Drum type washing and drying machine

Abstract

To provide a user-friendly drum type washing/drying machine with which loading/unloading of laundry is easy, in which a large outer tub and a housing regulated in size are realized by using a space in the housing effectively. In the drum type washing/drying machine, a drum 23, which rotates about an axis C extending along the lateral direction, is enclosed in the outer tub 20 disposed in the housing. The housing has an opening formed on the top and leads to a throw-in opening for loading the laundry in the drum 23, the throw-in opening formed on the peripheral wall of the drum 23. A main shaft 24 positioned on the axis C is supported by a first bearing and driven by a direct drive type motor 30. A heat exchanger 42 to which a water pipe for supplying cooling water is connected and a drying air channel including a heater 48 are disposed on the side of the outer tub 20 opposite to the side on which the main shaft 24 and the motor are disposed. Heated air is blown into the outer tub 20 through openings 29 a formed around an auxiliary shaft 25. Thus, the space between the outer tub 20 and the housing is effectively used, thereby achieving an excellent weight balance of the outer tub 20.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A drum type washing/drying machine comprising: 
 a housing;    an outer tub having a body with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall enclosed in the housing;    a drum with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall mounted rotatably about a horizontal or inclined axis in the outer tub;    a throw-in opening formed on the peripheral wall of the drum;    an opening formed on a top of the housing, the opening of the housing leading to the throw-in opening;    a lid for the opening of the housing;    a main shaft fixed to one side of the drum;    a direct drive type motor connected directly to the main shaft and disposed at one side of the outer tub opposite to said one side of the drum to which the main shaft is fixed; and    a hot air inlet for supplying heated air for drying to the outer tub and a main part of an air channel leading to the hot air inlet both provided at the other side of the outer tub.    
     
     
         2 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 1 , wherein an air outlet leading to the air channel from the outer tub is provided at a portion which is on a lower part of the body of the outer tub and near the center along the axial direction of the body.  
     
     
         3 . A drum type washing/drying machine comprising: 
 a housing;    an outer tub having a body with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall enclosed in the housing;    a drum with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall mounted rotatably about a horizontal or inclined axis in the outer tub;    a main shaft fixed to one side of the drum;    a driving unit provided at one side of the outer tub for rotatably driving the main shaft;    a hot air inlet for supplying heated air for drying to the outer tub and a main part of an air channel leading to the hot air inlet both provided at the other side of the outer tub; and    an air outlet leading to the air channel and provided at a portion on a lower part of the body of the outer tub and near the center along the axial direction of the body.    
     
     
         4 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 1 , wherein a channel, which is a part of the air channel, extending from the air outlet provided on the body of the outer tub in the axial direction of the body is formed integrally with the outer tub.  
     
     
         5 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of a detergent container and an operation panel is disposed above the main part of the air channel.  
     
     
         6 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 5 , wherein a thermal insulator is provided between the main part of the air channel and the detergent container and/or the operation panel disposed above the main part of the air channel.  
     
     
         7 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 6 , wherein the drum type washing/drying machine further comprises a water pipe for passing cooling water to be used as a heat exchanger for dehumidifying air exhausted from the outer tub by cooling in the drying operation, a part of the water pipe disposed between the main part of the air channel and the detergent container and/or the operation panel as the thermal insulator.  
     
     
         8 . A drum type washing/drying machine comprising: 
 a housing;    an outer tub having a body with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall enclosed in the housing;    a drum with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall mounted rotatably about a horizontal or inclined axis in the outer tub;    a throw-in opening formed on the peripheral wall of the drum;    an opening formed on a top of the housing, the opening of the housing leading to the throw-in opening;    a lid for the opening of the housing; and    a blower motor for blowing heated air into the outer tub during a drying operation, the blower motor provided outside a body of the outer tub in such a fashion that a shaft of the blower motor is substantially perpendicular to an extending direction of the axis of the drum.    
     
     
         9 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 8 , wherein at least an upper part of the body of the outer tub has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the blower motor is disposed at any region adjacent to the body of the outer tub but regions around a top of the body.  
     
     
         10 . A drum type washing/drying machine comprising: 
 a housing;    an outer tub having a body with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall enclosed in the housing;    a drum with a substantially cylindrical peripheral wall mounted rotatably about a horizontal or inclined axis in the outer tub; and    an operation controller for increasing a rotational speed of the drum to reach a rotational speed which causes water deposited on an inner wall of the outer tub to move after a completion of a predetermined drying operation and maintaining the rotational speed for a predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         11 . The drum type washing/drying machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the throw-in opening is formed on the peripheral wall of the drum, and an opening leading to the throw-in opening as well as a lid for the opening of the housing are formed on a top of the housing.