Washing machine

Abstract

Disclosed is a washing machine with a drying unit, in which a construction of a gasket and a molding method for forming the gasket are simplified since an additional drying unit connection holes is not necessary as hot air passing out the drying unit is supplied into a drum through an interior space of a door, and assembly work of a washing machine is easy and simple since it is not necessary that the drying unit is connected with the gasket.

1 . A washing machine, comprising: 
 a cabinet with a clothing loading/unloading hole;    a door for closing and opening the clothing loading/unloading hole;    a tub provided in the cabinet;    a drum rotationally arranged in the tub for holding clothing therein;    a drying unit installed to dry the clothing; and    an air supply passage formed in the door in such a way that air passing from the drying unit moves through an interior space of the door and is supplied into the drum.    
   
   
       2 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet has at least one penetration hole through which either the drying unit or the air supply passes.  
   
   
       3 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a front panel, a rear panel which is convex toward the inside of the drum, and the air supply passage formed between of both. 0.3.  
   
   
       4 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the drying unit is connected to the tub at one end and to the air supply passage at the other end.  
   
   
       5 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the drying unit comprises: 
 an condensation unit connected to the tub at one end;    a drying duct having a heater therein, being connected to the condensation duct at one end, and being connected to the air supply passage at the other end when the door is closed; and    a circulation fan applied either to the condensation duct or the drying duct.    
   
   
       6 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the drying unit comprises: 
 a condensation duct connected to the tub at one end;    a drying duce having a heater therein and being connected to the condensation duct at one end;    a drying bellows applied to the drying duct and connected to the air supply passage when the door is closed; and    and a circulation fan applied either to the condensation duct or the drying duct.    
   
   
       7 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air supply passage is connected to the drying unit at its entrance end and arranged to face the inside of the drum at its exit end.  
   
   
       8 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the air supply passage is provided with a grill at the exit end.  
   
   
       9 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket applied to the tub so as to be tightly in contact with the rear surface of the door when the door is closed for preventing the clothing, water and air from being leaked, wherein the air supply passage has an entrance end at an outer area of the door with respect to a boundary where the door is in contact with the gasket and an exit end at an inner area of the door with respect to the boundary.  
   
   
       10 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air supply passage has an entrance end at a portion of a circumferential side of the door or an edge portion of the rear surface of the door and an exit end at a center portion of the rear surface of the door.  
   
   
       11 . A washing machine, comprising: 
 a cabinet with a clothing loading/unloading hole;    a door including a door frame with an opened hole formed at a center portion thereof and a door glass formed to correspond to the opened hole, for opening and closing the clothing loading/unloading hole;    a tub provided in the cabinet;    a drum rotationally arranged in the tub for holding the clothing therein;    a drying unit installed to dry the clothing; and    an air supply passage formed in the door frame so as for hot air passing out the drying unit is supplied into the inside of the drum through an interior space of the door frame.    
   
   
       12 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the cabinet has a penetration hole so as for either the drying unit or the air supply passage to pass through the penetration hole.  
   
   
       13 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the door frame includes a front panel, a rear panel and the air supply passage between of both.  
   
   
       14 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the drying unit is connected to at one end and to the air supply passage at the other end.  
   
   
       15 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the drying unit comprises: 
 a condensation duct connected to the tub at one end;    a drying duct having a heater therein and being connected to the condensation duct at one end and to the air supply passage at the other end when the door is closed; and    a circulation fan applied either to the condensation duct or the drying duct.    
   
   
       16 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the drying unit comprises: 
 a condensation duct connected to the tube at one end;    a drying duct having a heater therein and being connected to the condensation duct at one end;    a drying bellows applied to the drying duct and arranged to be connected to the air supply passage when the door is closed; and    a circulation fan applied either to the condensation duct and the drying duct.    
   
   
       17 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the air supply passage is formed to be connected to the drying unit at its entrance end and is arranged so as for its exit end to face the inside of the drum.  
   
   
       18 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the air supply passage has a grill at the exit end.  
   
   
       19 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising a gasket applied to the tub so as to be tightly in contact with the rear surface of the door frame when the door is closed, for preventing clothing, water and air from being leaked, wherein the air supply passage has an entrance end at an outer area of the door frame with respect to a boundary where the door frame is in contact with the gasket and has an exit end at an inner area of the door frame with respect to the boundary.  
   
   
       20 . The washing machine as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the air supply passage has an entrance end at a portion of a circumferential side of the door frame or an edge portion of a rear surface of the door frame, and an exit end at a portion of the rear surface of the door frame near the door glass.