Dishwasher

Abstract

A dishwasher includes a tub defining a washing chamber, a door for opening/closing the tub, a condenser provided inside the door to condense steam discharged from the tub, a fan assembly connected to the condenser, and an outside air guide for supplying outside air to the fan assembly. The fan assembly includes a discharge opening through which steam from inside the tub is discharged into the condenser.

1 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a tub defining a washing chamber;   a door for opening/closing the tub;   a condenser provided within the door to condense steam discharged from the tub;   a fan assembly connected to the condenser, the fan assembly including a steam outlet through which steam inside the tub is discharged into the condenser; and   an air guide for supplying air external to the tub to the fan assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The dishwasher according to  claim 1 , wherein the door comprises
 a door liner exposed to an interior of the tub, and   a door cover, provided at a front side of the door liner, to form an exterior portion of the dishwasher,   wherein the condenser is disposed between the door liner and the door cover.   
     
     
         3 . The dishwasher according to  claim 2 , wherein the condenser is sealed to a surface of the door cover. 
     
     
         4 . The dishwasher according to  claim 2 , wherein a front side of the condenser is opened, the opened front side being closed by the door cover and being sealed to the door cover. 
     
     
         5 . The dishwasher according to  claim 2 , wherein steam introduced into the condenser is heat-exchanged with the external air by heat conduction through the door cover. 
     
     
         6 . The dishwasher according to  claim 1 , further comprising a discharge duct provided at another side of the fan assembly to discharge a mixture of the external air and the steam. 
     
     
         7 . The dishwasher according to  claim 6 , wherein the steam discharged through the discharge outlet is configured to be condensed primarily in the condenser and configured to be condensed secondarily while passing through the discharge duct. 
     
     
         8 . The dishwasher according to  claim 6 , wherein the discharge duct has an outlet having an expanding shape. 
     
     
         9 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a tub;   a door for opening/closing a front side of the tub, the door including a door cover defining an exterior portion of the dishwasher and a door liner connected to a rear surface of the door cover;   a condenser attached to the rear surface of the door cover;   a fan assembly to draw out steam from inside the tub and discharge the steam to the condenser, the fan assembly further mixing air external to the tub with steam passing through the condenser;   an air guide disposed at one side of the fan assembly to supply the external air; and   a discharge duct disposed at another side of the fan assembly to discharge a mixture of the steam and external air.   
     
     
         10 . The dishwasher according to  claim 9 , wherein the fan assembly comprises:
 a fan housing;   a fan housed in the fan housing; and   a blower cover provided at a side of the fan housing to provide selective communication between the tub and the fan housing.   
     
     
         11 . The dishwasher according to  claim 10 , wherein the fan housing comprises a discharge hole through which the steam inside the tub is discharged, the discharge hole being connected to an inlet of the condenser. 
     
     
         12 . The dishwasher according to  claim 10 , wherein the condenser comprises an outlet through which condensed steam is discharged, the outlet being connected to the fan housing. 
     
     
         13 . The dishwasher according to  claim 10 , wherein the fan comprises a double-suction centrifugal fan. 
     
     
         14 . The dishwasher according to  claim 9 , further comprising at least one flow guide provided inside the condenser to guide a flow of the steam. 
     
     
         15 . The dishwasher according to  claim 9 , further comprising at least one hole formed in a lower portion of the condenser and the door liner such that water formed from the condensed steam is introduced into the tub. 
     
     
         16 . The dishwasher according to  claim 15 , wherein the lower portion of the condenser slopes downward. 
     
     
         17 . The dishwasher according to  claim 9 , wherein the outside air guide comprises an opening exposed to external air. 
     
     
         18 . A dishwasher comprising:
 a tub defining a washing space;   a door liner rotatably connected to a front side of the tub;   a fan assembly provided at a side of the door liner to discharge steam from within the tub;   a condenser connected to the fan assembly, the condenser including an inlet through which the discharged steam is introduced into the condenser, and an outlet through which the steam from the condenser is again discharged and introduced into the fan assembly;   a discharge duct connected to at least one side of the fan assembly; and   an outside air guide connected to another side of the fan assembly.   
     
     
         19 . The dishwasher according to  claim 18 , wherein the steam introduced into the inlet is configured to be condensed primarily in the condenser and steam from the condenser is discharged to the fan assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The dishwasher according to  claim 19 , wherein the primarily condensed steam is mixed with external air drawn into the outside air guide and is configured to be condensed secondarily through the discharge duct. 
     
     
         21 . The dishwasher according to  claim 18 , wherein the condenser comprises:
 a flow guide sloping downwards such that the steam discharged from the tub is condensed while moving along a curved flow path; and   a water hole formed at a lower edge of the condenser to introduce the condensed water into the tub.   
     
     
         22 . The dishwasher according to  claim 18 , wherein a cross sectional area of the outlet of the discharge duct is wider than a cross sectional area of the inlet of the discharge duct. 
     
     
         23 . The dishwasher according to  claim 18 , wherein the fan assembly comprises a double-suction centrifugal fan.