Heat exchanger and clothing processing equipment having the same

Abstract

A heat exchanger and a clothing processing equipment includes first to third heat exchangers. A refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger is supplied to a lower portion of the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the second heat exchanger is discharged to an upper portion of the second heat exchanger, the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger is supplied to an upper portion of the third heat exchanger, and the refrigerant heat-exchanged in the third heat exchanger is discharged to a lower portion of the third heat exchanger.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat exchanger apparatus comprising:
 a first heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of first refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive a refrigerant and that extend in a first direction, 
 a pair of first headers that are connected to first and second ends of the plurality of first refrigerant tubes and that extend in a second direction, and 
 a first fin that is configured to conduct heat from the plurality of first refrigerant tubes; 
   a second heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of second refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive the refrigerant and that extend in the first direction, 
 a pair of second headers that are connected to first and second ends of the plurality of second refrigerant tubes and that extend in the second direction, and 
 a second fin that is configured to conduct heat from the plurality of second refrigerant tubes and configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the first heat exchanger; and 
   a third heat exchanger comprising:
 a plurality of third refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive the refrigerant and that extend in the first direction, 
 a pair of third headers that are connected to first and second ends of the plurality of third refrigerant tubes and that extend in the second direction, and 
 a third fin that is configured to conduct heat from the plurality of third refrigerant tubes and configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the second heat exchanger, 
   wherein the second heat exchanger has (i) a lower portion configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the first heat exchanger and (ii) an upper portion configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the second heat exchanger, and   wherein the third heat exchanger has (i) an upper portion configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the second heat exchanger and (ii) a lower portion configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the third heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inlet pipe that is configured to supply the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger, and   an outlet pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the third heat exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the inlet pipe is connected to one header of the pair of first headers of the first heat exchanger, and
 wherein the outlet pipe is connected to one header of the pair of third headers of the third heat exchanger,   wherein the one header of the pair of third headers overlaps with the one header of the pair of first headers in a third direction, and   wherein the inlet pipe is connected to the one header of the pair of first headers.   
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the inlet pipe is positioned higher than the outlet pipe. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a first connection pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger, the first connection pipe being configured to supply the refrigerant to the second heat exchanger,   wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned lower than the inlet pipe.   
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a second connection pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged and discharged from the second heat exchanger,   wherein the second connection pipe is positioned higher than the outlet pipe.   
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a second connection pipe that is configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged and discharged from the second heat exchanger,   wherein the second connection pipe is positioned higher than the first connection pipe.   
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the first connection pipe is connected to any one header of the pair of second headers of the second heat exchanger, and
 wherein the second connection pipe is connected to the other header of the pair of the second headers.   
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second connection pipe and the outlet pipe are positioned at the one header of the pair of the third headers of the third heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third heat exchanger is positioned upstream relative to the second heat exchanger in an air flow direction outside the heat exchanger apparatus, and
 wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned upstream relative to the first heat exchanger in the air flow direction.   
     
     
         11 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger overlap with one another in an air flow direction outside the heat exchanger apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger defines:
 a first path that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger to flow in the first direction,   a second path that is located above the first path along an upward flow direction of the refrigerant and that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the first path to flow in a direction opposite to the first direction, and   a third path that is located above the second path and that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the second path to flow in the first direction.   
     
     
         13 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third heat exchanger comprises:
 a first path that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger to flow in the first direction,   a second path that is located below the first path along a downward flow direction of the refrigerant and that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the first path to flow in a direction opposite to the first direction,   a third path that is located below the second path in the downward flow direction of the refrigerant, and that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the second path to flow in the first direction, and   a fourth path that is located below the third path and that is configured to guide the refrigerant discharged from the third path to flow in a direction opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         14 . A heat exchanger apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of heat exchangers comprising a plurality of refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive refrigerant and that extend in a first direction,   a pair of headers that are connected to first and second ends of the plurality of refrigerant tubes and extend in a second direction, and   a fin that is configured to conduct heat from the plurality of refrigerant tubes,   wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are N number of heat exchangers that are arranged in a plurality of rows in a third direction intersecting with the first direction and the second direction,   wherein the N number of heat exchangers are configured to receive refrigerant sequentially in an order from a first heat exchanger to an Nth heat exchanger, and   wherein a (N−1) th  heat exchanger of the N number of heat exchangers is configured to guide the refrigerant to flow in an upward direction, and   wherein the Nth heat exchanger of the N number of heat exchangers is configured to guide the refrigerant to flow in a downward direction.   
     
     
         15 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 an inlet pipe that is configured to supply the refrigerant to the first heat exchanger, and   an outlet pipe that is configured to receive and discharge the refrigerant from the N th  heat exchanger.   
     
     
         16 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet pipe is connected to a header of the first heat exchanger,
 wherein the outlet pipe is connected to a header of the N th  heat exchanger and is positioned to overlap with the header of the first heat exchanger, and   wherein the header of the first heat exchanger is connected to the inlet pipe in the third direction.   
     
     
         17 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet pipe is positioned higher than the outlet pipe. 
     
     
         18 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein a lower portion of the (N−1) th  heat exchanger is configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from (N−2) th  heat exchanger,
 wherein an upper portion of the (N−1) th  heat exchanger is configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the (N−1) th  heat exchanger, 
 wherein an upper portion of the N th  heat exchanger is configured to receive the refrigerant that is discharged from the (N−1) th  heat exchanger, and 
 wherein a lower portion of the N th  heat exchanger is configured to receive the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged in the N th  heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         19 . The heat exchanger apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the N th  heat exchanger is positioned upstream relative to the (N−1) th  heat exchanger in the third direction. 
     
     
         20 . A clothing processing equipment comprising, 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 between the heat pump and the drum, the air flow path being configured to guide the air circulating through the drum,   wherein the condenser comprises:
 a plurality of heat exchangers comprising a plurality of refrigerant tubes that are configured to receive refrigerant and that that extend in a first direction, 
 a pair of headers that are connected to first and second ends of the plurality of refrigerant tubes and that extend in a second direction, and 
 a fin that is configured to conduct heat from the plurality of refrigerant tubes, 
   wherein the plurality of heat exchangers are N number of heat exchangers that are arranged in a plurality of rows in a third direction intersecting with the first direction and the second direction, and   wherein the N number of heat exchangers are configured to receive the refrigerant sequentially in an order from a first heat exchanger to an N th  heat exchanger,   wherein the N th  heat exchanger of the N number of heat exchangers is configured to guide the refrigerant to flow in a downward direction, and   wherein a (N−1) th  heat exchanger of the N number of heat exchangers is configured to guide the refrigerant to flow in an upward direction.