Dishwasher

Abstract

A dish washer has a discharge flow path configured to carry air flow having passed through a moisture absorbent. The discharge flow path is defined between a cover of a moisture absorbent receiving space of a main housing and the moisture absorbent. The discharge flow path is configured to reduce non-uniformity in resistance against air flow having passed through the moisture absorbent inside the main housing and local non-uniformity in a moisture absorption amount to improve moisture absorption efficiency.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dish washer comprising:
 a tub that defines a washing space configured to accommodate one or more objects to be washed; and   a sorption drying device configured to absorb moisture from air discharged from the tub and to supply the air to the tub,   wherein the sorption drying device comprises:
 a blow fan configured to generate air flow of the air in a flow direction, 
 a absorbent disposed downstream relative to the blow fan in the flow direction, 
 a heater disposed between the blow fan and the absorbent in the flow direction, the heater being configured to heat the air to be supplied to the absorbent, 
 a housing comprising:
 a absorbent receiving portion that defines a absorbent receiving space accommodating the absorbent therein, and 
 
 a cover that is coupled to the housing and covers an open surface of the absorbent receiving portion, the cover defining an outlet configured to discharge the air having passed through the absorbent, 
   wherein the cover is spaced apart from the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion to thereby define a discharge flow path configured to guide the air having passed through the absorbent toward the outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The dish washer of  claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises a cover body having a convex portion that is convex in a direction away from the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion,
 wherein the outlet passes through the cover body, and   wherein a cross-sectional area of the discharge flow path decreases as the convex portion of the cover body extends toward the outlet.   
     
     
         3 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the convex portion comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces that define different inclination angles with respect to the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion. 
     
     
         4 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the convex portion comprises a plurality of curved surfaces having different curvatures. 
     
     
         5 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the cover further comprises a plurality of guide ribs, each of the plurality of guide ribs having (i) a first end that is fixed end connected to an inner surface of the cover body and (ii) a second end that extends along the discharge flow path toward the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion, and
 wherein the plurality of guide ribs are configured to divide the air flow and to direct the air flow toward the outlet.   
     
     
         6 . The dish washer of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of guide ribs are arranged around the outlet and spaced apart from one another by an equal angular spacing along a circumferential direction of the outlet. 
     
     
         7 . The dish washer of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of guide ribs has (i) a front edge that defines an upstream side in the flow direction and (ii) a rear edge that defines a downstream side in the flow direction,
 wherein each of the plurality of guide ribs extends linearly from the front edge toward the rear edge.   
     
     
         8 . The dish washer of  claim 7 , wherein a center of the outlet is disposed on a virtual extension line passing through the front edge and the rear edge of at least one of the plurality of guide ribs. 
     
     
         9 . The dish washer of  claim 7 , wherein a center of the outlet is offset from a virtual extension line passing through the front edge and the rear edge of at least one of the plurality of guide ribs. 
     
     
         10 . The dish washer of  claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of guide ribs has (i) a front edge that defines an upstream side in the flow direction and (ii) a rear edge that defines a downstream side in the flow direction, and
 wherein each of the plurality of guide ribs extends non-linearly from the front edge toward the rear edge.   
     
     
         11 . The dish washer of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of guide ribs has (i) a first linear portion that extends from the rear edge, and (ii) a second linear portion that extends from the first linear portion and bends toward the front edge. 
     
     
         12 . The dish washer of  claim 5 , wherein the sorption drying device further comprises a absorbent holder that defines an upper end of the absorbent receiving space and is configured to block the absorbent from moving out of the absorbent receiving space, and
 wherein a shape of the second end of each of the plurality of guide ribs corresponds to a shape of a surface of the absorbent holder facing the outlet.   
     
     
         13 . The dish washer of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of at least one of the plurality of guide ribs is in contact with the surface of the absorbent holder facing the outlet. 
     
     
         14 . The dish washer of  claim 12 , wherein the second end of each of the plurality of guide ribs is spaced apart from the surface of the absorbent holder facing the outlet by a predetermined spacing. 
     
     
         15 . The dish washer of  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined spacing is less than a thickness of the absorbent holder. 
     
     
         16 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the cover further comprises:
 an outward extension that has a flange shape and extends outward from an outer edge of the cover body;   a pair of first sealing ribs that are disposed between an inner edge and an outer edge of the outward extension and protrude toward the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion; and   a pair of second sealing ribs that are disposed at an edge of the open surface of the absorbent receiving portion and coupled to the pair of first sealing ribs.   
     
     
         17 . The dish washer of  claim 16 , wherein one of the pair of first sealing ribs is disposed between the pair of second sealing ribs. 
     
     
         18 . The dish washer of  claim 16 , wherein the cover further comprises an outer peripheral wall that extends along the outer edge of the outward extension and protrudes toward the absorbent receiving portion. 
     
     
         19 . The dish washer of  claim 18 , wherein the pair of first sealing ribs and the pair of second sealing ribs are coupled to each other, and
 wherein the outer peripheral wall is in contact with an outer side surface of the absorbent receiving portion.   
     
     
         20 . The dish washer of  claim 18 , wherein a vertical dimension of the outer peripheral wall protruding from the outward extension is greater than a vertical dimension of the pair of first sealing ribs protruding from the outward extension.