Laundry treatment apparatus

Abstract

A laundry treatment apparatus includes a laundry receiving unit, a duct for supplying air to the laundry receiving unit, a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat with air introduced into the duct, a second heat exchanger located in the duct for exchanging heat with air that has passed through the first heat exchanger, and a heat transfer unit. The heat transfer unit includes a first conductor making contact with the first heat exchanger and connected to a positive electrode of a direct current (DC) power source, a second conductor making contact with the first heat exchanger and connected to a negative electrode of the DC power source, the second conductor being separated from the first conductor, a third conductor making contact with the second heat exchanger, a P-type semiconductor interconnecting the first conductor and the third conductor, and an N-type semiconductor interconnecting the second conductor and the third conductor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a laundry receiving unit configured to provide a space for receiving laundry;   a duct configured to supply air to the laundry receiving unit;   a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air introduced into the duct;   a second heat exchanger located in the duct and configured to exchange heat with air that has passed through the first heat exchanger; and   a heat transfer unit including:
 a first conductor that makes contact with the first heat exchanger and is connected to a positive electrode of a direct current (DC) power source, 
 a second conductor that makes contact with the first heat exchanger and is connected to a negative electrode of the DC power source, the second conductor being separated from the first conductor, 
 a third conductor that makes contact with the second heat exchanger, 
 a P-type semiconductor configured to interconnect the first conductor and the third conductor, and 
 an N-type semiconductor configured to interconnect the second conductor and the third conductor. 
   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the duct includes an exhaust duct configured to discharge air coming from an interior of the laundry receiving unit to an outside of the laundry receiving unit and a supply duct configured to guide air from the outside of the laundry receiving unit to the laundry receiving unit; and   the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the heat transfer unit are located inside the supply duct.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the laundry receiving unit includes a tub placed inside a cabinet, an inlet port and an outlet port in communication with the outside of the laundry receiving unit, and a drum placed inside the tub and configured to provide the space for receiving laundry; and   the duct is configured to connect the outlet port and the inlet port to each other.   
     
     
         4 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first heat exchanger includes a heat absorption body located inside the duct, the first conductor and the second conductor being secured to the heat absorption body, and heat absorption fins protruding from the heat absorption body; and   the second heat exchanger includes a heat radiation body spaced apart from the first heat exchanger in a longitudinal direction of the duct, the third conductor being secured to the heat radiation body, and heat radiation fins protruding from the heat radiation body.   
     
     
         5 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the heat absorption fins and the heat radiation fins are arranged parallel to a movement direction of air within the duct that is moving toward the inlet port. 
     
     
         6 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the heat absorption fins include a plurality of conductive plates spaced apart from one another by a prescribed distance; and   the heat radiation fins include a plurality of conductive plates spaced apart from one another by a prescribed distance, one heat radiation fin being located in a space between one heat absorption fin and another heat absorption fin and arranged parallel to the heat absorption fins.   
     
     
         7 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the heat absorption fins protrude from the heat absorption body toward a lower surface of a cross section of the duct; and   the heat radiation fins protrude from the heat radiation body toward the lower surface of the cross section of the duct.   
     
     
         8 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the first heat exchanger includes a heat absorption body located inside the duct, heat absorption fins protruding from the heat absorption body to a lower surface of a cross section of the duct, and an extension body extending from the heat absorption body in a longitudinal direction of the duct, the first conductor and the second conductor being secured to the extension body; and   the second heat exchanger includes a heat radiation body located below the extension body, the third conductor being secured to the heat radiation body, and heat radiation fins protruding from the heat radiation body toward the lower surface of the cross section of the duct.   
     
     
         9 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to any one of  claim 1 , further comprising a heater located inside the duct and configured to heat air that has passed through the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . A laundry treatment apparatus comprising:
 a laundry receiving unit configured to provide a space for receiving laundry;   a duct configured to supply air to the laundry receiving unit;   a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air introduced into the duct;   a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with air that has passed through the first heat exchanger;   a heater located inside the duct configured to heat air that has passed through the second heat exchanger; and   a heat transfer unit including:
 a first conductor that makes contact with the first heat exchanger and is connected to a positive electrode of a direct current (DC) power source, 
 a second conductor that makes contact with the first heat exchanger and is connected to a negative electrode of the DC power source, the second conductor being separated from the first conductor, 
 a third conductor that makes contact with the second heat exchanger, 
 a P-type semiconductor configured to interconnect the first conductor and the third conductor, and 
 an N-type semiconductor configured to interconnect the second conductor and the third conductor. 
   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the duct includes an exhaust duct configured to discharge air coming from an interior of the laundry receiving unit to an outside of the laundry receiving unit and a supply duct configured to guide air from the outside of the laundry receiving unit to the laundry receiving unit; and   the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the heat transfer unit are located inside the supply duct.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein:
 the laundry receiving unit includes a tub placed inside a cabinet, an inlet port and an outlet port in communication with the outside of the laundry receiving unit, and a drum placed inside the tub and configured to provide the space for receiving laundry; and   the duct is configured to connect the outlet port and the inlet port to each other.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first heat exchanger includes a heat absorption body located inside the duct, the first conductor and the second conductor being secured to the heat absorption body, and heat absorption fins protruding from the heat absorption body; and   the second heat exchanger includes a heat radiation body spaced apart from the first heat exchanger in a longitudinal direction of the duct, the third conductor being secured to the heat radiation body, and heat radiation fins protruding from the heat radiation body.   
     
     
         14 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the heat absorption fins and the heat radiation fins are arranged parallel to a movement direction of air within the duct that is moving toward the inlet port. 
     
     
         15 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the heat absorption fins include a plurality of conductive plates spaced apart from one another by a prescribed distance; and   the heat radiation fins include a plurality of conductive plates spaced apart from one another by a prescribed distance, one heat radiation fin being located in a space between one heat absorption fin and another heat absorption fin and arranged parallel to the heat absorption fins.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the heat absorption fins protrude from the heat absorption body toward a lower surface of a cross section of the duct; and   the heat radiation fins protrude from the heat radiation body toward the lower surface of the cross section of the duct.   
     
     
         17 . The laundry treatment apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first heat exchanger includes a heat absorption body located inside the duct, heat absorption fins protruding from the heat absorption body to a lower surface of a cross section of the duct, and an extension body extending from the heat absorption body in a longitudinal direction of the duct, the first conductor and the second conductor being secured to the extension body; and   the second heat exchanger includes a heat radiation body located below the extension body, the third conductor being secured to the heat radiation body, and heat radiation fins protruding from the heat radiation body toward the lower surface of the cross section of the duct.