CLOTHES CARE APPARATUS

Abstract

A clothes care apparatus including a cabinet; a treatment compartment to be inside the cabinet to accommodate clothes; and a machine room to be at one side of the treatment compartment. The machine room includes: a heat exchanger to dehumidify and heat air in the treatment compartment; a steam generator to generate steam to be sprayed into the treatment compartment; a water collection duct to store water condensate occurring during the air being dehumidified and heated; and a water supply and drain unit to be selectively controlled to supply water from an external water supply source to the steam generator or to be selectively controlled to discharge the condensate water stored in the water collection duct to an external space of the clothes care apparatus.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application, under 35 U.S.C. § 111(a), of international application No. PCT/KR2024/016109, filed Oct. 22, 2024, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0149444, filed Nov. 1, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a clothes care apparatus capable of selecting a water supply method and a drainage method.

BACKGROUND ART

With the development of electronic technology, various types of devices are used in ordinary households. As a representative example, a clothes care apparatus may be provided. The clothes care apparatus is a device that performs various care operations on clothes, such as removing moisture or dust contained in the clothes or smoothing wrinkles occurring in the clothes, while storing the clothes.

The clothes care apparatus may dry wet clothes by lowering humidity in a space in which the clothes are accommodated. For this purpose, the clothes care apparatus may include a heat exchanger including an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, or the like.

In particular, the clothes care apparatus may remove wrinkles occurring in the clothes or remove odors absorbed in the clothes by spraying high-temperature steam onto the clothes accommodated in the apparatus and then evaporating steam. To generate such high-temperature steam, the clothes care apparatus may include a steam generator.

The clothes care apparatus needs to discharge condensate water occurring during operations of the heat exchanger and the steam generator, and also needs to be supplied with water required to generate steam. For this purpose, a user needs to directly empty a drain container or supply water to a water supply container.

When the user does not empty the drain container even though condensate water is stored at a level equal to or higher than a predetermined level, condensate water stored in the drain container may overflow. In addition, when the user does not supply water to the water supply container, steam is not generated in the steam generator, which may prevent a normal operation of the clothes care apparatus.

Accordingly, a need has been emerged for a structure capable of automatically supplying water from a water supply source outside the clothes care apparatus or automatically discharging condensate water.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Solution to Problem

According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, provided is a clothes care apparatus including: a cabinet; a treatment compartment, to be disposed inside the cabinet, configured to accommodate clothes therein; and a machine room to be disposed at one side of the treatment compartment.

The machine room may include: a heat exchanger configured to dehumidify and heat air in the treatment compartment; a steam generator configured to generate steam to be sprayed into the treatment compartment; a water collection duct configured to store water condensate occurring during a process in which the air is dehumidified and heated; and a water supply and drain unit configured to be selectively controlled to supply water from an external water supply source to the steam generator or be selectively controlled to discharge the water stored in the water collection duct to an external space outside the clothes care apparatus.

The steam generator may be disposed at one side of the water collection duct.

The heat exchanger may include an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor.

The evaporator and the condenser may be disposed inside the water collection duct and supported by the water collection duct.

The water collection duct may include: a sump, to be disposed at a lower portion of the water collection duct, d configured to store water discharged from the treatment compartment and the water condensate.

The water supply and drain unit may include: a water supply pipe connected to the external water supply source; a water supply control valve disposed in the water supply pipe and configured to control supply of water; a water supply check valve disposed in the water supply pipe and configured to prevent backflow of water in the water supply pipe; a drain pipe configured to connect to the external space; and a drain pump disposed in the drain pipe and configured to discharge the water condensate in the drain pipe to the external space.

The water supply and drain unit may further include a mounting portion on which the water supply control valve and the drain pump are mountable.

The mounting portion may include: a mounting plate configured to support the water supply control valve and the drain pump; a side wall bent and extending from the mounting plate; and a connector, to be disposed on the side wall, configured to support the water supply pipe and the drain pipe.

The water supply pipe may include: a first water supply pipe configured to connect the external water supply source to the water supply control valve; a second water supply pipe configured to connect the water supply control valve to the water supply check valve; and a third water supply pipe configured to connect the water supply check valve to the steam generator.

The drain pipe may include: a first drain pipe configured to connect the external space to the drain pump; and a second drain pipe configured to connect the drain pump to the sump.

The steam generator may further include a mounting hole to which the third water supply pipe is couplable.

The water supply and drain unit may further include a water supply pump disposed in the second water supply pipe and configured to provide power to water in the water supply pipe.

The water supply and drain unit may further include: a drain container, to be disposed at one side of the machine room and to be detachable from the machine room, configured to receive and store condensate water stored in the sump; and a water supply container, to be disposed to be parallel to the drain container and to be detachable from the machine room, configured to store water supplied to the steam generator.

The water supply and drain unit may further include: a manual water supply pump, to be disposed below the water supply container, configured to supply water from the water supply container to the steam generator.

