# US 2025/0154712 A1 · Clothing processing equipment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0154712 A1 - Document ID: US20250154712A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/945,905 - Filed: 2024-11-13 - Published: 2025-05-15 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-13 - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Jiwon CHOI; Yohan LEE; Heegyu MAENG; Sangwon CHO; Taegyun PARK; Juhyok KIM - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250154712A1 ## CPC - D06F 58/206: {Heat pump arrangements} - F25B 39/04: Condensers - D06F 58/24: Condensing arrangements - F25B 39/02: Evaporators - F25B 2339/02: Details of evaporators - F25B 2339/04: Details of condensers - F28D 2021/0038: {for drying or dehumidifying gases or vapours} - D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The clothing processing equipment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of condensation refrigerant tubes and the condensation fin comprise aluminum. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The clothing processing equipment of claim 1, wherein the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tubes and the evaporation fin comprise aluminum. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) 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. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) 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. ### Claim 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The clothing processing equipment of claim 16, wherein the condensation refrigerant tube comprises aluminum. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The clothing processing equipment of claim 16, wherein the plurality of evaporation refrigerant tube comprises aluminum. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) 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. ### Claim 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.