Impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer and drying method therewith

Abstract

Disclosed are an impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer and a drying method. The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer includes: a housing, an outer drum mounted inside the housing, an inner drum mounted in the outer drum, an impeller provided at the bottom of the inner drum, and an electric motor provided at the lower part of the outer drum for driving of the inner drum and/or the pulsator. An outer part of the outer drum is provided with an air duct and a heat pump system. The air duct communicates with sealed top and bottom ends of the outer drum. The heat pump system has an evaporator and a condenser mounted in the air duct, a throttle apparatus and a compressor. The evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the throttle apparatus are sequentially connected in succession to form a circulating flow path enabling a medium to flow.

1 . An impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer, comprising: a housing, an outer drum mounted in the housing, an inner drum mounted in the outer drum, an impeller provided at a bottom part of the inner drum, and an electric motor provided at a lower part of the outer drum for driving at least one of the inner drum and the impeller to rotate, wherein an outer part of the outer drum is provided with an air duct and a heat pump system, and the air duct communicates with sealed top and bottom ends of the outer drum; and wherein the heat pump system has an evaporator and a condenser mounted in the air duct, a throttle apparatus and a compressor; and wherein the evaporator, the compressor, the condenser and the throttle apparatus are sequentially connected to form a circulating flow path that allows a medium to flow through. 
     
     
         2 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein two ends of the air duct respectively are a first end and a second end, the first end is connected to an upper part or a lower part of the outer drum, and the second end is connected to a lower part or an upper part of the outer drum, so as to enable the air duct and the outer drum to form a circulating air path; and wherein a filter mesh, the evaporator, the condenser, and a fan are sequentially provided in the air duct from the first end to the second end. 
     
     
         3 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 2 , wherein the condenser and the evaporator are disposed in the air duct at the upper part of the outer drum. 
     
     
         4 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 3 , wherein a condensed water drain pipe that drains condensed water out of the integrated washer-dryer is connected to a corresponding bottom part of the air duct in which the evaporator is provided. 
     
     
         5 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 2 , wherein the air duct comprises a lower transverse air duct, a vertical air duct, and an upper transverse air duct; wherein one end of the lower transverse air duct is connected to a bottom part of the outer drum and the other end of the lower transverse air duct extends backwards to be connected to a lower end of the vertical air duct; and wherein an upper end of the vertical air duct is connected to one end of the upper transverse air duct and the other end of the upper transverse air duct is connected to an upper end of the outer drum. 
     
     
         6 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 5 , wherein the compressor is disposed outside the air duct, an outlet end of the compressor is connected to the condenser disposed in an interior of the air duct, and an inlet end of the compressor is connected to the evaporator disposed in the interior of the air duct; and one end of the throttle apparatus is connected to the condenser and the other end of the throttle apparatus is connected to the evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer drum door for receiving clothing and ensuring sealing of the outer drum is disposed at an opening of the outer drum; and wherein a drain pipe is connected to the bottom part of the outer drum, and a drain valve is disposed on the drain pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 1 , wherein the condenser and the evaporator are disposed in the air duct at a rear part of the outer drum. 
     
     
         9 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 8 , wherein the air duct comprises: a first vertical air duct, a second vertical air duct, and a third vertical air duct that are vertically disposed, at a rear part of the outer drum, and are sequentially connected one another in an end-to-end manner, a lower transverse air duct connected to a lower end of the first vertical air duct, and an upper transverse air duct connected to an upper end of the third vertical air duct; and wherein the lower transverse air duct is in communication with the lower part of the outer drum, and the upper transverse air duct is in communication with an upper part of the outer drum, so as to enable the outer drum and the air duct to form a  -shaped circulating air path. 
     
     
         10 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 9 , wherein a top of the first vertical air duct is higher than an opening of the outer drum. 
     
     
         11 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 9 , wherein a filter mesh is disposed in the air duct between a first end of the air conduct and the evaporator, and a condensed water drain pipe is connected to a connection section between the second vertical air duct and the third vertical air duct. 
     
     
         12 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 11 , wherein when the first end of the air duct is an end at which the lower transverse air duct is connected to the lower part of the outer drum, the evaporator is disposed in the second vertical air duct and the condenser is disposed in the third vertical air duct. 
     
     
         13 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 11 , wherein when the first end of the air duct is an end at which the upper transverse air duct is connected to the upper part of the outer drum, the condenser is disposed in the second vertical air duct and the evaporator is disposed in the third vertical air duct. 
     
     
         14 . The impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 11 , wherein the evaporator and the condenser are sequentially disposed in the second vertical air duct or the third vertical air duct along a flow direction of air. 
     
     
         15 . A drying method for the impeller-type heat pump integrated washer-dryer according to  claim 1 , comprising: introducing moist air from the outer drum to the air duct, condensing moisture in the moist air by an action of the heat pump system, to form condensed water and high-temperature dry air, circulating the high-temperature dry air back to the outer drum, and draining the condensed water out of the integrated washer-dryer. 
     
     
         16 . The drying method according to  claim 15 , wherein an impeller in an inner drum of the integrated washer-dryer rotates, and drives clothing in the inner drum to turn up and down, to enable the clothing to fully contact the high-temperature dry air during drying. 
     
     
         17 . The drying method according to  claim 15 , wherein during drying, an operating pressure of the heat pump system gradually increases, and a rotation speed of a compressor decreases after the operating pressure exceeds a set value. 
     
     
         18 . The drying method according to  claim 17 , wherein if the operating pressure of the heat pump system is still above the set value when the rotation speed of the compressor of the heat pump system decreases to a minimum operating speed, a drain valve is opened, and air in the circulating air duct that is constructed by the air duct and the outer drum exchanges heat with outside air via a drain pipe, so as to reduce a temperature value of air in the circulating air duct, and reduce an operating load of the heat pump system.