Clothing treatment device

Abstract

A dryer including a main body; a drum inside the main body to receive an object for drying; a heat pump to supply hot and dry air to the drum, and including an evaporator, compressor, and condenser, wherein the evaporator, compressor, and condenser are configured to circulate a refrigerant through the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser; a condensate tank to store condensate generated by the evaporator; and a connection pipe between the condenser and the evaporator, with at least a portion of the connection pipe being in the condensate tank, wherein the dryer is configured so that refrigerant that has been heat-exchanged with external air in the condenser, and discharged from the condenser, then passes through the connection pipe so as to additionally exchange heat with the condensate in the condensate tank while passing through the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dryer, comprising:
 a main body;   a drum inside the main body to receive an object for drying;   a heat pump configured to supply hot and dry air to the drum, and including:
 an evaporator, 
 a compressor, and 
 a condenser, 
 wherein the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser are configured to circulate a refrigerant through the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser; 
   a condensate tank configured to store condensate generated by the evaporator; and   a connection pipe between the condenser and the evaporator, with at least a portion of the connection pipe being in the condensate tank,   wherein the dryer is configured so that refrigerant that has been heat-exchanged with external air in the condenser, and discharged from the condenser, then passes through the connection pipe so as to additionally exchange heat with the condensate in the condensate tank while passing through the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank.   
     
     
         2 . The dryer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water level sensor configured to sense a water level in the condensate tank; and   a drain pump configured to discharge the condensate in the condensate tank to an outside of the condensate tank.   
     
     
         3 . The dryer of  claim 2 , wherein
 the dryer is configured so that:
 the drain pump is not operated if the water level in the condensate tank is less than a preset water level, and 
 the drain pump is operated if the water level in the condensate tank is greater than or equal to the preset water level. 
   
     
     
         4 . The dryer of  claim 3 , wherein
 the preset water level is a water level set so that the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank is submerged in the condensate.   
     
     
         5 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the portion of the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank is configured in a tortuous pattern.   
     
     
         6 . The dryer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a water supply device configured to supply water to the condensate tank.   
     
     
         7 . The dryer of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 control the water supply device to supply water to the condensate tank if a water level in the condensate tank is less than a preset water level. 
   
     
     
         8 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the connection pipe includes:
 a first pipe including the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank, and 
 a second pipe configured to bypass the first pipe, 
 wherein the dryer further comprises a three-way valve configured to adjust a flow of the refrigerant to pass the refrigerant discharged from the condenser toward the first pipe or the second pipe. 
   
     
     
         9 . The dryer of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to control the three-way valve.   
     
     
         10 . The dryer of  claim 9 , wherein
 the controller is configured to:
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the first pipe if a water level in the condensate tank is equal to or greater than a preset water level, and 
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the second pipe if the water level in the condensate tank is less than the preset water level. 
   
     
     
         11 . The dryer of  claim 9 , wherein
 the controller is configured to:
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the second pipe if a preset time has not elapsed after a drying cycle of a clothing treatment device starts, and 
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the first pipe if the preset time has elapsed. 
   
     
     
         12 . The dryer of  claim 8 , wherein
 a refrigerant movement path of the second pipe is shorter than a refrigerant movement path of the first pipe.   
     
     
         13 . The dryer of  claim 8 , wherein
 the second pipe is not in the condensate tank.   
     
     
         14 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the refrigerant passing through the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank is cooled by exchanging heat with the condensate in the condensate tank.   
     
     
         15 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the dryer increases efficiency of the heat pump by using the condensate to additionally cool the refrigerant discharged from the condenser.   
     
     
         16 . A clothing care device, comprising:
 a main body including an inner space in which clothes are mountable or receivable;   a heat pump configured to supply hot and dry air to the inner space, and including:
 an evaporator, 
 a compressor, and 
 a condenser, 
 wherein the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser are configured to circulate a refrigerant through the evaporator, the compressor, and the condenser; 
   a condensate tank configured to store condensate generated by the evaporator; and   a connection pipe between the condenser and the evaporator, with at least a portion of the connection pipe being in the condensate tank,   wherein the clothing care device is configured so that refrigerant that has been heat-exchanged with external air in the condenser, and discharged from the condenser, then passes through the connection pipe so as to additionally exchange heat with the condensate in the condensate tank while passing through the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank.   
     
     
         17 . The clothing care device of  claim 16 , wherein
 the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank is configured in a tortuous pattern.   
     
     
         18 . The clothing care device of  claim 16 , wherein
 the connection pipe includes:
 a first pipe including the at least a portion of the connection pipe in the condensate tank, and 
 a second pipe configured to bypass the first pipe, 
 wherein the clothing care device further comprises a three-way valve configured to adjust a flow of the refrigerant to pass the refrigerant discharged from the condenser toward the first pipe or the second pipe. 
   
     
     
         19 . The clothing care device of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a controller configured to:
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the first pipe if a water level in the condensate tank is greater than a preset water level, and 
 control the three-way valve so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is passed to the second pipe if the water level in the condensate tank is less than the preset water level. 
   
     
     
         20 . The clothing care device of  claim 18 , wherein
 a refrigerant movement path of the second pipe is shorter than a refrigerant movement path of the first pipe.