Laundry treating apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is a laundry treating apparatus including a cabinet, a tub, a drum, and an air circulator that is disposed on the tub and circulates air inside the tub, wherein the air circulator includes a circulation flow channel, a heat exchanger, and a filter member located, wherein the filter member includes a filter space allowing air to be introduced thereinto, wherein at least one surface of the filter member forms a filter surface allowing air in the filter space to pass therethrough toward the outside of the filter member and be filtered, wherein the filter member is located forward of the inlet and is insertable into or withdrawable from the circulation flow channel via a top surface of the cabinet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate water therein;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to accommodate laundry therein; and   an air circulator disposed on the tub and configured to circulate air inside the tub,   wherein the air circulator includes:
 a circulation flow channel including an inlet located on the tub and allowing air to be introduced from the tub, and an outlet located forward of the inlet and allowing air to be discharged into the tub; 
 a heat exchanger disposed on the circulation flow channel, located forward of the inlet, and configured to perform heat exchange between air and a refrigerant; and 
 a filter member located between the inlet of the circulation flow channel and the heat exchanger to filter foreign substances in air, 
   wherein the filter member includes a filter space allowing air to be introduced thereinto,   wherein at least one surface of the filter member forms a filter surface allowing air in the filter space to pass therethrough toward the outside of the filter member and be filtered,   wherein the filter member is located at a location forward of the inlet and is insertable into or withdrawable from the circulation flow channel via a top surface of the cabinet.   
     
     
         2 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cabinet includes a top panel defining the top surface of the cabinet,
 wherein the top panel includes a filter inlet defined therein, wherein the filter member is inserted into the filter inlet.   
     
     
         3 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the filter member is inserted into the filter inlet and forms the top surface of the cabinet together with the top panel. 
     
     
         4 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the filter member has the filter surfaces formed on at least two surfaces. 
     
     
         5 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the filter member includes:
 an inlet surface allowing air to be introduced into the filter space;   a first filter surface facing the heat exchanger and allowing air to pass therethrough and be filtered; and   a second filter surface connected to the filter inlet surface and allowing air to pass therethrough and be filtered.   
     
     
         6 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the filter member is aligned with the heat exchanger along a width direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         7 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulator further includes an air fan located between the air circulator and the cabinet and aligned with the heat exchanger along a width direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         8 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the air fan discharges air at a location forward of a drum inlet defined in the drum. 
     
     
         9 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the circulation flow channel includes:
 a first flow channel extending forward from the inlet; and   a second flow channel extending from the first flow channel along a width direction of the cabinet,   wherein the filter member is disposed at a connection portion of the first flow channel and the second flow channel.   
     
     
         10 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulator includes a filter chamber where the filter member is mounted; and a heat exchange chamber where the heat exchanger is mounted,
 wherein a length of the filter chamber in a direction from the inlet toward the cabinet is set to be greater than a width of a front surface of the heat exchanger in the direction from the inlet toward the cabinet.   
     
     
         11 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the air circulator includes an air treater constituting a portion of the circulation flow channel and including the filter member and the heat exchanger,
 wherein the air treater includes a mounting base, wherein the filter member and the heat exchanger are mounted inside the mounting base together.   
     
     
         12 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting base includes:
 a filter chamber where the filter member is mounted; and   a heat exchange chamber where the heat exchanger is mounted,   wherein the filter chamber and the heat exchange chamber are connected to each other to share one surface with each other.   
     
     
         13 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the filter member is located in one side of the mounting base in a width direction of the cabinet, and the heat exchanger is located in the other side of the mounting base in the width direction. 
     
     
         14 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting base has an open top surface to include a mounting space where the filter member and the heat exchanger are accommodated,
 wherein the filter member is insertable into or withdrawable from the mounting space via the open top surface of the mounting base.   
     
     
         15 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a compressor located on the tub, connected to the heat exchanger, and configured to compress the refrigerant,
 wherein the filter member is located forward of the compressor.   
     
     
         16 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein a refrigerant flow channel including the heat exchanger and the compressor and allowing the refrigerant to circulate therethrough is located entirely on the tub. 
     
     
         17 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger is located forward of the compressor and aligned with the filter member along a width direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         18 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the inlet of the circulation flow channel is located on one side of the compressor in a width direction of the cabinet. 
     
     
         19 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the circulation flow channel includes:
 a first flow channel extending forward from the inlet; and   a second flow channel extending from the first flow channel along a width direction of the cabinet,   wherein the first flow channel is located on one side of the compressor in the width direction of the cabinet,   wherein the second flow channel is located forward of the compressor.   
     
     
         20 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the air circulator includes a mounting base where the heat exchanger and the compressor are mounted,
 wherein the mounting base includes:
 a heat exchange chamber where the heat exchanger is mounted; and 
 a compressor chamber located rearward of the heat exchange chamber and where the compressor is mounted, 
   wherein the heat exchange chamber and the compressor chamber are integrally molded.   
     