The water supply and drain unit may further include: a drain control valve, to be disposed in the drain pipe, configured to control whether condensate water is drained from the sump to the drain pipe.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating a sump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a duct cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a water supply and drain unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a view illustrating a water supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B is an enlarged view illustrating a mounting hole of a steam generator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a drain pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a manual water supply method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a manual drainage method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a mounting portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a water supply and drain unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a water supply pipe according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a drain pipe according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating that the water supply pipe and the drain pipe are supported by a cabinet according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

MODE FOR INVENTION

It should be understood that various embodiments of the present disclosure and terms used herein are not intended to limit technical features described in the present disclosure to specific embodiments, and rather are intended to include various modifications, equivalents, and substitutions of the corresponding embodiments.

Throughout the accompanying drawings, similar components are denoted by similar reference numerals.

A singular noun corresponding to an item is intended to include one or more of the items unless a relevant context clearly indicates otherwise.

In the present disclosure, an expression such as “A or B,” “at least one of A and B,” “at least one of A or B,” “A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” or the like may include any one of the items listed together or all possible combinations thereof.

A term “and/or” includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any one of the plurality of related described items.

Terms such as “first,” “second,” or the like may be used simply to distinguish one element and another element from each other, and do not limit the corresponding components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

When a component (for example, a first component) is mentioned to be “coupled with/to” or “connected to” another component (for example, a second component) with or without terms “operatively or communicatively,” it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled to another component (e.g., in a wired or wireless manner) or through a third component.

It should be further understood that terms “include,” “have” or the like, used in the specification specify the presence of features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts mentioned in the specification or combinations thereof, and do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numerals, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

When a component is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” “supported,” or “in contact” with another component, it includes not only a case where the components are directly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact with each other, but also a case where the components are indirectly connected, coupled, supported, or in contact with each other through a third component.

When a component is referred to be disposed “on” another component, it includes not only a case where the component is in contact with another component, but also a case where still another component is interposed between the two components.

Hereinafter, a clothes care apparatus according to various embodiments is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the clothes care apparatus 100 may include a cabinet 110, a door 111, a steam hole 112, a first drain port 113, a second drain port 114, a treatment compartment 120, a machine room 130, a drain container 180, and a water supply container 190.

The cabinet 110 is a component forming an exterior of the clothes care apparatus 100. The cabinet 110 may include an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface of the cabinet 110 may be a surface exposed to an external environment of the clothes care apparatus 100, and the inner surface may be a surface partitioning an internal space of the clothes care apparatus 100. The cabinet 110 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an open front side.

The door 111 is a component for opening or closing the open front side of the cabinet 110. The door 111 may be hinge-coupled to the cabinet 110 to be pivotable relative to the cabinet 110. The door 111 may include an inner surface and an outer surface, and the inner surface of the door 111 may be in contact with the treatment compartment 120. The outer surface of the door 111 may be a surface in contact with an outside space. A user interface (UI) structure, such as a display unit, a touch pad, or buttons (not shown), may be disposed on the outer surface of the door 111. A user may operate the clothes care apparatus 100 through the UI structure disposed on the door 111.

The steam hole 112 is a component for supplying steam generated by a steam generator 150 (see FIG. 2A) disposed in the machine room 130 into the treatment compartment 120. The steam hole 112 may be disposed in a partial region of the second drain port 114.

The treatment compartment 120 is a space in which clothes may be accommodated and managed. The treatment compartment 120 may be disposed inside the cabinet 110. The treatment compartment 120 may be opened or closed by the door 111. The user may open the door 111 to load clothes into the treatment compartment 120 or unload clothes from the treatment compartment 120.

The machine room 130 is a space for disposing components for managing air in the treatment compartment 120. The machine room 130 may be partitioned from the treatment compartment 120 inside the cabinet 110 by an inner cover 115. The machine room 130 may be disposed below the treatment compartment 120.

The inner cover 115 may include the first and second drain ports 113 and 114 that communicate the treatment compartment 120 with the machine room 130. The first and second drain ports 113 and 114 may be disposed on opposite sides of the inner cover 115. The first and second drain ports 113 and 114 are components for discharging condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120 toward the machine room 130. More specifically, the first drain port 113 may be disposed below the treatment compartment 120 adjacent to the door 111 and above the drain container 180 and the water supply container 190. The second drain port 114 may be disposed on an inner surface of the cabinet 110 forming a rear surface of the treatment compartment 120.

Meanwhile, the drain container 180 and the water supply container 190 may be disposed at one side of the machine room 130. The drain container 180 is a component for collecting condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120. The water supply container 190 is a component for storing water required to generate steam in the steam generator 150 (see FIG. 2A). The drain container 180 and the water supply container 190 may each be detachable from the machine room 130. Accordingly, the user may easily detach the drain container 180 and the water supply container 190 from the cabinet 110 and then reattach the containers. A detailed description of a water flow in the drain container 180 and the water supply container 190 is provided below.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the clothes care apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2A, an internal space of the clothes care apparatus 100 may be partitioned by the inner cover 115 into the machine room 130 and the treatment compartment 120 in which clothes are accommodated and managed. The inner cover 115 may correspond to the inner surface of the cabinet 110.

