Washing machine with drying function

Abstract

A washing machine with drying function includes a cabinet having a laundry insertion hole; a tub having a front opening, and a back opening; a drum; and a heated air supplying device above the tub that includes an evaporator, a condenser, a heater, a heat exchange duct, an inlet, a supply duct, and a blower fan. Air from the back opening of the tub is introduced into the inlet duct and is guided by the inlet duct and received by the heat exchange duct and then passes through the heat exchange duct in a lateral direction of the tub. The air passed through the heat exchange duct is received by the supply duct and discharged by the supply duct toward a front side of the tub. The blower fan forms causes the air discharged from the supply duct to be supplied to the tub.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine with drying function, comprising:
 a cabinet having a laundry insertion hole at a front side of the cabinet;   a tub, inside the cabinet, having a front opening;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub so that laundry is insertable through the laundry insertion hole and then through the front opening to be received into the drum;   an upper duct at an upper side of the tub and having a first end and a second end;   a back duct at a back side of the tub and connected to the first end of the upper duct;   a blow duct at a front side of the tub and connected to the second end of the upper duct;   a blower fan in the blow duct so that a circulating airflow circulating through the drum, then through the back duct, and then the upper duct is formable;   a heat pump configured to heat the circulating airflow;   a heater in the upper duct downstream of the heat pump in a moving direction of the circulating airflow to heat the circulating airflow; and   a processor configured to:
 based on a start of a drying process in which the circulating airflow circulates through the drum, turn on the heat pump and the heater so that the circulating airflow is heated by the heat pump and the heater, and, 
 based on a temperature of the circulating airflow exceeding a reference temperature due to being heated by the heat pump and the heater, turn off the heater while maintaining the heat pump to be turned on so that the circulating airflow continues to be heated by the heat pump. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 1 , wherein the reference temperature is 90° C. 
     
     
         3 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 1 , wherein the upper duct includes:
 an inlet duct connected to the back duct,   a heat exchange duct connected to the inlet duct, and   a supply duct having a first end connected to the heat exchange duct and a second end connected to the blow duct.   
     
     
         4 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 3 , wherein the heat pump includes:
 an evaporator and a condenser inside the heat exchange duct, and   a compressor outside the heat exchange duct.   
     
     
         5 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 3 , wherein the heater is inside the supply duct. 
     
     
         6 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a heater bracket on a lower surface of the supply duct and supporting the heater.   
     
     
         7 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a barrier on an inner surface of the supply duct.   
     
     
         8 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a barrier groove on the inner surface of the supply duct,   wherein the barrier is configured to be disposed in the barrier groove.   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 7 , wherein the barrier includes:
 an upper barrier covering an upper surface of the supply duct,   a side barrier covering a side surface of the supply duct, and   a lower barrier covering a lower surface of the supply duct.   
     
     
         10 . A washing machine with drying function, comprising:
 a tub inside a cabinet;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub;   an upper duct at an upper side of the tub and including an inlet port for air discharged from the tub to flow through to be introduced into the upper duct, and an outlet port through which air flowing through the upper duct is discharged to be provided to the drum;   a blower fan configured to form a circulating airflow circulating through upper duct and the drum and by which air discharged through the outlet port of the upper duct is moved to the drum;   a heater inside the upper duct to heat air introduced into the upper duct through the inlet port of the upper duct;   a heat pump configured to heat air introduced into the upper duct through the inlet port of the upper duct, the heat pump including:
 an evaporator and a condenser inside the upper duct and upstream of the heater, and 
 a compressor outside the upper duct; and 
   a processor configured to:
 operates the compressor and the heater based on a start of a drying process in which the circulating airflow flows through the upper duct and the drum, and, 
 based on a temperature of the heated air exceeding a reference temperature, stop operating the heater. 
   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 10 , wherein the reference temperature is 90° C. 
     
     
         12 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a back duct connected to one end of the upper duct and disposed on a back side of the tub;   a blow duct connected to another end of the upper duct and accommodating the blower fan.   
     
     
         13 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 12 , wherein the upper duct includes:
 an inlet duct connected to the back duct,   a heat exchange duct connected to the inlet duct, and   a supply duct having one end connected to the heat exchange duct and another end connected to the blow duct.   
     
     
         14 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 13 , wherein the heater is inside the supply duct. 
     
     
         15 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a barrier on an inner surface of the supply duct.