Drum type washing machine having a drying mechanism

Abstract

A drum type washing machine includes a tub; a heating duct outside the tub, configured to heat air that circulates back to the tub; a condensing duct having one end connected to the tub and another end connected to the heating duct, configured to reduce moisture in the air from the tub; and a coolant supplying unit configured to supply coolant to the condensing duct. The condensing duct having an inner tube in which the air from the tub flows, and an outer tube surrounding at least a section or part of the inner tube. The coolant supplying unit is configured to supply the coolant to a space between the inner tube and the outer tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drum type washing machine, comprising:
 a tub;   a heating duct outside the tub, configured to heat air that circulates back to the tub;   a condensing duct having one end connected to the tub and another end connected to the heating duct, configured to reduce moisture in the air from the tub; and   a coolant supplying unit configured to supply coolant to the condensing duct,   wherein the condensing duct comprises an inner tube in which the air from the tub flows and an outer tube surrounding at least a section or part of the inner tube, and   the coolant supplying unit is configured to supply the coolant to a space between the inner tube and the outer tube.   
     
     
         2 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the condensing duct extends vertically, and the outer tube and the inner tube engage with or connect to each other and seal a bottom of the space. 
     
     
         3 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the inner tube comprises:
 an insert having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the outer tube; and   a connector extending from a lower end of the insert and having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the outer tube,   
       wherein the outer tube and the inner tube engage with or connect to each other, and a lower end of the outer tube contacts an upper end of the connector when the insert is in the outer tube. 
     
     
         4 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the inner tube comprises an open upper end that has a location below than an upper end of the outer tube, and the coolant supplied in the space overflows the space and enters the inner tube through the upper end of the inner tube. 
     
     
         5 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant supplying unit is connected to a lower side of the outer tube and is configured to provide the coolant into the space at a lower section thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant supplying unit is configured to supply additional coolant before the coolant in the space reaches a thermal equilibrium with the air in the inner tube. 
     
     
         7 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the condensing duct further comprises a fluid guiding member within the space along a longitudinal direction of the condensing duct, configured to form one or more coolant paths in the space. 
     
     
         8 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid guiding member comprises an extension or protrusion on an inner surface of the outer tube or an outer surface of the inner tube. 
     
     
         9 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the fluid guiding member comprises a spiral fluid guiding member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the condensing duct. 
     
     
         10 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the heating duct comprises a fan and a heater. 
     
     
         11 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 10 , wherein the fan is adjacent to a joint section of or connection between the heating duct and the condensing duct. 
     
     
         12 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 11 , wherein the joint section of or the connection between the insert and the connector comprises a stepped section having an outer diameter configured to allow the stepped section to mate with the outer tube. 
     
     
         13 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the heating duct is horizontally oriented above the tub, and the condensing duct extends vertically behind the tub. 
     
     
         14 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the coolant supplying unit comprises a pipe branching from the water supplying device, a driving unit configured to supply coolant, and a valve configured to control a flow rate of the coolant. 
     
     
         15 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the inner tube has an open upper end below an upper end of the outer tube. 
     
     
         16 . A drum type washing machine, comprising:
 a tub;   a heating duct outside the tub, configured to heat air that circulates back to the tub;   a condensing duct having one end connected to the tub and another end connected to the heating duct, configured to reduce moisture in the air from the tub; and   a coolant supplying unit configured to supply coolant to the condensing duct,   wherein the condensing duct comprises an air tube in which the air from the tub flows, and the coolant from the coolant supplying unit enters the air tube after contacting an outer surface of the air tube, and exchanges heat with the air in the air tube.   
     
     
         17 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 16 , further comprising a fluid guiding member in the condensing duct. 
     
     
         18 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 17 , wherein fluid guiding member is in the space between the outer tube and the inner tube. 
     
     
         19 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 18 , wherein the fluid guiding member in the space along a longitudinal direction of the condensing duct, is configured to form one or more coolant fluid paths within the space. 
     
     
         20 . The drum type washing machine of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid guiding member comprises a protrusion or extension at a preset height from an inner surface of the outer tube equal to or smaller than a gap between the outer surface of the inner tube and the inner surface of the outer tube, and an end of the protrusion or extension contacts with the outer surface of the inner tube.