IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,320,051
Granted Patent B2
US 12,320,051 · App. 18/120,049 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Washing machine with drying function

Inventors: Younghyun Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Seungil Lim (Suwon-si, KR); Heejin Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Bongjin Ko (Suwon-si, KR); Seulgi Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Jiyu Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Hyounyoung Lee (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
D06F25/00D06F39/04
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,320,051
App. No.
18/120,049
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A washing machine with drying function includes a cabinet having a laundry insertion hole; a tub having a front opening, and a back opening; a drum; and a heated air supplying device above the tub that includes an evaporator, a condenser, a heater, a heat exchange duct, an inlet, a supply duct, and a blower fan. Air from the back opening of the tub is introduced into the inlet duct and is guided by the inlet duct and received by the heat exchange duct and then passes through the heat exchange duct in a lateral direction of the tub. The air passed through the heat exchange duct is received by the supply duct and discharged by the supply duct toward a front side of the tub. The blower fan forms causes the air discharged from the supply duct to be supplied to the tub.

Claims (55)

1. A washing machine with drying function, comprising:

a cabinet having a laundry insertion hole at a front surface of the cabinet;

a tub, inside the cabinet, having a front opening so that laundry is insertable through the laundry insertion hole and then through the front opening to be received into the tub, and a back opening;

a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub; and

a heated air supplying device above the tub and comprising:

an evaporator,

a condenser,

a heater,

a heat exchange duct in which the evaporator and the condenser are disposed,

an inlet duct at one side of the heat exchange duct,

a supply duct at an opposite side of the heat exchange duct than the inlet duct and in which the heater is disposed, and

a blower fan at a front side of the tub,

wherein the heat exchange duct, the inlet duct, the supply duct, and the blower fan are configured so that air from the back opening of the tub is introduced into the inlet duct and is guided by the inlet duct, the air guided by the inlet duct is received by the heat exchange duct and then passes through the heat exchange duct in a lateral direction of the tub, the air passed through the heat exchange duct is received by the supply duct and discharged by the supply duct in a direction toward a front side of the tub, and the blower fan forms an airflow that causes the air discharged from the supply duct to be supplied to the front opening.

2. The washing machine with drying function of claim 1 , wherein the heater is fixed to a side surface of the supply duct.

3. The washing machine with drying function of claim 2 , further comprising:

a heater bracket that is installed on a lower surface of the supply duct and that supports the heater.

4. The washing machine with drying function of claim 1 , further comprising:

a barrier on an inner surface of the supply duct.

5. The washing machine with drying function of claim 4 , further comprising:

a barrier groove on the inner surface of the supply duct, and

wherein the barrier is configured to be installed in the barrier groove.

6. The washing machine with drying function of claim 4 , wherein the barrier comprises:

an upper barrier covering an upper surface of the supply duct;

a side barrier covering a side surface of the supply duct; and

a lower barrier covering a lower surface of the supply duct.

7. The washing machine with drying function of claim 4 , wherein the barrier is spaced apart from the inner surface of the supply duct.

8. The washing machine with drying function of claim 4 , wherein the barrier comprises a metal material.

9. The washing machine with drying function of claim 1 , wherein the heater comprises a sheath heater.

10. The washing machine with drying function of claim 1 , wherein the supply duct comprises:

a supply duct body to which the heater is installed; and

a supply duct cover covering an upper surface of the supply duct body and that is separable from the supply duct body.

11. A washing machine with drying function, comprising:

a cabinet having a laundry insertion hole at a front surface of the cabinet;

a cylindrical tub, inside the cabinet, having a front opening so that laundry is insertable through the laundry insertion hole and then through the front opening to be received into the tub, and a back opening;

a diaphragm connecting the laundry insertion hole with the front opening of the tub;

a drum rotatably disposed inside the tub; and

a heated air supplying device comprising:

an evaporator,

a condenser,

a heat exchange duct in which the evaporator and the condenser are disposed,

an inlet duct at one side of the heat exchange duct,

a supply duct at an opposite side of the heat exchange duct than the inlet duct,

a barrier on an inner surface of the supply duct,

a heater inside the supply duct and spaced apart from the barrier, and

a blow duct at a front side of the tub connecting the supply duct to the diaphragm,

wherein the heat exchange duct, the inlet duct, the supply duct, and the blow duct are configured so that air from the back opening of the tub is introduced into the inlet duct and is guided by the inlet duct, the air guided by the inlet duct is received by the heat exchange duct and then passes through the heat exchange duct in a lateral direction of the tub, the air passed through the heat exchange duct is received by the supply duct and discharged by the supply duct in a direction toward a front side of the tub.

12. The washing machine with drying function of claim 11 , further comprising:

a heater bracket that is installed on a lower surface of the supply duct and that supports the heater.

13. The washing machine with drying function of claim 11 , further comprising:

a barrier groove on an inner surface of the supply duct and to which the barrier is fixed.

14. The washing machine with drying function of claim 13 , wherein the barrier is spaced apart from a bottom of the barrier groove.

15. The washing machine with drying function of claim 11 , wherein the barrier comprises:

an upper barrier covering an upper surface of the supply duct;

a side barrier covering a side surface of the supply duct; and

a lower barrier covering a lower surface of the supply duct.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2023
From: KIM, YOUNGHYUN; LIM, SEUNGIL; KANG, HEEJIN; KO, BONGJIN; LEE, SEULGI; LEE, JIYU; LEE, HYOUNYOUNG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062946/0587 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0193394 · Dec 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTKR2022016768 · Oct 28, 2022
Related Publication 20230212805A1 · Jul 6, 2023
References Cited (29)
US 7757521B2 · Hong · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8191388B2 · Kim et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8413471B2 · Han et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 9091014B2 · Park et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9677215B2 · Kim et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9746238B2 · Lim et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20200299892A1 · Hahm et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 201755962 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
JP 201882789 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020130844 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 100465192 · 2005 [cited by applicant]
KR 100634934 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
KR 100697083 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 100754876 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
KR 100857799 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
KR 100971112 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020110080620 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
KR 101196984 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
KR 101234074 · 2013 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020140099055 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
KR 101795770 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 102129793 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 102138677 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200112166 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020210087388 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2018066805A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report dated Feb. 9, 2023 issued in PCT Application No. PCT/KR2022/016768. [cited by applicant]
Written Opinion dated Feb. 9, 2023 issued in PCT Application No. PCT/KR2022/016768. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated Jan. 8, 2025, in European Patent Application No. 22916359.7. [cited by applicant]