Laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a cabinet defining an external appearance of the apparatus and a base, a drum rotatably provided in the cabinet, a driver provided in the base to rotate the drum, a duct fastened to the base to form a circulation passage communicating with the drum, a heat pump having a heat exchanger provided in the circulation passage to heat air, and a discharge unit to discharge water generated by the heat exchanger. The base includes a water collection chamber that is configured to collect the water generated by the heat exchanger and has discharge surfaces having different inclined angles, thereby guiding flow of condensate water, and a discharge hole that is located adjacent to the water collection chamber and configured to communicate with the water collection chamber such that water guided by the at least one discharge surface is discharged through the discharge unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet that defines an external appearance of the laundry treatment apparatus;   a drum rotatably located in the cabinet;   a driver configured to rotate the drum;   a base disposed below the drum including a duct defines a circulation passage configured to communicate with the drum;   a heat pump comprising a heat exchanger that is located in the duct and configured to heat air;   a discharge unit configured to discharge water condensed by the heat exchanger; and   a water pump disposed at the base and disposed outside the duct and configured to provide the water condensed by the heat exchanger to the discharge unit,   wherein the base comprises:
 a water collection chamber that is defined at a bottom of the duct and configured to collect the water condensed by the heat exchanger, and 
 a discharge hole that passes through a first side of the duct and fluidly connects the water collection chamber, and 
   wherein the water collection chamber comprises:
 a guide discharge surface extended from a second side of the duct facing the first side toward the discharge hole to guide water to the discharge hole. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein one end of the guide discharge surface that connects to the second side is disposed either forward or backward relative to another end of the guiding discharge surface that connects to the first side. 
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide discharge surface is extended in a curve from the second side of the duct to the discharge hole. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide discharge surface defines a curve that bends away from the discharge hole. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the guide discharge surface overlaps with the discharge hole in a direction from the first side toward the second side. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the guide discharge surface protrudes from a bottom of the water collection chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a top of the guide discharge surface is disposed higher than the discharge hole. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the water collection chamber further comprises a first discharge surface disposed in front or rear of the guide discharge surface, and
 wherein the first discharge surface is configured to guide water to the guide discharge surface.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the first discharge surface is disposed to slope toward the guide discharge surface. 
     
     
         10 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the first discharge surface is disposed to slope toward the discharge hole.