Clothing processing equipment

Abstract

A clothing processing equipment includes a drum configured to accommodate laundry, a heat pump, and an air flow path defined between the heat pump and the drum, where the air flow path is configured to guide air circulating through the drum. The heat pump includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve and is configured to apply heat to air circulating through the drum. The condenser includes condensation refrigerant tubes configured to receive refrigerant and a condensation fin configured to conduct heat from the condensation refrigerant tubes. The evaporator includes evaporation refrigerant tubes configured to receive the refrigerant and an evaporation fin configured to conduct heat to the evaporation refrigerant tubes. The condensation refrigerant tubes define channels that are configured to carry the refrigerant. A cross-sectional area of each channel is less than a cross-sectional area of each evaporation refrigerant tube.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothing processing equipment comprising:
 a drum configured to accommodate laundry;   a heat pump that comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve and that is configured to apply heat to air circulating through the drum; and   an air flow path defined between the heat pump and the drum, the air flow path being configured to guide air circulating through the drum,   wherein the condenser comprises:
 a plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive refrigerant, and 
 a condensation fin configured to conduct heat from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes, 
   wherein the evaporator comprises:
 a plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive the refrigerant, and 
 an evaporation fin that is configured to conduct heat to the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes, 
   wherein the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes define a plurality of channels that are configured to carry the refrigerant, and   wherein a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of channels is less than a cross-sectional area of each of the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tube.   
     
     
         2 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes and the condensation fin comprise aluminum. 
     
     
         3 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes and the evaporation fin comprise aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein a distance between the evaporator and the condenser is greater than a width of the evaporator along an air flow direction in the air flow path. 
     
     
         5 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the condenser comprises:
 a condensation inlet pipe that is configured to supply the refrigerant to the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes, and   a condensation outlet pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the condensation outlet pipe is configured to discharge the refrigerant discharged from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes, and   wherein the condensation inlet pipe and the condensation outlet pipe are disposed at one side with respect to the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         6 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator comprises:
 an evaporation inlet pipe that is configured to supply the refrigerant to the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes, and   an evaporation outlet pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the evaporation outlet pipe is configured to discharge the refrigerant discharged from the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes, and   wherein the evaporation inlet pipe and the evaporation outlet pipe are disposed at one side with respect to the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes.   
     
     
         7 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the condensation fin comprises a plurality of inclined surfaces, and
 wherein each of the plurality of inclined surfaces is inclined with respect to an air flow direction in the air flow path.   
     
     
         8 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes comprise:
 a plurality of first condensation refrigerant tubes,   a plurality of second condensation refrigerant tubes, and   a plurality of third condensation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the condensation fin is one of a plurality of condensation fins that comprise a first condensation fin, a second condensation fin, and a third condensation fin,   wherein the condenser comprises:
 a first heat exchanger that comprises the plurality of first condensation refrigerant tubes and the first condensation fin, 
 a second heat exchanger that comprises the plurality of second condensation refrigerant tubes and the second condensation fin, and 
 a third heat exchanger that comprises the plurality of third condensation refrigerant tubes and the third condensation fin, 
   wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the third heat exchanger, and   wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the second heat exchanger.   
     
     
         9 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the third heat exchanger is positioned upstream relative to the second heat exchanger in an air flow direction in the air flow path, and
 wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned upstream relative to the first heat exchanger in the air flow direction.   
     
     
         10 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger overlap with one another in an air flow direction in the air flow path. 
     
     
         11 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes intersect with an air flow direction in the air flow path. 
     
     
         12 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 8 , wherein the first heat exchanger comprises:
 a first left header connected to a first end of the plurality of first condensation refrigerant tubes, and   a first right header connected to a second end of the plurality of first condensation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the second heat exchanger comprises:
 a second left header connected to a first end of the plurality of second condensation refrigerant tubes, and 
 a second right header connected to a second end of the plurality of second condensation refrigerant tubes, and 
   wherein the third heat exchanger comprises:
 a third left header connected to a first end of the plurality of third condensation refrigerant tubes, and 
 a third right header connected to a second end of the plurality of third condensation refrigerant tubes. 
   
     
     
         13 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 12 , wherein the condenser comprises:
 a first connection pipe that connects the first right header to the second right header and that is configured to receive and carry the refrigerant, and   a second connection pipe that connects the second left header to the third left header and that is configured to receive and carry the refrigerant.   
     
     
         14 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 13 , wherein the condenser comprises:
 a condensation inlet pipe that is configured to supply the refrigerant to the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes, and   a condensation outlet pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the condensation outlet pipe is configured to discharge the refrigerant discharged from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes,   wherein the condensation inlet pipe is connected to the first left header, and   wherein the condensation outlet pipe is connected to the third left header.   
     
     
         15 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the second connection pipe is positioned higher than the condensation outlet pipe along an air flow direction in the air flow path. 
     
     
         16 . A clothing processing equipment comprising:
 a drum configured to accommodate laundry;   a heat pump that comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve and that is configured to apply heat to air circulating through the drum; and   an air flow path defined between the heat pump and the drum, the air flow being configured to guide air circulating through the drum,   wherein the condenser comprises a condensation refrigerant tube that defines a plurality of microchannels configured to carry refrigerant, and   wherein the evaporator comprises a plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes configured to receive the refrigerant.   
     
     
         17 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 16 , wherein the condensation refrigerant tube comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         18 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tube comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         19 . The clothing processing equipment of  claim 16 , wherein a distance between the evaporator and the condenser is greater than a width of the evaporator along an air flow direction in the air flow path. 
     
     
         20 . A clothing processing equipment comprising:
 a drum configured to accommodate laundry;   a heat pump that comprises an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve, the heat pump being configured to apply heat to air circulating through the drum; and   an air flow path defined between the heat pump and the drum, the air flow path being configured to guide air circulating through the drum,   wherein the condenser comprises:
 a plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes that define a plurality of channels configured to carry refrigerant, and 
 a condensation fin configured to conduct heat from the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes, 
   wherein the evaporator comprises:
 a plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive the refrigerant, and 
 an evaporation fin that is configured to conduct heat to the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes, 
   wherein the evaporator is positioned upstream relative to the condenser in an air flow direction in the air flow path.