The machine room 130 may include a heat exchanger 140, the steam generator 150, a water collection duct 160, and a water supply and drain unit 170. The heat exchanger 140 is a component for dehumidifying and heating air in the treatment compartment 120.

The heat exchanger 140 may include an evaporator 141, a condenser 142, and a compressor 143. The evaporator 141, the condenser 142, and the compressor 143 may be connected to one another by a plurality of pipes through which a refrigerant flows.

The compressor 143 may compress the refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas. The refrigerant in the compressed gaseous state may flow to the condenser 142 along the plurality of pipes.

The condenser 142 may condense the refrigerant in the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous state into a liquid state. In this process, latent heat may be transferred from the refrigerant to surrounding air of the condenser 142, thereby heating surrounding air. The refrigerant in the high-temperature and high-pressure liquid state may flow again from the condenser 142 to the evaporator 141 along the plurality of pipes.

In the evaporator 141, the refrigerant in the liquid state may be vaporized into a low-pressure gas while absorbing latent heat from surrounding air. In this process, as a dew point and a saturated water vapor amount of surrounding air decrease, water vapor contained in surrounding air may be condensed into water.

Water occurring from surrounding air by the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 141 in this manner is referred to as condensate water.

Condensate water may flow downward in the treatment compartment 120 by gravity. Condensate water flowing downward in the treatment compartment 120 may flow onto an upper surface of a duct cover 162 through the first drain port 113 and/or the second drain port 114 disposed in the inner cover 115.

The duct cover 162 is a component for covering an upper portion of the water collection duct 160 to cover the water collection duct 160.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the duct cover according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, the duct cover 162 may include a first water collection port 1621 and a second water collection port 1622. The first water collection port 1621 may be disposed below the first drain port 113 to correspond to the first drain port 113 of the inner cover 115. Condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120 may pass through the first drain port 113 and flow into the water collection duct 160 through the first water collection port 1621. A description of the second water collection port 1622 is provided below.

Referring again to FIG. 2A, a lower surface of the water collection duct 160 may correspond to a duct base 163. The duct base 163 may have a U-shape protruding toward the ground to store condensate water in the water collection duct 160. Accordingly, condensate water may flow to the lowermost surface of the duct base 163 by gravity.

The duct base 163 may have the lowermost region having an inclined surface extending from the water collection duct 160 toward a lower portion of a sump 161 to guide condensate water inside the water collection duct 160 to the sump 161.

Accordingly, condensate water stored in the water collection duct 160 may flow to the sump 161. A detailed description of the sump 161 is provided below.

The evaporator 141 and the condenser 142 may be disposed inside the water collection duct 160. The evaporator 141 and the condenser 142 may be supported by the duct base 163 of the water collection duct 160.

Accordingly, condensate water occurring from surrounding air by evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant in the evaporator 141 and the condenser 142 inside the water collection duct 160 may be immediately collected inside the water collection duct 160.

Meanwhile, the steam generator 150 may be disposed in the machine room 130. The steam generator 150 may be disposed to be adjacent to a side surface of the water collection duct 160. The steam generator 150 is a component for generating high-temperature steam by evaporating and heating water supplied from the water supply container 190 or from an external water supply source.

The steam generator 150 may include a steam supply pipe 152 and a steam port 153 communicating with the treatment compartment 120 to supply steam into the treatment compartment 120. Steam generated by the steam generator 150 may flow along the steam supply pipe 152 and flow into the treatment compartment 120 through the steam port 153.

The steam supply pipe 152 may have one end connected to the steam generator 150 and the other end connected to the steam port 153. The steam port 153 may be coupled to the steam hole 112. The steam hole 112 is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 1, and a redundant description thereof is thus omitted.

High-temperature steam may flow into the treatment compartment 120, come into contact with clothes accommodated in the treatment compartment 120, and then be condensed into water by heat exchange caused by circulation of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger 140. In this process, contamination of the clothes may be removed as steam is condensed together with dust, odor molecules, or the like attached to the clothes. In addition, wrinkles occurring in the clothes may be alleviated.

Condensate water occurring in a process in which steam generated by the steam generator 150 flows into the treatment compartment 120 or in a process in which the steam is attached to clothes in the treatment compartment 120 and condensed may flow toward the machine room 130 through the second drain port 114 disposed on the rear surface of the treatment compartment 120.

More specifically, the second drain port 114 may be bent from the inner cover 115 and extend upward and may be disposed on a rear inner surface of the cabinet 110 partitioning the treatment compartment 120.

Condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120 by the steam generator 150 and the heat exchanger 140 may flow downward in the treatment compartment 120 by gravity, and may flow into an internal space of the water collection duct 160 through the second drain port 114 and the second water collection port 1622 of the duct cover 162. The second water collection port 1622 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the second drain port 114.

As described above, condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120 may pass through the first drain port 113 and the second drain port 114 and be collected inside the water collection duct 160 through the first water collection port 1621 and the second water collection port 1622.

FIG. 2B is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the sump according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 2B, the sump 161 may be disposed at a lower portion of the water collection duct 160. The sump 161 is a component for storing condensate water guided into the water collection duct 160.

The sump 161 may protrude from the inside of the water collection duct 160 toward a lower surface of the clothes care apparatus 100. Accordingly, condensate water guided into the water collection duct 160 may flow to the sump 161 by gravity and be stored therein.

A sensor unit 1611 may be disposed at a lower side of the sump 161. The sensor unit 1611 may be implemented as a level sensor for sensing a level of water stored in the sump 161. For example, the sensor unit 1611 may include a floating magnet 16111 and a sensor 16112. The floating magnet 16111 is a component designed to float on water while including a magnetic object. The sensor 16112 may be a magnetic sensor for outputting a sensing value having a variable magnitude based on a distance to the floating magnet 16111.

A position of the floating magnet 16111 may change based on a level of condensate water stored in the sump 161. The sensor 16112 may output the sensing value having a variable magnitude based on the changed position of the floating magnet 16111.

However, an example of the sensor unit 1611 is not limited thereto, and the sensor unit 1611 may also be implemented as a pressure sensor for estimating an amount of water by sensing pressure of water stored in the sump 161, or a capacitance sensor for measuring capacitance that changes based on an amount of water.

The clothes care apparatus 100 may further include a processor (not shown) and a memory (not shown). The memory may store various programs, instructions, and data required for an operation of the clothes care apparatus 100. For example, the memory may store data regarding a predetermined threshold value for a full-water level inside the sump 161.

The processor may control overall operations of the clothes care apparatus 100 based on various programs, instructions, and data stored in the memory. For example, the processor may identify a level of condensate water inside the sump 161 based on the sensing value obtained from the sensor unit 1611. When the identified level corresponds to the threshold value stored in the memory, the processor may operate a manual drain pump 182 (see FIG. 8). The manual drain pump 182 is a component for providing power to discharge condensate water stored in the sump 161 to the drain container 180 by using electrical energy. The manual drain pump 182 may be disposed to be adjacent to a lower end portion of the sump 161.

Meanwhile, condensate water stored in the sump 161 may be discharged outward from the clothes care apparatus 100 through a drain pipe 174 (see FIG. 4) communicating with the outside of the clothes care apparatus 100 without using the manual drain pump 182. A detailed description thereof is provided below.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the water supply and drain unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The water supply and drain unit 170 is a component for allowing condensate water occurring in the treatment compartment 120 to be discharged outward from the clothes care apparatus 100 without passing through the drain container 180, and for allowing water required to generate steam by the steam generator 150 to be directly supplied from the external water supply source without passing through the water supply container 190.

Referring to FIG. 4, the water supply and drain unit 170 may include a water supply pipe 171, a water supply control valve 172, a water supply check valve 173, the drain pipe 174, a drain pump 175, and a mounting portion 176.

The water supply pipe 171 is a component for supplying water from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150. The water supply pipe 171 is a component directly connected to the external water supply source, and accordingly, the water supply pipe 171 may also be referred to as a direct water supply pipe, an external connection water supply pipe, or the like.

FIG. 5A is a view illustrating the water supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5A, the water supply pipe 171 may include a first water supply pipe 1711, a second water supply pipe 1712, and a third water supply pipe 1713.

The first water supply pipe 1711 is a component for receiving water from the external water supply source. The first water supply pipe 1711 may connect the external water supply source to the water supply control valve 172. That is, the first water supply pipe 1711 may have one end coupled to the external water supply source and the other end thereof coupled to the water supply control valve 172. A region of the water supply control valve 172 opposing a region to which the first water supply pipe 1711 is coupled may be coupled to the second water supply pipe 1712.

The water supply control valve 172 is a component for controlling whether water is supplied from the external water supply source. The water supply control valve 172 may be turned on or off by an electrical signal.

When the water supply control valve 172 is in an ON state, the water supply control valve 172 may be opened, and water flowing into the first water supply pipe 1711 from the external water supply source may flow to the second water supply pipe 1712. Conversely, when the water supply control valve 172 is in an OFF state, the water supply control valve 172 may be closed, thus preventing water from flowing into the second water supply pipe 1712.

When water stored in the water supply container 190 is used without receiving water from the external water supply source through the water supply pipe 171, the water supply control valve 172 may be in the OFF state. Conversely, when water stored in the water supply container 190 is insufficient or when water is intended to be directly supplied from the external water supply source without using the water supply container 190, the water supply control valve 172 may be in the ON state.

