Dishwasher

Abstract

A dish washer includes a heater for regenerating a moisture absorbent. A portion of the heater is received in a heater receiving portion, and the remaining portion thereof is received in an air introduction space under a moisture absorbent receiving space, such that air flow sufficiently heated by the heater may flow into the air introduction space, thereby reducing a possibility of local variation in the regeneration of the moisture absorbent, and the moisture absorbent is directly heated by radiant heat of the heater received in the air introduction space to improve heat emission efficiency and energy efficiency of the heater.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dish washer comprising:
 a tub having a washing space defined therein and constructed to accommodate therein a dish; and   a moisture-absorption and drying device configured to absorb moisture from air discharged from the tub and supply the air to the tub,   wherein the moisture-absorption and drying device includes:
 a blow fan configured to generate air flow of the air, 
 a moisture absorbent disposed downstream of the blow fan in a flow direction of the air flow, 
 a heater disposed between the blow fan and the moisture absorbent in the flow direction of the air flow, wherein the heater is configured to heat the air flow to be supplied to the moisture absorbent, 
 a housing including:
 a heater receiving portion having a heater receiving space defined therein, wherein the air flow having passed through the blow fan flows in the heater receiving space, and a heater is received in the heater receiving space, and 
 a moisture absorbent receiving portion having a moisture absorbent receiving space defined therein, wherein the air flow having passed through the heater receiving space flows in the moisture absorbent receiving space, and the moisture absorbent is received in the moisture absorbent receiving space, and 
 
 a moisture absorbent holder disposed in an inner space of the moisture absorbent receiving portion and constructed to store therein the moisture absorbent, 
   wherein the heater is constructed to extend through the heater receiving portion such that at least a portion of the heater is received in the inner space of the moisture absorbent receiving portion.   
     
     
         2 . The dish washer of  claim 1 , wherein the moisture absorbent holder includes:
 a container-shaped main holder having a receiving space defined therein for receiving therein the moisture absorbent; and   an air passage-defining portion protruding from a bottom surface of the main holder toward the receiving space, wherein the air passage-defining portion defines an air introduction space into which air flow having passed through the heater receiving portion is introduced, and   wherein the at least a portion of the heater received in the inner space of the moisture absorbent receiving portion is received in the air introduction space.   
     
     
         3 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the at least a portion of the heater is received in the air introduction space so as to be spaced from the air passage-defining portion. 
     
     
         4 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the air introduction space is defined between a bottom portion of the moisture absorbent receiving portion and the air passage-defining portion. 
     
     
         5 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the at least a portion of the heater is received in the air introduction space so as to be spaced from a bottom portion of the moisture absorbent receiving portion. 
     
     
         6 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the heater includes a heater body extending in a U shape along a length direction from one end to the other end thereof and having a tube shape,
 wherein the heater body has a bent portion formed by bending the other end toward the one end,   wherein the bent portion of the heater body is received in the air introduction space.   
     
     
         7 . The dish washer of  claim 6 , wherein a vertical dimension of the bent portion is smaller than a vertical dimension of the air passage-defining portion. 
     
     
         8 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the air introduction space defined by the air passage-defining portion includes:
 a first portion whose an area size in a plan view thereof is kept constant as the first portion extends vertically; and   a second portion communicating with the first portion and positioned downstream of the first portion in a flow direction of the air flow, wherein an area size in a plan view of the second portion gradually decreases as the second portion extends upwardly and vertically,   wherein the at least the portion of the heater received in the air introduction space is received only in the first portion but is absent in the second portion.   
     
     
         9 . The dish washer of  claim 8 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first portion is rectangular. 
     
     
         10 . The dish washer of  claim 8 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of a portion of the air passage-defining portion defining the first portion is an inverted U-shape. 
     
     
         11 . The dish washer of  claim 8 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of a portion of the air passage-defining portion defining the first portion is a single arc shape with a single curvature or a combination of arcs having different curvatures. 
     
     
         12 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein a top surface of the air passage-defining portion is in contact with the moisture absorbent. 
     
     
         13 . The dish washer of  claim 12 , wherein an entirety of the top surface of the air passage-defining portion is covered with the moisture absorbent. 
     
     
         14 . The dish washer of  claim 2 , wherein the moisture-absorption and drying device includes:
 a cover disposed on top of the moisture absorbent holder and having an outlet defined therein through which air having flowed through the moisture absorbent is discharged,   wherein a first space is defined between the cover and a top surface of the main holder.   
     
     
         15 . The dish washer of  claim 14 , wherein the first space acts as a first discharge flow path constructed to guide the air flow having passed through the top surface of the main holder toward the outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The dish washer of  claim 14 , wherein the moisture absorbent holder further includes a cover plate coupled to an open top surface of the main holder and constructed to allow the air flow having passed through the moisture absorbent to pass therethrough,
 wherein the first space is defined between the cover plate and the cover.   
     
     
         17 . The dish washer of  claim 14 , wherein the main holder includes an outer peripheral wall extending from the bottom surface toward the top surface thereof and constructed to allow the air flow having passed through the moisture absorbent to pass therethrough,
 wherein the outer peripheral wall is at least partially spaced from an inner surface of the moisture absorbent receiving portion such that a second space is defined between the outer peripheral wall and the inner surface of the moisture absorbent receiving portion.   
     
     
         18 . The dish washer of  claim 17 , wherein the second space serves as a second discharge flow path constructed to guide the air flow having passed through the outer peripheral wall toward the outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The dish washer of  claim 18 , wherein an area size in a plan view of the second discharge flow path is constant as the second discharge flow path extends vertically. 
     
     
         20 . The dish washer of  claim 17 , wherein the second space is in air-communication with the first space.