Structure for supplying hot air for drying clothes in drum type washing machine and operation control method thereof

Abstract

Structure for supplying hot air to a drum washing machine, and operation control method thereof, in which uniform introduction of hot air deep into an inside of a drum is made possible for enhancing drying capability and efficiency. For this, a drum washing machine includes a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, a hot air inlet at a front side of the drum for supplying the hot air to the inside of the drum, and a humid air recovery opening at a rear side of the drum for recovering humid air from the inside of the drum, and the operation control method of a drum washing machine includes the step of supplying hot air to an inside of the drum while rotating the drum at a speed equal to, or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry in the drum attached to, and not fall off from, the inside surface of the drum in progressing a drying cycle.

1 . A drum washing machine comprising: 
 a tub for holding washing water;    a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein;    a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum;    a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum;    a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum;    a hot air inlet at a front side of the drum for supplying the hot air to the inside of the drum; and    a humid air recovery opening at a rear side of the drum for recovering humid air from the inside of the drum.    
   
   
       2 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hot air inlet of the drying duct is positioned at an upper portion of the front side of the drum, and the humid air recovery opening of the drying duct is positioned at a lower portion of the rear side of the drum.  
   
   
       3 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the humid air recovery opening is connected to a rear wall of the tub at the rear side of the drum, directly.  
   
   
       4 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the rear wall of the tub is formed of stainless steel or plastic, and has an opening for recovery of humid air in a surface thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the opening has a shape of a slot.  
   
   
       6 . A drum washing machine comprising: 
 a tub for holding washing water;    a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein;    a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum;    a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum;    a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum;    a hot air inlet at a rear side of the drum for supplying the hot air to the inside of the drum; and    a humid air recovery opening at a front side of the drum for recovering humid air from the inside of the drum.    
   
   
       7 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the hot air inlet is positioned at an upper portion of a rear side of the drum, and the humid air recovery opening is positioned at a lower portion of a front side of the drum.  
   
   
       8 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the hot air inlet is connected to a rear wall of the tub on a rear side of the drum.  
   
   
       9 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the rear wall of the tub is formed of stainless steel or plastic, and has an opening for recovery of humid air in a surface thereof.  
   
   
       10 . The drum washing machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the opening has a shape of a slot.  
   
   
       11 . A method for controlling operation of a horizontal or tilt type drum washing machine comprising a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drum driving motor for providing driving force to rotate the drum, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, 
 the method comprising the step of supplying the hot air to an inside of the drum while rotating the drum at a speed equal to, or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry in the drum to be attached to, and not to fall off from, an inside surface of the drum in progressing of a drying cycle.    
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the hot air supplied to an inside of the drum is supplied in a direction along a drum driving shaft line.  
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the hot air supplied to an inside of the drum is supplied from a front to a rear of the drum, or vice versa.  
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the hot air supplied to an inside of the drum is supplied from an upper side of a front of the drum to a lower side of a rear of the drum, or from an upper side of a rear of the drum to a lower side of a front of the drum.  
   
   
       15 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the drying cycle includes at least one time of; 
 a section for turning on the drum driving motor, to accelerate a rotation speed of the drum until the rotation speed reaches to a preset speed equal to or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry in the drum to be attached to, and not to fall off from the inside surface of the drum, and    a section for maintaining the rotation speed at the preset speed.    
   
   
       16 . The method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the drying cycle further includes a section for reducing the rotation speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry in the drum is unable to be attached to, but to fall off from the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying.  
   
   
       17 . A method for controlling operation of a horizontal or tilt type drum washing machine comprising a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drum driving motor for providing driving force to rotate the drum, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, 
 the method comprising the steps of:    turning off the drum driving motor as spinning is finished;    turning on the drying heater and the fan; and    supplying the hot air to an inside of the drum while a rotation speed of the drum is maintained at a speed enough to keep the laundry to be attached to, and not fall off from an inside circumferential surface of the drum by turning on the drum driving motor again before the laundry attached to the inside circumferential surface of the drum in the spinning falls off therefrom.    
   
   
       18 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the drying heater and the fan are turned on at once as the spinning is finished.  
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the drying heater and the fan are turned on after a preset time period is passed from a time when the drum driving motor is turned off.  
   
   
       20 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the hot air supplied to an inside of the drum is supplied in a direction along a drum driving shaft line.  
   
   
       21 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the hot air supplied to the inside of the drum is supplied from a front to a rear of the drum, or vice versa.  
   
   
       22 . The method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a section for maintaining a rotation speed of the drum at a speed enough to keep the laundry to be attached to, and not fall off from an inside circumferential surface of the drum; and    a section for reducing the rotation speed of the drum to a speed at which the laundry in the drum is unable to be attached to, but to fall from the inside surface of the drum.    
   