The other end of the second water supply pipe 1712, which is not coupled to the water supply control valve 172, may be coupled to the water supply check valve 173.

The water supply check valve 173 is a component for preventing water flowing into the third water supply pipe 1713 from flowing back to the second water supply pipe 1712. A region of the water supply check valve 173 opposing a region coupled to the second water supply pipe 1712 may be connected to the third water supply pipe 1713.

Among both ends of the third water supply pipe 1713, the other end that is not coupled to the water supply check valve 173 may be coupled to the steam generator 150. More specifically, one end of the third water supply pipe 1713 may be coupled to a mounting hole 151 of the steam generator 150.

FIG. 5B is an enlarged view illustrating the mounting hole of the steam generator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 5B, the mounting hole 151 is a component disposed separately from an internal water supply hole 154 to directly receive water from the external water supply source.

The mounting hole 151 may be opened or closed by a lid or a cap. For example, in the clothes care apparatus 100 in which the water supply pipe 171 is not installed, the steam generator 150 may receive water stored in the water supply container 190 from the user through the internal water supply hole 154 without receiving water from the external water supply source. In this manner, when the water supply pipe 171 is not installed in the clothes care apparatus 100, the mounting hole 151 of the steam generator 150 may be closed by the lid or the cap.

Referring again to FIG. 5A, the steam generator 150 may include the steam supply pipe 152 and the steam port 153 to supply steam into the treatment compartment 120.

The steam supply pipe 152 may be coupled to an upper side of the steam generator 150. Steam generated by the steam generator 150 may flow upward from the steam generator 150 due to a pressure difference and may flow toward the treatment compartment 120 along the steam supply pipe 152. The steam supply pipe 152 may have one end coupled to the steam generator 150 and the other end coupled to the steam port 153.

The steam port 153 is a component for uniformly spraying steam flowing from the steam generator 150 into the treatment compartment 120. The steam port 153 may be disposed to be coupled to the steam hole 112 (see FIGS. 1 and 2A).

Meanwhile, the water supply pipe 171 may be connected to a water supply pump (not shown). The water supply pump may replace the check valve, or may be disposed inside the machine room separately from the check valve.

The water supply pump is a component for effectively supplying water from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150. The water supply pump may form a pressure difference in the water supply pipe 171 by using electrical energy. Accordingly, even when water pressure of the external water supply source is weak, water may be effectively supplied from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150. The water supply pump may be disposed in the first water supply pipe 1711, and an arrangement position of the water supply pump is not limited thereto.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the drain pipe according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 6, the drain pipe 174 may include a first drain pipe 1741 and a second drain pipe 1742. The drain pipe 174 is a component directly connected to the outside of the clothes care apparatus 100, and accordingly, the drain pipe 174 may also be referred to as a direct drain pipe, an external connection drain pipe, or the like.

The first drain pipe 1741 is a component for allowing the outside of the clothes care apparatus 100 and the water collection duct 160 to communicate with each other. The first drain pipe 1741 may have one end open toward the outside of the clothes care apparatus 100 and the other end coupled to the drain pump 175.

The drain pump 175 is a component for discharging condensate water stored in the water collection duct 160 outward from the clothes care apparatus 100. The drain pump 175 may lower pressure inside the pump by using electrical energy to suction condensate water stored in the water collection duct 160 and compress condensate water, and then discharge condensate water outward from the clothes care apparatus 100.

A region of the drain pump 175 opposing a region connected to the first drain pipe 1741 may be coupled to the second drain pipe 1742.

The second drain pipe 1742 may have one end coupled to the drain pump 175 and the other end coupled to the water collection duct 160.

Specifically, the second drain pipe 1742 may be coupled to the lower end portion of the sump 161 included in the water collection duct 160. When the drain pump 175 operates, condensate water stored in the sump 161 may flow into the drain pump 175 through the second drain pipe 1742 due to a reduced internal pressure of the drain pump 175. The condensate water may then be discharged from the inside of the drain pump 175 through the first drain pipe 1741 to a space outside the clothes care apparatus 100.

Meanwhile, the first drain pipe 1741 may be a bar-shaped pipe, and a shape thereof is not limited thereto. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the first drain pipe 1741 may have a curved shape having a predetermined curvature.

That is, the first drain pipe 1741 may have various shapes according to a volume of an available space inside the machine room 130. The first drain pipe 1741 may have various shapes in a design or manufacturing process of the clothes care apparatus 100.

The second drain pipe 1742 or the water supply pipe 171 is not limited to any particular shape either, and may have various shapes in consideration of the volume of the available space inside the machine room 130 and a positional relationship between components, similarly to the first drain pipe 1741, and a description of the same content is thus omitted.

