Heat shield fastening structure for drum type washing machine with laundry drying function

Abstract

Provided is a drum type washing machine combined with a dryer and employing an improved air passage structure that can enhance the drying efficiency and drying performance, in particular, that can prevent a tub from being deformed due to heat of a heater of the drying duct. The washing machine includes: a cylindrical plastic tub having a hot air inlet formed at a front upper portion thereof and a hot air outlet formed at a rear lower portion thereof; a drum rotatably installed inside the tub; a drying duct provided with a heater and a blower fan that are mounted on an inner air passage of the drying duct and fixed to an upper predetermined portion of an outer circumference of the tub; a condensation duct for removing moisture contained in hot air exhausted through the hot air outlet of the tub; and a heat shield interposed between the tub and the drying duct, for shielding heat of the drying duct from being transferred directly to the tub.

1 . A washing machine with a laundry drying function, comprising: 
 a cylindrical plastic tub having a hot air inlet formed at a front upper portion thereof and a hot air outlet formed at a rear lower portion thereof;    a drum rotatably installed inside the tub;    a drying duct provided with a heater and a blower fan that are mounted on an air passage of the drying duct and fixed to an upper predetermined portion of an outer circumference of the tub;    a condensation duct for removing moisture contained in hot air exhausted through the hot air outlet of the tub; and    a heat shield interposed between the tub and the drying duct, for shielding heat of the drying duct from being transferred directly to the tub.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield is made of a metal material.  
   
   
       3 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield is made of an iron plate.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield is made of a plastic material having a good heat-resistant property.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield comprises an embossing portion spaced apart from an outer surface of the tub by a predetermined distance, to which the drying duct is fixed.  
   
   
       6 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield comprises: 
 a base portion being closely in contact with the tub; and    an embossing portion spaced apart from an outer surface of the tub by a predetermined interval, to which the drying duct is fixed,    wherein the base portion has a plate-screwing hole for screwing the heat shield to the tub, and the embossing portion has a duct-screwing hole for screwing the drying duct to the heat shield.    
   
   
       7 . The washing machine of  claim 6 , wherein the tub comprises a coupling portion corresponding to the plate-screwing hole of the heat shield.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine of  claim 7 , wherein the coupling portion is a coupling boss protruded from an outer circumferential surface of the tub.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield comprises an embossing portion formed around a plate-screwing hole formed at a base portion of the heat shield, for making it easy to determine an assembling position between the heat shield and a coupling boss formed at the tub.  
   
   
       10 . The washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the heat shield comprises: 
 a base portion being closely in contact with the tub; and    an embossing portion spaced apart from an outer surface of the tub by a predetermined interval, to which the drying duct is fixed,    wherein the embossing portion includes a plate-screwing hole formed at both end portions of the embossing portion, for screwing the heat shield to the tub, and a duct-screwing hole formed at a center portion of the embossing portion, for screwing the drying duct to the heat shield.    
   
   
       11 . The washing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the embossing portion comprises a plurality of embossing portions arranged in the form of a band, two of the plurality of embossing portions being formed at a position facing each other in a circumferential direction, and the other(s) being formed at a position spaced apart from the two embossing portions by a predetermined distance in an axial direction of the tub.  
   
   
       12 . The washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the duct-screwing holes formed at the respective center portions of the two embossing portions facing each other are formed at different positions.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine of  claim 10  or  11 , wherein the tub comprises a coupling portion corresponding to the plate-screwing hole of the heat shield.  
   
   
       14 . The washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the coupling portion is a coupling boss protruded from an outer circumferential surface of the tub.  
   
   
       15 . The washing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the heat shield further comprises a two-stage embossing portion which is twice embossed and formed around the plate-screwing hole formed at the embossing portion of the heat shield, for making it easy to determine an assembling position between the heat shield and a coupling boss formed at the tub.  
   
   
       16 . The washing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the drying duct has a screwing piece for screwing the drying duct to the heat shield.  
   
   
       17 . The washing machine of  claim 16 , wherein the screwing piece has a length protruded downward than a lower surface of the drying duct.  
   
   
       18 . The washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the heat shield has an area covering a transferable range of radiant heat from the heater.  
   
   
       19 . The washing machine of  claim 16 , wherein the heat shield is a plate having a similar curvature to the tub.  
   
   
       20 . A washing machine with a laundry drying function, comprising: 
 a cylindrical plastic tub having a hot air inlet formed at a front upper portion thereof and a hot air outlet formed at a rear lower portion thereof;    a drum rotatably installed inside the tub and having a hot air passing hole formed at a predetermined portion of a front thereof, for allowing hot air that has passed through the hot air inlet of the tub to be introduced into an inside of the drum;    a drying duct provided with a heater and a blower fan that are mounted on an inner air passage of the drying duct such that hot air is generated and fixed to an upper predetermined portion of an outer circumference of the tub;    a condensation duct for removing moisture contained in hot air exhausted through the hot air outlet of the tub; and    a heat shield interposed between the tub and the drying duct, for shielding heat of the drying duct from being transferred directly to the tub,    wherein the heat shield is made of steel, comprises a base portion being closely in contact with the tub and an embossing portion spaced apart from an outer surface of the tub by a predetermined interval, to which the drying duct is fixed, the embossing portion including a plate-screwing hole formed at both end portions of the embossing portion, for screwing the heat shield to the tub, and a duct-screwing hole formed at a center portion of the embossing portion, for screwing the drying duct to the heat shield.