   
       23 . A method for controlling a drying cycle of a horizontal or tilt type drum washing machine comprising a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and means for determining dryness of the laundry in the drum, 
 the method comprising the steps of:    measuring dryness of the laundry in the drum in a state the drum is stationary after finish of spinning;    supplying hot air while rotating the drum at a speed equal to or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry to be attached to, and not to fall off from, an inside surface of the drum by raising the rotating speed of the drum, if measured dryness is below preset dryness; and    supplying the hot air to an inside of the drum while rotating the drum at a speed below a speed enough to keep the laundry to be attached to, and not to fall off from the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying, if the measured dryness is higher than the preset dryness.    
   
   
       24 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the hot air supplied to the inside of the drum is supplied in a direction the same with, or substantially the same with, a drum driving shaft.  
   
   
       25 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the hot air supplied to the inside of the drum is supplied from a front to a rear of the drum, or vice versa.  
   
   
       26 . The method as claimed in  claim 23 , wherein the step of supplying the hot air to an inside of the drum while rotating the drum at a speed below a speed enough to keep the laundry to be attached to, and not to fall off from the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying includes the step of alternating a rotating direction of the drum.  
   
   
       27 . A method for controlling operation of a horizontal or tilt type drum washing machine comprising a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and means for determining dryness of the laundry in the drum, 
 the method comprising the steps of:    after spinning, supplying the hot air to the inside of the drum while rotating the drum at a speed to maintain a state in which the laundry is kept to be attached to, and not to fall off from, but not to be attached closely to, an inside surface of the drum;    detecting the dryness in the middle of above step, to progress drying while maintaining a speed to maintain a state in which the laundry is kept to be attached to, and not to fall off from, but not to be attached closely to, the inside surface of the drum, if the dryness is below a preset dryness; and    progressing the drying after reducing the rotation speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry is unable to be attached to, but fall off from the inside surface of the drum, if the dryness is higher than the preset dryness.    
   
   
       28 . The method as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the hot air supplied to the inside of the drum is supplied in a direction the same with, or substantially the same with, a drum driving shaft.  
   
   
       29 . The method as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the hot air supplied to the inside of the drum is supplied from a front to a rear of the drum, or vice versa.  
   
   
       30 . The method as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein the step of progressing the drying after reducing the rotation speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry is unable to be attached to, but fall off from the inside surface of the drum includes the step of alternating a rotating direction of the drum.  
   
   
       31 . A method for controlling operation of a horizontal or tilt type drum washing machine comprising a tub for holding washing water, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, for introducing laundry therein, a drying heater for heating air being supplied to an inside of the drum, a drying duct forming a flow passage for supplying hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and a fan for forced supply of the hot air heated by the drying heater to the inside of the drum, and a hot air supply structure in which a hot air inlet of the drying duct is positioned at a front side or a rear side of the drum, and a humid air recovery opening of the drying duct is positioned at the rear side or the front side of the drum opposite to the hot air inlet, 
 the method comprising the steps of:    in progressing a drying cycle, supplying hot air to an inside of the drum through the hot air inlet positioned at a front, or a rear of the drum, and, at the same time with this, rotating the drum at a speed enough to keep the laundry attached to, and not fall off from, but not to be attached closely to, an inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying.    
   
   
       32 . The method as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the hot air supplied to an inside of the drum is supplied from an upper portion of a front side of the drum to a lower portion of a rear side of the drum, or an upper portion of a rear side of the drum to a lower portion of a front side of the drum.  
   
   
       33 . The method as claimed in  claim 31 , further comprising at least one time of: 
 a section for turning on a drum driving motor to accelerate a rotation speed of the drum to a speed equal to, or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry in the drum attached to, and not fall off from, the inside surface of the drum;    a section for maintaining the rotating speed of the drum at a speed equal to, or higher than a speed enough to keep the laundry in the drum attached to, and not fall off from, the inside surface of the drum; and    a section for reducing the rotating speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry in the drum is unable to be attached to, but to fall off from, the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying.    
   
   
       34 . The method as claimed in  claim 33 , wherein the section for reducing the rotating speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry in the drum is unable to be attached to, but to fall off from, the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying includes the step of alternating a rotating direction of the drum.  
   
   
       35 . The method as claimed in  claim 31 , further comprising the step of measuring dryness of the laundry in the drum in the middle of progressing a drying cycle.  
   
   
       36 . The method as claimed in  claim 35 , wherein the dryness is measure in a state the drum is stationary, or the rotation speed of the drum is enough to keep the laundry attached to, and not fall off from, the inside circumferential surface of the drum.  
   
   
       37 . The method as claimed in  claim 36 , depending on a result of measurement of the dryness, further comprising the steps of: 
 raising the rotating speed of the drum to maintain a speed enough to keep the laundry attached to, and not fall off from, the inside surface of the drum for progressing drying, if measured dryness is below a preset dryness; and    reducing the rotating speed of the drum to a low speed at which the laundry is unable to be attached to, but fall off from, the inside surface of the drum, for progressing drying, if measured dryness is higher than the preset dryness.