Meanwhile, the drain pipe 174 may include a drain control valve (not shown). The drain control valve is a component for controlling whether condensate water is discharged through the drain pipe 174. The drain control valve may be turned on or off by an electrical signal. When the drain control valve is in an ON state, the drain control valve is opened and condensate water may be discharged outward from the clothes care apparatus 100 from the sump 161 through the second drain pipe 1742 and the first drain pipe 1741. Conversely, when the drain control valve is in an OFF state, the drain control valve may be closed, thus preventing condensate water from being discharged outward from the clothes care apparatus 100 through the drain pipe 174.

The user may determine the ON or OFF state of the drain control valve based on whether condensate water is stored and processed in the drain container 180 or is discharged outward through the drain pipe 174.

In the clothes care apparatus 100 including the water supply pipe 171 and the drain pipe 174 according to the present disclosure, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6, condensate water stored in the water collection duct 160 may be directly drained outward from the clothes care apparatus 100, thus making normal processing of condensate water possible even when the user does not separate the drain container 180 from the machine room 120 and empty condensate water stored therein.

In addition, water required to generate steam by the steam generator 150 may be directly supplied from the external water supply source, and the steam generator 150 may thus normally operate even when the user does not separate the water supply container 190 from the machine room 120 and fill the water supply container 190 with water. Accordingly, user convenience in using the clothes care apparatus 100 may be improved.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a manual water supply method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 7, to supply water to the steam generator 150 according to the manual water supply method, the machine room 130 may include the water supply container 190, a manual water supply pipe 191, a manual water supply pump 192, and a manual water supply check valve 193.

The water supply container 190 is a component for storing water to be supplied to the steam generator 150, and a description thereof which is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 1 is thus omitted. The water supply container 190 may be detachable from the machine room 130. The user may separate the water supply container 190 from the machine room 130, fill the water supply container 190 with water, and then couple the water supply container 190 to the machine room 130 again.

Water stored in the water supply container 190 may flow to the steam generator 150 along the manual water supply pipe 191 by the manual water supply pump 192. The manual water supply pump 192 may suction water stored in the water supply container 190 by lowering an internal pressure using electrical energy, and then discharge water toward the steam generator 150 by increasing the internal pressure again.

Meanwhile, the manual water supply check valve 193 may be disposed in the manual water supply pipe 191. The manual water supply check valve 193 is a component for preventing water in the manual water supply pipe 191 from flowing to the steam generator 150 and flowing backward in an opposite direction. Although one manual water supply check valve 193 is illustrated as being disposed in the drawing, the number of the manual water supply check valves 193 is not limited thereto, and a plurality of manual water supply check valves 193 may be disposed as necessary.

The manual water supply pipe 191 may be coupled to a lower side of the mounting hole 151 of the steam generator 150.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a manual drainage method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 8, to discharge condensate water from the clothes care apparatus 100 to the external space according to the manual drainage method, the machine room 130 may include a manual drain pipe 181 and the manual drain pump 182.

The manual drain pipe 181 may have one end coupled to the water collection duct 160 and the other end coupled to the drain container 180. Specifically, one end of the manual drain pipe 181 may be coupled to the lower end portion of the sump 161 included in the water collection duct 160.

The manual drain pump 182 may be disposed in the manual drain pipe 181 to transfer condensate water from the lower end portion of the sump 161 to the drain container 180. The manual drain pump 182 may cause condensate water stored in the sump 161 to flow to the drain container 180 along the manual drain pipe 181 by using electrical energy.

Meanwhile, the drain container 180 and the water supply container 190 may have a standard having the same volume. However, positions of regions coupled to the manual drain pipe 181 and the manual water supply pipe 191 may be different from each other.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the mounting portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 9, the water supply and drain unit 170 may include the mounting portion 176. The mounting portion 176 is a component for stably fixing the water supply control valve 172 and the drain pump 175.

A mounting plate 1761 may be disposed in the mounting portion 176 to mount the water supply control valve 172 and the drain pump 175 thereon. The mounting plate 1761 may be disposed to be parallel to the ground.

The water supply control valve 172 and the drain pump 175 may be mounted on an upper surface of the mounting plate 1761 to allow lower surfaces thereof to be in contact with the mounting plate 1761. The water supply control valve 172 and the drain pump 175 may be mounted on the mounting plate 1761 by using bolts/nuts or clamps, and is not limited thereto.

The mounting portion 176 may be coupled to a lower surface of the cabinet 110 partitioning the machine room 130. A side wall 1762 parallel to side and rear surfaces of the cabinet 110 adjacent thereto may be disposed on the mounting portion 176.

The side wall 1762 may be bent in a direction opposite to the ground and extend upward from the mounting plate 1761. The side wall 1762 may extend to be equal to or lower than a height of the water supply control valve 172.

A connector 1763 may be disposed on the side wall 1762. The connector 1763 is a component for supporting the water supply pipe 171 and the drain pipe 174.

