Clothes treating apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a clothes treating apparatus including a drum accommodating an object to be dried, a tub including the drum, a first drying duct communicating with an inner side of the drum at one side and an inner side of the tub at the other side, a circulation fan disposed in an end portion of the other side of the first drying duct to circulate air, a spray nozzle disposed between the circulation fan and the drum to spray cooling water to a space between the tub and the drum, a water collecting container disposed below the tub to collect cooling water, a circulation line supplying the cooling water to the spray nozzle, a drainage line discharging the cooling water to outside, and a flow-path conversion pump receiving the cooling water from the water collecting container and supplying the cooling water selectively to the circulation line or the drainage line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes treating apparatus comprising:
 a tub;   a drum disposed in the tub and configured to receive one or more objects to be dried;   a first drying duct having a first side configured to communicate with an inner side of the drum and a second side configured to communicate with an inner side of the tub;   a circulation fan disposed at the second side of the first drying duct and configured to circulate air discharged from the drum;   a spray nozzle disposed between the circulation fan and the drum and configured to spray cooling water to a space defined between the tub and the drum;   a water collecting container disposed below the tub and configured to receive the cooling water;   a circulation line configured to supply the cooling water in the water collecting container to the spray nozzle;   a drainage line configured to discharge the cooling water in the water collecting container to an outside of the tub; and   a flow-path conversion pump configured to receive the cooling water from the water collecting container and to supply the cooling water to the circulation line or the drainage line.   
     
     
         2 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow-path conversion pump comprises:
 an impeller;   a motor connected to the impeller and configured to rotate the impeller;   an impeller housing that receives the impeller and is configured to receive condensate water from the water collecting container, the impeller housing defining a first housing outlet and a second housing outlet that are oriented in parallel to a tangential direction of rotation of the impeller;   a flow-path switch that defines an internal space, the flow-path switch defining:
 a first inlet configured to communicate with the first housing outlet, 
 a second inlet configured to communicate with the second housing outlet, 
 a first outlet configured to communicate with the first inlet and connected to the circulation line, and 
 a second outlet configured to communicate with the second inlet and connected to the drainage line; and 
   a diaphragm that is disposed in the internal space of the flow-path switch, that separates the first inlet and the second inlet from each other, and that separates the first outlet and the second outlet from each other.   
     
     
         3 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein, when viewed from a first direction, a width of the flow-path switch is in a mortar shape of which a width gradually decreases along a second direction from a first portion to a central portion, with respect to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and increases again from the central portion to a second portion away from the central portion, the central portion being disposed between the first portion and the second portion in the second direction, and
 wherein, when viewed from a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the flow-path switch is in a circular shape.   
     
     
         4 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a sealing line protruding toward the internal space as a band is formed in an inner surface of the central portion of the flow-path switch. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the flow-path switch comprises a pair of parts that are coupled to each other to define the internal space, and
 wherein an outer portion of the diaphragm is coupled between the pair of parts of the flow-path switch.   
     
     
         6 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the outer portion of the diaphragm overlaps with the pair of parts of the flow-path switch and defines a closed curve. 
     
     
         7 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the diaphragm is made of an elastic material and has a shape in which a central portion of a circular plate protrudes to have a curvature, where a protruding direction is changed by 180 degrees (°) based on an external force. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the diaphragm extends from an outermost portion to the central portion, and defines one or more curvatures. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a coupling portion disposed at the outermost portion, and
 wherein a thickness of the coupling portion is greater than a thickness of other portions of the diaphragm.   
     
     
         10 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the diaphragm is configured to:
 based on bending in a first direction, close the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet; and   based on bending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, close the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet.   
     
     
         11 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a bent portion disposed adjacent to the outermost portion, and
 wherein a thickness of the bent portion is less than the thickness of the other portions of the diaphragm.   
     
     
         12 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the motor rotates the impeller in a clockwise direction, the diaphragm protrudes in a direction in which the diaphragm blocks the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet by a water flow leading to the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein when the motor rotates the impeller in a counterclockwise direction, the diaphragm protrudes in a direction in which the diaphragm blocks the first housing outlet, the first inlet, and the first outlet by a water flow leading to the second housing outlet, the second inlet, and the second outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a heater disposed in the first drying duct. 
     
     
         15 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the spray nozzle is configured to receive at least one of the water from an external source or the cooling water from the water collecting container. 
     
     
         16 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to measure a water level of the cooling water in the water collecting container. 
     
     
         17 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first drying duct extends from a front side of the drum to a rear side of the drum. 
     
     
         18 . A clothes treating apparatus comprising:
 a drum configured to receive one or more objects to be dried;   a second drying duct configured to circulate air discharged from the drum;   an evaporator disposed in the second drying duct;   a condenser disposed in the second drying duct at a position downstream relative to the evaporator;   a compressor and an expansion valve that are configured to define a heat pump cycle with the evaporator and the condenser;   a water collecting container disposed vertically below the evaporator and configured to receive condensate water from the evaporator;   a drainage bin configured to receive the condensate water from the water collecting container;   a condenser washer configured to spray the condensate water to the condenser;   a first supply line configured to supply the condensate water to the drainage bin;   a second supply line configured to supply the condensate water to the condenser washer; and   a flow-path conversion pump configured to receive the condensate water from the water collecting container and to supply the condensate water to the first supply line or the second supply line.   
     
     
         19 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the condenser washer further comprises:
 a distribution manifold configured to receive the condensate water from the second supply line and to distribute the condensate water into a plurality of flow paths; and   a spray nozzle disposed in each of the plurality of flow paths and configured to spray the condensate water to the condenser.   
     
     
         20 . The clothes treating apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the drainage bin is detachably disposed vertically above the flow-path conversion pump and the condenser.