a left diagonal direction from the front side lower portion of the fan case 124a for connection with a gasket 17a of the tub 17. The outlet portion 124b has a sectional area that expands to a large extent as it gradually passes from the front side surface of the fan case 124a to the air inlet 172 of the tank 17. In this document, the air outlet direction of the outlet 124b is the direction that runs from the top right of the tank 17 to the bottom left. This is necessary to increase the drying efficiency by providing the largest contact area between the air and the laundry. In addition, the discharge pressure of the air exiting the fan passage 124 can be determined by supplying air in the radial direction from the central portion of the fan housing 124a under the action of centrifugal force due to the rotation of the impeller 131. In addition, as the speed of the impeller 131 increases, the exhaust flow rate air may increase (see figa and 8D).

As shown in FIG. 8B, the air exiting the tank 17 passes through the heat exchange channel 121 through the tank connection channel 173 and moves in a diagonal direction from the top left side of the tank 17 to the top right side of the tank 17.

The base 122 of the compressor is located on the upper right rear side of the tank 17. Here, the back side of the tank 17 is the top side, and the front side of the tank 17 is the back side in the drawing.

The installation part 123 for the gas-liquid separator is adjacent to the center line C-C of the tank 17 and is located in the upper center back of the tank 17.

The gas-liquid separator 115 in accordance with the present invention is made as a separate component from the compressor 113.

The reason is that since the gas-liquid separator 115 of the heat pump unit 100 used in the garment treatment apparatus has a small capacity usually due to outdoor environmental conditions such as winter when the temperature falls below freezing, the flow rate of the liquid refrigerant, which is completely not evaporated in the evaporator 111, is large.

Accordingly, in order to increase the capacity of the gas-liquid separator 115, it is desirable that the gas-liquid separator 115 is not made as part of the compressor 113, but as a separate independent component. In addition, the diameter of the gas-liquid separator 115 according to the present invention is preferably about 1/3-3/4 of the diameter of the compressor 113.

The gas-liquid separator 115 is installed in the gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 and supported, and the gas-liquid separator mounting portion 123 is integrally formed on the left side surface of the compressor base 122 and the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel 121. However, the gas-liquid separator 115 is located at a distance from the compressor main body 113.

In addition, the pressure switch mounting portion 125 for mounting the pressure switch behind the gas-liquid separator 115 may be further included.

As shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 are placed in the heat exchange channel 121 and are offset from the center line C-C of the tank 17 to the right and spaced from each other in a direction intersecting with the center line C-C of the tank 17.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the heat exchange channel 121 has a sectional area that gradually increases as it gradually passes from the center line C-C of the tank 17 to the right. The upper surface of the heat exchange channel 121 may be a plane parallel to the upper casing cover, and the lower surface of the heat exchange channel 121 may extend downward to maximize the use of the upper surface of the tank 17 while facing the upper outer peripheral surface of the tank 17.

The upper surface of the heat exchange channel 121, the upper surface of the evaporator 111 and the upper surface of the condenser 112 are located in essentially the same plane. For example, the height difference between these upper surfaces may be within about 1 cm. However, the lower end portion of the evaporator 111 extends lower in the downward direction compared to the lower surface on the suction side of the heat exchange passage 121, and the lower end portion of the condenser 112 extends lower in the downward direction. down compared to the lower end portion of the evaporator 111, so that the heat exchange area can be increased.

Accordingly, the efficiency of the heat pump can be increased by increasing the size of the evaporator 111 and the condenser 112 to increase the heat exchange area.

Claims (23)

1. Device for processing clothing, containing: frame; a tank located inside the body; a drum rotatably mounted in the tub and forming a holding area for washing and drying clothes; and a heat pump module configured to circulate the refrigerant to the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, evaporator, gas-liquid separator, and recirculate the air exiting the drum into the drum through the evaporator and condenser, moreover, the heat pump module contains an integrated housing made with the possibility of combining the compressor, condenser, evaporator and gas-liquid separator into one whole, wherein the built-in housing contains: a compressor base configured to support the compressor, and a gas-liquid separator mounting portion configured to mount a gas-liquid separator, wherein the compressor is housed in a compressor base that supports the compressor housing by being suspended from the top surface of the compressor base by a bracket and an anti-vibration mount located on the top surface of the compressor base. 2. The garment treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integrated housing is configured to further integrate the expansion valve into one. 3. The garment processing device according to claim 2, wherein the integral housing comprises: a heat exchange channel configured to receive an evaporator and a condenser and connected to the tank to form a channel for circulating an air flow; the base of the compressor is made integral with the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel with the possibility of supporting the compressor; and the installation part for the gas-liquid separator is made as a whole of the rear side surface of the heat exchange channel and one side surface of the compressor base with the possibility of installing a gas-liquid separator. 4. The garment treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the compressor base surrounds and supports an outer circumferential surface of the compressor. 5. The garment treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the heat exchange channel comprises a body and a cover removably connected to the top and bottom. 6. Apparatus for processing clothes according to claim 3, in which the heat exchange channel is located in the upper part of the tank; and the base of the compressor is located in the area between the upper rear side of the tank and the side edge of the housing. 7. The garment treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the compressor is a horizontal compressor having an axis of rotation inside, both end portions of the axis of rotation being transversely disposed to face a front surface and a rear surface of the housing. 8. The garment treatment apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the horizontal compressor is located in the compressor base, which supports the compressor housing by being suspended on the top surface of the compressor base by means of a bracket and an anti-vibration support located on the top surface of the compressor base. 9. The garment treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the integrated housing is located in the area between the top of the tub and the side edge of the housing. 10. The garment treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the buffer element is located on the upper outer circumferential surface of the tub, and when the heat pump module sags, the built-in housing and the buffer element contact each other to reduce impact. 11. The garment treatment apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tub is tilted at an angle greater than 0° and less than 10° to ensure that the front is higher than the back.

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