Specifically, the connector 1763 may include coupling holes 17631 and 17632 corresponding to diameters of the first water supply pipe 1711 and the first drain pipe 1741. The first water supply pipe 1711 and the first drain pipe 1741 may be inserted into the coupling holes 17631 and 17632, respectively. Accordingly, self-weights of the first water supply pipe 1711 and the first drain pipe 1741 may be transferred to the lower surface of the cabinet 110 through the connector 1763 and the mounting portion 176.

Meanwhile, the connector 1763 may be disposed in a partial region of the side wall 1762 parallel to a rear surface of the cabinet 110.

As described above, the water supply control valve 172, the drain pump 175, the first water supply pipe 1711, and the first drain pipe 1741 may be coupled to the mounting plate 1761 and the connector 1763, and the mounting portion 176 may be coupled to the cabinet 110, thereby minimizing vibration and noise occurring as water and/or condensate water supplied from the external water supply source flows inside the water supply pipe 171 and the drain pipe 174.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a water supply and drain unit according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a water supply pipe according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a view illustrating a drain pipe according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a water supply pipe 271 may include a first water supply pipe 2711 and a second water supply pipe 2712.

The first water supply pipe 2711 may have one end connected to the external water supply source and the other end connected to a water supply control valve 272.

The second water supply pipe 2712 may have one end connected to the water supply control valve 272 and the other end connected to the steam generator 150.

Specifically, the second water supply pipe 2712 may be connected to the mounting hole 151 of the steam generator 150. The mounting hole 151 may be disposed in a region in which the steam supply pipe 152 is coupled to the steam generator 150. Detailed descriptions of the steam generator 150 and the mounting hole 151 are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, and a redundant description of the mounting hole 151 is thus omitted.

Meanwhile, the water supply pipe 271 may include a water supply pump (not shown). The water supply pump is a component for effectively supplying water from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150 even when water pressure of the external water supply source is weak. The water supply pump may be disposed in the first water supply pipe 2711, and an arrangement position of the water supply pump is not limited thereto.

The water supply control valve 272 may be turned on or off by an electrical signal. When the water supply control valve 272 is in an ON state, the valve may be opened and water may be supplied from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150 through the water supply pipe 271. Conversely, when the water supply control valve 272 is in an OFF state, the valve may be closed and prevent water from being supplied from the external water supply source to the steam generator 150. The user may determine the ON/OFF state of the water supply control valve 272 as necessary.

Meanwhile, the water supply pipe 271 may further include a check valve (not shown). The check valve is a component for preventing water in the water supply pipe 271 from flowing backward in an opposite direction without flowing from the external water supply source toward the steam generator 150.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, a drain pipe 274 may include a first drain pipe 2741 and a second drain pipe 2742.

The first drain pipe 2741 may have one end opened toward the space outside the clothes care apparatus 100 and the other end connected to a drain pump 275.

The second drain pipe 2742 may have one end connected to the drain pump 275 and the other end connected to the lower end portion of the sump 161. A description of the drain pump 275 is the same as that described above with reference to FIG. 6, and a redundant description thereof is thus omitted.

Meanwhile, FIG. 13 is a view illustrating that the water supply pipe and the drain pipe are supported by the cabinet according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 13, the water supply pipe 271 and the drain pipe 274 may be fixed to the rear surface of the cabinet 110 by using connectors 277-1 and 277-2, respectively.

The connectors 277-1 and 277-2 are components for supporting the water supply pipe 271 and the drain pipe 274. Specifically, the connectors 277-1 and 277-2 may be disposed in a region corresponding to the compressor 143 on the rear surface of the cabinet 110.

The connectors 277-1 and 277-2 may have diameters corresponding to diameters of the first water supply pipe 2711 and the first drain pipe 2741. The first water supply pipe 2711 and the first drain pipe 2741 may be stably fixed to the cabinet 110 by being inserted into the connectors 277-1 and 277-2. The first water supply pipe 2711 and the first drain pipe 2741 may extend to the space outside the clothes care apparatus 100 by passing through the connectors 277-1 and 277-2.

Alternatively, the first water supply pipe 2711 and the first drain pipe 2741 may be coupled to the connectors 277-1 and 277-2, and an extension water supply pipe 2714 and an extension drain pipe 2743 extending from the connectors 277-1 and 277-2 to the space outside the clothes care apparatus 100 may be disposed.

The water supply pipe 271 and the drain pipe 274 may have curved shapes having curvature as illustrated in FIGS. 10 to 12, and are not limited thereto. That is, the water supply pipe 271 and the drain pipe 274 may have various shapes according to the available space inside the machine room 130 or an arrangement of components disposed in the machine room 130.

