Drum type washing machine with laundry drying function

Abstract

Drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function including a tub for receiving hot air through a front, and discharging the hot air through a rear, a drum rotatably mounted in the tub, a drying duct having a heater and a fan mounted therein for producing hot air, the drying duct being fixedly secured to an outside of an upper portion of the tub, to serve as a counterweight, and a condensing duct for removing moisture from the hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of the rear of the tub, thereby providing a new flow passage structure for improving a drying efficiency, and a drying performance, and making the drying duct to serve as the counterweight that suppress vibration of the tub, too.

1 . A drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function comprising: 
 a tub for receiving hot air through a front, and discharging the hot air through a rear;    a drum rotatably mounted in the tub;    a drying duct having a heater and a fan mounted therein for producing hot air, the drying duct being fixedly secured to an outside of an upper portion of the tub, to serve as a counterweight; and    a condensing duct for removing moisture from the hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of the rear of the tub.    
   
   
       2 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hot air inlet hole is formed in an upper portion of a front of the tub, and the hot air outlet hole is formed in the lower portion of the rear of the tub.  
   
   
       3 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the drum includes hot air pass through holes in a front of the drum for introduction of the hot air passed through the hot air inlet hole into an inside of the drum.  
   
   
       4 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tub is a plastic injection molding.  
   
   
       5 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the drum is formed of stainless steel.  
   
   
       6 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the tub includes a plurality of hot air inlet holes and a plurality of hot air outlet holes, the drying duct connected to the hot air inlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an outlet side thereof, and the condensing duct connected to the hot air outlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an inlet side thereof, so that the branched outlet side of the drying duct and branched inlet side of the condensing duct are connected to the hot air inlet holes in the tub and the hot air outlet holes in the tub, respectively.  
   
   
       7 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising heat dissipation fins on an upper surface of the drying duct for preventing the upper surface from overheating.  
   
   
       8 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum arranged in a radial shape.  
   
   
       9 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and in a line in a radial direction.  
   
   
       10 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and in a zigzag shape in a radial direction.  
   
   
       11 . A drum type washing machine having a laundry drying function comprising: 
 a tub of plastic injection molding having a hot air inlet hole in an upper portion of a front, and a hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of a rear;    a drum of stainless steel rotatably mounted in the tub, the drum having hot air pass through holes in a front thereof for introduction of the hot air passed through the hot air inlet hole in the tub into an inside of the drum;    a counterweight mounted on the tub;    a drying duct having a heater and a fan for producing hot air, the drying duct being fixedly secured to one side of an outside of an upper portion of the tub, for serving as a counterweight which suppresses system vibration together with the counterweight, too;    a heater for producing the hot air, and a fan for forced circulation of the hot air to a drum side; and    a condensing duct for removing moisture from the hot air from the hot air outlet hole in a lower portion of the rear of the tub.    
   
   
       12 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the tub includes a plurality of hot air inlet holes and a plurality of hot air outlet holes, the drying duct connected to the hot air inlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an outlet side thereof, and the condensing duct connected to the hot air outlet holes in the tub includes a plurality of branches at an inlet side thereof, so that the branched outlet side of the drying duct and branched inlet side of the condensing duct are connected to the hot air inlet holes in the tub and the hot air outlet holes in the tub, respectively.  
   
   
       13 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising heat dissipation fins on an upper surface of the drying duct for preventing the upper surface from overheating.  
   
   
       14 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein there are a plurality of hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum arranged in a radial shape.  
   
   
       15 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and in a line in a radial direction.  
   
   
       16 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the hot air pass through holes in the front of the drum are arranged in concentric circles in a circumferential direction, and in a zigzag shape in a radial direction.  
   
   
       17 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising a heat shielding plate between the tub and the drying duct for preventing transmission of heat from the drying duct to the tub.  
   
   
       18 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the heat shielding plate is formed of non-combustible steel plate, or fire retarding plastic.  
   
   
       19 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the counterweight has a position, a shape, and a weight set up, taking entire system vibration of the drum type washing machine into account.  
   
   
       20 . The drum type washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the counterweight is mounted on the tub in front of the drying duct, the counterweight having a position, a shape, and a weight set up, taking a mounting position, a shape, and a weight of the drying duct into account.