Dryer

Abstract

A dryer includes a cabinet, a drum disposed inside the cabinet to accommodate an object to be dried, a first opening disposed on a front side of the cabinet to enable the object to be dried to be placed into the drum, a heat exchanger disposed inside the cabinet to exchange heat with air, a second opening disposed on the front side of the cabinet, and a dehumidification unit. The dehumidification unit is configured to supply outside air to the heat exchanger and air supplied to the heat exchanger is circulated from the heat exchanger into the drum and discharged from the drum to the dehumidification unit. The air discharged from the drum to the dehumidification unit is then discharged outside of the cabinet by the dehumidification unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dryer, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a control panel on the cabinet;   a drum inside the cabinet;   a heat exchanger inside the cabinet to exchange heat with air;   a dehumidification unit mounted to the dryer, the dehumidification unit including a guide that is moveable between:
 a first position at which air introduced into the dehumidification unit from outside of the cabinet passes through the heat exchanger, and then through the drum, and then through the dehumidification unit to be discharged outside of the cabinet during a dehumidifying operation, and 
 a second position at which air inside the cabinet is circulated through the heat exchanger and the drum and the dehumidification unit during a drying operation; and 
   a controller configured to:
 determine whether to perform the dehumidifying operation or the drying operation, 
 based on a determination to perform the dehumidifying operation and the guide being in the second position:
 control the guide to be moved from the second position to the first position, and 
 control the dehumidifying operation to be performed, and based on a determination to perform the drying operation and the guide being in the first position: 
 control the guide to be moved from the first position to the second position, and 
 control the drying operation to be performed. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The dryer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a guide sensor configured to detect a position of the guide,   wherein the controller is configured to control the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to receiving information from the guide sensor indicating that the guide is in the first position.   
     
     
         3 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to control the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to receiving user input via the control panel to perform the dehumidifying operation.   
     
     
         4 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to control the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to detecting that the drying operation is completed.   
     
     
         5 . The dryer of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a rotation motor to rotate the guide,   wherein the controller is configured to control the rotation motor to rotate the guide between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         6 . The dryer of  claim 1 , wherein
 the dehumidification unit includes:
 a body, 
 an inlet port on a front side of the body through which the air introduced into the dehumidification unit from outside of the cabinet passes during the dehumidifying operation, 
 an intake port on a lateral side of the body through which air discharged from the drum passes, 
 a discharge port on a rear side of the body to guide the air passed through the inlet port during the dehumidifying operation, or the air passed through the intake port during the drying operation, to the heat exchanger, and 
 an outlet port on the front side of the body through which the air introduced through the intake port passes during the dehumidifying operation. 
   
     
     
         7 . The dryer of  claim 6 , wherein
 the inlet port communicates with the discharge port when the guide is at the first position.   
     
     
         8 . The dryer of  claim 6 , wherein
 the intake port communicates with the outlet port when the guide is at the first position.   
     
     
         9 . The dryer of  claim 6 , wherein
 the intake port communicates with the discharge port when the guide is at the second position.   
     
     
         10 . The dryer of  claim 6 , wherein
 the guide includes a rotating shaft,   the body includes a coupling hole, and   the rotating shaft is coupled to the body through the coupling hole so as to rotatable relative to the body.   
     
     
         11 . A method of controlling a dryer including a cabinet, a control panel on the cabinet, a drum inside the cabinet, a heat exchanger inside the cabinet to exchange heat with air, and a dehumidification unit mounted to the dryer, the dehumidification unit including a guide that is movable between a first position at which air introduced into the dehumidification unit from outside of the cabinet passes through the heat exchanger, and then through the drum, and then through the dehumidification unit to be discharged outside of the cabinet during a dehumidifying operation, and a second position at which air inside the cabinet is circulated through the heat exchanger and the drum and the dehumidification unit during a drying operation, the method comprising:
 determining whether to perform a dehumidifying operation or a drying operation,   based on a determination to perform the dehumidifying operation and the guide being in the second position:
 controlling the guide to be moved from the second position to the first position, and 
 controlling the dehumidifying operation to be performed, and based on a determination to perform the drying operation and the guide being in the first position: 
 controlling the guide to be moved from the first position to the second position, and 
 controlling the drying operation to be performed. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the dryer includes a guide sensor configured to detect a position of the guide, the method further comprising:
 controlling the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to receiving information from the guide sensor indicating that the guide is in the first position.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 controlling the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to receiving user input via the control panel to perform the dehumidifying operation.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , the method further comprising:
 controlling the dehumidifying operation to be performed in response to detecting that the drying operation is completed.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the dryer includes a rotation motor to rotate the guide, the method further comprising:
 controlling the rotation motor to rotate the guide between the first position and the second position.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein
 the dehumidification unit includes:
 a body, 
 an inlet port on a front side of the body through which the air introduced into the dehumidification unit from outside of the cabinet passes during the dehumidifying operation, 
 an intake port on a lateral side of the body through which air discharged from the drum passes, 
 a discharge port on a rear side of the body to guide the air passed through the inlet port during the dehumidifying operation, or the air passed through the intake port during the drying operation, to the heat exchanger, and 
 an outlet port on the front side of the body through which the air introduced through the intake port passes during the dehumidifying operation. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the inlet port communicates with the discharge port when the guide is at the first position.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the intake port communicates with the outlet port when the guide is at the first position.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the intake port communicates with the discharge port when the guide is at the second position.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein
 the guide includes a rotating shaft,   the body includes a coupling hole, and   the rotating shaft is coupled to the body through the coupling hole so as to be rotatable relative to the body.