As described above, the clothes care apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure may receive water directly from the external water supply source or directly drain condensate water occurring during the operation of the clothes care apparatus 100 outward. For this purpose, the clothes care apparatus 100 may include the water supply and drain unit 170. The water supply and drain unit 170 may include the water supply pipe 171 connecting the external water supply source to the steam generator 150 to supply water from the external water supply source. In addition, the water supply and drain unit 170 may include the drain pipe 174 connecting the space outside the clothes care apparatus 100 to the water collection duct 160. The water supply control valve 172 and a drain control valve (not shown), each capable of opening or closing a valve, may be disposed in the water supply pipe 171 and the drain pipe 174, respectively. When the water supply control valve 172 is in a closed state, water may not be supplied from the external water supply source to the clothes care apparatus 100. When the drain control valve is in a closed state, condensate water may not be drained outward from the clothes care apparatus 100 through the drain pipe 174. That is, the user may open the water supply control valve 172 when water is desired to be supplied from the external water supply source to the clothes care apparatus 100, and may close the water supply control valve 172 when use of water stored in the water supply container 190 is desired. In addition, the user may open the drain control valve when condensate water is desired to be directly drained outward from the clothes care apparatus 100, and may close the drain control valve when use of condensate water stored in the drain container 180 is desired. As described above, a manual water supply and drainage method and an automatic water supply and drainage method may coexist in the clothes care apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure, and a water supply and drainage method may thus be set to be manual or automatic based on a user selection.

Meanwhile, although the various embodiments have been described above based on the clothes care apparatus, the above-described embodiments may also be applied to other types of apparatuses requiring a configuration for supplying or discharging water. For example, the same or similar embodiments as described above may be applied to a shoe care apparatus that stores and manages various types of shoes. In addition, the same or similar embodiments as described above may be applied to a dehumidifier that needs to discharge water even without receiving water, or a humidifier that needs to receive water.

Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been individually described above, the respective embodiments are not necessarily implemented independently, and configurations and operations of the respective embodiments may be implemented in combination with at least one other embodiment.

In addition, although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as claimed in the claims. Such modifications should also be understood to fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A clothes care apparatus comprising:

a cabinet;

a treatment compartment, to be disposed inside the cabinet, configured to accommodate clothes therein; and

a machine room to be disposed at one side of the treatment compartment,

wherein the machine room includes: a heat exchanger configured to dehumidify and heat air in the treatment compartment; a steam generator configured to generate steam to be sprayed into the treatment compartment; a water collection duct configured to store water condensate occurring during a process in which the air is dehumidified and heated; and a water supply and drain unit configured to be selectively controlled to supply water from an external water supply source to the steam generator or to be selectively controlled to discharge the water stored in the water collection duct to an external space outside the clothes care apparatus.

2. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the steam generator is disposed at one side of the water collection duct,

the heat exchanger includes an evaporator, a condenser, and a compressor,

the evaporator and the condenser are disposed inside the water collection duct and supported by the water collection duct, and

the water collection duct includes: a sump, to be disposed at a lower portion of the water collection duct, configured to store water discharged from the treatment compartment and the water condensate.

3. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the water supply and drain unit includes:

a water supply pipe to be connected to the external water supply source;

a water supply control valve, to be disposed in the water supply pipe, configured to control supply of water;

a water supply check valve, to be disposed in the water supply pipe, configured to prevent backflow of water in the water supply pipe;

a drain pipe configured to connect to the external space; and

a drain pump, to be disposed in the drain pipe, configured to discharge the water condensate which is in the drain pipe to the external space.

4. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the water supply and drain unit further includes a mounting portion on which the water supply control valve and the drain pump are mountable, and

wherein the mounting portion includes: a mounting plate configured to support the water supply control valve and the drain pump; a side wall bent and extending from the mounting plate; and a connector, to be disposed on the side wall, configured to support the water supply pipe and the drain pipe.

5. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the water supply pipe includes:

a first water supply pipe configured to connect the external water supply source to the water supply control valve;

a second water supply pipe configured to connect the water supply control valve to the water supply check valve; and

a third water supply pipe configured to connect the water supply check valve to the steam generator.

6. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the drain pipe includes:

a first drain pipe configured to connect the external space to the drain pump; and

a second drain pipe configured to connect the drain pump to the sump.

7. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the steam generator further includes a mounting hole to which the third water supply pipe is couplable.

8. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the water supply and drain unit further includes a water supply pump disposed in the second water supply pipe and configured to provide power to water in the water supply pipe.

9. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the water supply and drain unit further includes:

a drain container, to be disposed at one side of the machine room and to be detachable from the machine room, configured to receive and store the water condensate that is stored in the sump; and

a water supply container, to be disposed to be parallel to the drain container and to be detachable from the machine room, configured to store water supplied to the steam generator.

10. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the water supply and drain unit further includes:

a manual water supply pump, to be disposed below the water supply container, configured to supply water from the water supply container to the steam generator.

11. The clothes care apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the water supply and drain unit further includes:

a drain control valve, to be disposed in the drain pipe, configured to control whether the water condensate is drained from the sump to the drain pipe.