     
         21 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tub defines a width direction-center line passing through a center of the tub and parallel to a width direction of the cabinet, and the filter member is located forward of the width direction-center line. 
     
     
         22 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tub includes:
 a front divided tub including a tub inlet open toward a front surface of the cabinet and a front portion of a circumferential surface of the tub; and   a rear divided tub including a rear surface of the tub facing a rear surface of the cabinet, and a rear portion of the circumferential surface of the tub,   wherein the inlet of the circulation flow channel is defined on the rear divided tub,   wherein the filter member is disposed on the front divided tub.   
     
     
         23 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein a rear end of the filter member is located forward of a coupling line of the front divided tub and the rear divided tub. 
     
     
         24 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising a compressor located on the tub, connected to the heat exchanger, and configured to compress the refrigerant,
 wherein the heat exchanger is disposed on the front divided tub,   wherein the compressor is disposed on the rear divided tub.   
     
     
         25 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tub defines a front and rear direction-center line parallel to a front and rear direction of the cabinet and passing through a center of the tub,
 wherein the front and rear direction-center line crosses the filter member.   
     
     
         26 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the front and rear direction-center line crosses the inlet. 
     
     
         27 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a steam generator located on the tub and configured to generate steam,
 wherein the steam generator is located on one side of the air circulator in a width direction of the cabinet or is located on one side of the circulation flow channel in the width direction of the cabinet.   
     
     
         28 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a control module located on the tub, located on one side of the circulation flow channel in a width direction of the cabinet, and configured to control the air circulator,
 wherein the control module is located on one side of the filter member in the width direction of the cabinet.   
     
     
         29 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a detergent supply located on the tub and configured to supply detergent into the tub,
 wherein the detergent supply is located on one side of the air circulator in a width direction of the cabinet.   
     
     
         30 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein a rear end of the filter member is located forward of a rear end of the detergent supply. 
     
     
         31 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein at least a portion of the inlet is located under the detergent supply. 
     
     
         32 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an additional treating apparatus including an additional cabinet located under the cabinet and an additional drum disposed inside the additional cabinet and configured to accommodate laundry therein,
 wherein the cabinet is disposed on the additional cabinet.   
     
     
         33 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a detergent supply located under the tub, connected to the tub, and configured to supply detergent into the tub. 
     
     
         34 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a manipulation panel disposed on a front surface of the cabinet and manipulated by a user to generate a command signal of the user,
 wherein the manipulation panel is located forward of the filter member.   
     
     
         35 . The laundry treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a laundry inlet is defined in a front surface of the cabinet,
 wherein the tub includes a tub inlet facing the laundry inlet,   wherein a tub gasket sealing a space between the laundry inlet and the tub inlet is disposed inside the cabinet,   wherein the outlet of the circulation flow channel is connected to the tub gasket.   
     
     
         36 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate water therein;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to accommodate laundry therein; and   an air circulator disposed on the tub and configured to circulate air inside the tub,   wherein the air circulator includes:
 a circulation flow channel located on the tub and discharging air introduced from the tub back into the tub; 
 a compressor located on the tub and configured to compress a refrigerant for exchanging heat with air in the circulation flow channel; and 
 a filter member disposed in the circulation flow channel to filter foreign substances in air, 
   wherein the filter member includes a filter space allowing air to be introduced thereinto,   wherein at least one surface of the filter member forms a filter surface allowing air in the filter space to pass therethrough toward the outside of the filter member and be filtered,   wherein the filter member is located at a location forward of the compressor and is insertable into or withdrawable from the circulation flow channel via a top surface of the cabinet.   
     
     
         37 . A laundry treating apparatus comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and configured to accommodate water therein;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub and configured to accommodate laundry therein; and   an air circulator disposed on the tub and configured to circulate air inside the tub,   wherein the air circulator includes:
 a circulation flow channel located on the tub and discharging air introduced from the tub back into the tub; and 
 an air treater connected to the circulation flow channel and configured to perform heat exchange between air and a refrigerant, 
   wherein the air treater includes a filter member configured to filter foreign substances in air,   wherein the tub includes a front divided tub including a front portion of a circumferential surface of the tub and a rear divided tub including a rear portion of the circumferential surface of the tub,   wherein the filter member includes a filter space allowing air to be introduced thereinto,   wherein at least one surface of the filter member forms a filter surface allowing air in the filter space to pass therethrough toward the outside of the filter member and be filtered,   wherein a center of the filter member is located at a location forward of a coupling line of the front divided tub and the rear divided tub, and the filter member is insertable into or withdrawable from the circulation flow channel via a top surface of the cabinet.