# US 9,752,274 B2 · Clothes dryer

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- Number: US 9,752,274 B2
- Document ID: US9752274B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/177,659
- Filed: 2014-02-11
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2010-07-08
- Assignees: LG Electronics Inc.
- Applicants: LG Electronics Inc.
- Inventors: Yongju Lee; Sangik Lee; Hyunwoo Noh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752274B2

## CPC

- D06F 58/22: Lint collecting arrangements
- D06F 58/24: Condensing arrangements
- F26B 21/333: {by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle}
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a clothes dryer including a heat exchanger for condensing air discharged from a drum to remove moisture from the air, a collector for collecting condensed water produced in the heat exchanger, a first pump for pumping the condensed water from the collector to a water tank, and a discharge unit for selectively discharging the condensed water from the water tank, to wash the heat exchanger using the condensed water.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A dryer, comprising:
a drum to accommodate an object to be dried;
a housing provided under the drum, the housing having a top cover and a base;
a heat exchanger in the housing, and the heat exchanger is configured to condense air from a drum;
a collector provided under the heat exchanger in the housing, and the collector is configured to collect condensed water from the heat exchanger;
a first pump to provide the condensed water from the collector to a tank;
a second pump disposed on the top cover of the housing, and the second pump to provide the condensed water from the tank to the heat exchanger;
a guide line arranged beneath the second pump and configured to connect the second pump to the collector so as to guide water leaking from the second pump to the collector, the guide line extending through the heat exchanger;
a discharge line to couple between the water tank and the second pump, and the condensed water to pass through the discharge line;
a valve at the discharge line between the water tank and the second pump for selectively opening and closing the discharge line; and
a washing member to couple to the second pump via an injection line, the washing member is provided at the top cover of the housing, and the washing member to provide the condensed water to the heat exchanger in the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The dryer according to claim 1, further comprising a valve housing configured to fix a position of the valve and a second pump housing configured to fix a position of the second pump,
wherein the valve housing and the second pump housing are disposed on the top cover of the housing of the heat exchanger.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The dryer according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the valve housing, the second pump housing or the washing device is formed integrally with the top cover.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the washing member includes an injection nozzle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The dryer according to claim 1, wherein the guide line has an end portion to communicate with the collector.

### Claim 6

A dryer, comprising:
a drum to accommodate an object to be dried;
a housing provided under the drum, the housing including a top cover, a base, and side covers;
a heat exchanger provided in the housing, and the heat exchanger is configured to condense air discharged from a drum to remove moisture from the air;
a collector provided under the heat exchanger in the housing, and the collector is configured to collect condensed water produced in the heat exchanger;
a first pump configured to pump the condensed water from the collector to a tank;
a second pump disposed on the top cover of the housing and configured to supply the condensed water from the tank to the heat exchanger, to wash the heat exchanger using the supplied condensed water;
a guide line arranged beneath the second pump and configured to connect the second pump to the collector so as to guide water leaking from the second pump to the collector, the guide line extending through the heat exchanger;
a discharge line configured to connect the water tank and the second pump and to discharge the condensed water;
a valve provided in the discharge line between the water tank and the second pump for selectively opening and closing the discharge line; and
a washing member connected to the second pump via an injection line, the washing member disposed on the top cover of the housing and configured to inject the condensed water into the housing onto the heat exchanger.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The dryer according to claim 6, further comprising a valve housing configured to fix a position of the valve and a second pump housing configured to fix a position of the second pump,
wherein the valve housing and the second pump housing are disposed on the top cover of the housing of the heat exchanger.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The dryer according to claim 6, wherein the washing member includes an injection nozzle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The dryer according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the valve housing, the second pump housing or the washing device is formed integrally with the top cover.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The dryer according to claim 6, wherein the guide line has an end portion communicating with the collector.