Dehumidifier

Abstract

Disclosed is a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier may include a case comprising an air inlet and an air outlet, a dehumidifying unit which cools the air that enters the case through the inlet, condenses water vapor in the air, and thus reduces humidity of the air, a blowing unit which discharges the air having reduced humidity through the air outlet, a first/lower water container below the dehumidifying unit configured to collect the condensed water from the dehumidifying unit, and second/upper water container above the lower water container configured to receive the condensed water from the first/lower water container using a pump.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dehumidifier, comprising:
 a case that includes an air inlet and an air outlet;   a dehumidifying unit that reduces humidity of air by cooling the air that enters the case through the air inlet and condensing water vapor in the air;   a blowing unit configured to discharge or output the dehumidified air through the air outlet; and   a condensed water collecting unit, wherein the condensed water collecting unit includes:
 a first water container below the dehumidifying unit, configured to collect the condensed water from the dehumidifying unit; and 
 a second water container above the first water container, configured to receive the condensed water in or from the first container using a pump. 
   
     
     
         2 . The dehumidifier of  claim 1 , wherein an upper or top surface of the second water container is closed or sealed, and include a handle thereon. 
     
     
         3 . The dehumidifier of  claim 1 , wherein the dehumidifying unit comprises a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator through which a coolant is circulated. 
     
     
         4 . The dehumidifier of  claim 3 , wherein the coolant exchanges heat with the air in the evaporator, thus dehumidifying cooling the air. 
     
     
         5 . The dehumidifier of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water level sensor configured to detect a water level of at least one of the first water container and the second water container.   
     
     
         6 . The dehumidifier of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to control an operation of the pump based on water level information of the first/lower and/or second/upper water containers from the water level sensor, and inform a user that the second/upper water container is full.   
     
     
         7 . The dehumidifier of  claim 5 , wherein the water level sensor is configured to detect the water level of the first water container. 
     
     
         8 . The dehumidifier of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to inform a user that the second water container is full based on water level information of the lower water container received from the water level sensor and an amount of condensed water flow from the lower water container to the upper water container.   
     
     
         9 . The dehumidifier of  claim 8 , wherein the controller further is configured to inform the user that the second container is full based on volume of the second container. 
     
     
         10 . The dehumidifier of  claim 1 , wherein the condensed water collecting unit comprises a condensed water supply hole at a lower portion of the second/upper water container and through which the condensed water passes, and a condensed water supply valve configured to open and close the condensed water supply hole. 
     
     
         11 . The dehumidifier of  claim 10 , wherein the condensed water supplying valve comprises:
 a valve body a supporting member in the condensed water supply hole.   
     
     
         12 . The dehumidifier of  claim 10 , wherein the condensed water supplying valve further comprises:
 an opening/closing member located at an upper portion of the valve body that has a larger diameter than the condensed water supplying hole.   
     
     
         13 . The dehumidifier of  claim 10 , wherein the condensed water supplying valve further comprises:
 a flange located at a lower portion of the valve body.   
     
     
         14 . The dehumidifier of  claim 10 , wherein the condensed water supplying valve further comprises:
 an opening/closing driving member on or along the valve body between the flange and the supporting member, and compressed by a water pressure of the condensed water when the condensed water is supplied to the second water container through the condensed water supplying hole.   
     
     
         15 . The dehumidifier of  claim 1 , further comprising the pump. 
     
     
         16 . A method of dehumidifying air, comprising:
 condensing water vapor in the air using a condenser;   collecting condensed water in a first container below the condenser; and   pumping condensed water through a one-way valve from the first container to a second container above the first container.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 drawing air across the condenser using a fan; and   outputting dehumidified air using the fan.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising removing and emptying the second container. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein collecting the condensed water comprises collecting the condensed water in a condensed water collecting unit that includes a condensed water supply hole below a second water container and through which the condensed water passes, and a condensed water supply valve configured to open and close the condensed water supply hole.