Washing machine with drying function

Abstract

A washing machine with drying function includes a cabinet including a laundry insertion hole on a front surface; a tub inside the cabinet and having a rear opening and a front opening; a drum inside the tub; and a heated air supplying device including a heat exchange duct above the tub, and including an evaporator and a condenser, a rear duct behind the tub, an inlet duct between the rear duct and a first side of the heat exchange duct, a supply duct on a second side of the heat exchange duct, a blower fan in front of the tub to generate an airflow from the rear opening, through the rear duct, through the inlet duct, through the heat exchange duct, through the supply duct, and to the front opening, and a dehumidifier inside the rear duct and configured to remove moisture contained in the airflow passing through the rear duct.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A washing machine with drying function, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and provided with a rear opening and a front opening;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub; and   a heated air supplying device including:
 a rear duct disposed on a rear surface of the tub, 
 an upper duct disposed above the tub, 
 a blower fan disposed above the tub and configured to generate an airflow that flows from the rear opening, then through the rear duct, then through the upper duct, and then to the front opening, 
 a heat exchange part disposed above the tub, and including a condenser disposed in the upper duct, 
 a heater disposed in the upper duct to heat the airflow to supply heated air to the drum, and 
 a dehumidifier disposed above the tub and configured to remove moisture contained in the airflow passing through the rear duct. 
   
     
     
         2 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 1 , wherein
 the upper duct includes:
 a heat exchange duct, 
 an inlet duct disposed between the rear duct and a first side of the heat exchange duct, and configured to guide the airflow passing through the rear duct to the heat exchange duct, and 
 a supply duct disposed on a second side of the heat exchange duct, and configured to guide the airflow passing through the heat exchange duct, and 
   the blower fan is configured to generate an airflow that flows from the rear opening, then through the rear duct, then through the inlet duct, then through the heat exchange duct, then through the supply duct, and then to the front opening.   
     
     
         3 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 1 , wherein
 the dehumidifier includes a direct water nozzle disposed at an upper portion of the rear duct, the direct water nozzle being configured to spray water toward a lower portion of the rear duct.   
     
     
         4 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 3 , wherein
 the direct water nozzle is connected to a water supply pipe.   
     
     
         5 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a dehumidifying valve provided between the direct water nozzle and the water supply pipe,   wherein the dehumidifying valve is configured to open and close so as to selectively supply water from the water supply pipe to the direct water nozzle.   
     
     
         6 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 1 , wherein
 the dehumidifier includes a cooling surface configured to cool the airflow passing through the rear duct.   
     
     
         7 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 6 , wherein
 the rear duct includes an opening through which the cooling surface is exposed.   
     
     
         8 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 2 , wherein
 the heater is fixed to an upper surface of the supply duct.   
     
     
         9 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a heater holder configured to fix the heater to the upper surface of the supply duct.   
     
     
         10 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 8 , wherein
 the supply duct includes a barrier provided on an inner surface of the supply duct, the barrier being configured to block heat, generated by the heater, from the inner surface of the supply duct.   
     
     
         11 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 2 , wherein
 the supply duct is disposed between the heat exchange duct and the blower fan, and formed to connect the heat exchange duct and the blower fan.   
     
     
         12 . A washing machine with drying function, comprising:
 a cabinet;   a tub disposed inside the cabinet and provided with a rear opening and a front opening;   a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub; and   a heated air supplying device including:
 a rear duct disposed on a rear surface of the tub, 
 an upper duct disposed above the tub, 
 a blower fan disposed above the tub and configured to generate an airflow that flows from the rear opening, then through the rear duct, then through the upper duct, and then to the front opening, 
 a heat exchange part disposed above the tub, and including a condenser disposed in the upper duct, and 
 a dehumidifier disposed above the tub and configured to remove moisture contained in the airflow passing through the rear duct. 
   
     
     
         13 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 12 , wherein
 the rear duct includes an opening at an upper portion of the rear duct,   the dehumidifier includes a cooling surface configured to cool the airflow passing through the rear duct, and   the cooling surface is disposed in the opening at the upper portion of the rear duct.   
     
     
         14 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 12 , wherein
 the dehumidifier includes a direct water nozzle that is disposed at an upper portion of the rear duct, the direct water nozzle being configured to spray water toward a lower portion of the rear duct.   
     
     
         15 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 14 , wherein
 the dehumidifier includes:
 a connection pipe configured to connect the direct water nozzle to a water supply pipe, and 
 a dehumidifying valve provided to the connection pipe and configured to open and close so as to selectively supply water from the water supply pipe to the direct water nozzle. 
   
     
     
         16 . The washing machine with drying function of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a heater disposed in the upper duct to heat the airflow to supply heated air to the drum, and   a heater holder configured to fix the heater to an upper surface of the upper duct.