DE102016122908A1 - Laundry care apparatus and method for operating a laundry care appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a laundry care device (100). The laundry care device (100) comprises a cover (102) with a slot (104) which has at least one fan opening (108) for fluidically coupling the insertion compartment (104) to a fan unit (110) of the laundry care device (100). Furthermore, the laundry care device (100) comprises a filter module (106) which can be inserted into the insertion compartment (104) for filtering an air flow sucked in by the blower unit (110) via the blower opening (108).

Description

The invention relates to a laundry care device and a method for operating a laundry care device.

The EP 2 660 383 A1 shows a filter with a relatively small filter surface, which is arranged together with heat exchangers in the lid of a clothes dryer.

Against this background, the invention has the object to provide an improved laundry care device and an improved method for operating a laundry care device.

According to the invention this object is achieved by a laundry care device and a method having the features of the main claims. Advantageous embodiments and further developments of the invention will become apparent from the following subclaims.

The invention has the advantage that a comfortable cleaning of the filter is made possible by arranging a filter, such as a lint filter in the form of a filter cartridge, in the device lid of a laundry care device, such as a heat pump washer dryer. Due to the placement in the device cover, the filter is located at a comfortable removal height for an operator. Due to the large surface in the device lid, larger screen surfaces can be realized, which makes sense for the flow and, if necessary, permits longer cleaning intervals.

Since the lint filter is housed in the device cover, for example, an underlying space for other components can be used. For example, a compressor can be integrated in the cover module.

Such a filter module offers the advantage of good accessibility for the operator, without requiring changes to a housing or to a control of the laundry care device. For example, to clean individual filter levels, the filter module can simply be pulled forward out of the device lid.

• einem Deckel mit einem Einschubfach, wobei das Einschubfach zumindest eine Gebläseöffnung zum fluidischen Koppeln des Einschubfachs mit einer Gebläseeinheit des Wäschepflegegeräts aufweist; und
• einem in das Einschubfach einschiebbaren Filtermodul zum Filtern eines von der Gebläseeinheit über die Gebläseöffnung angesaugten Luftstroms.

A laundry care device with the following features is presented:

• a lid having a drawer, the drawer having at least one fan opening for fluidically coupling the drawer to a fan unit of the laundry machine; and
• a filter module which can be inserted into the insertion compartment for filtering an air flow drawn in by the fan unit via the ventilation opening.

A laundry care appliance can be understood, for example, as a dryer or a laundry dryer. The blower unit may for example be part of a heat pump of the laundry care device. By a filter module can be understood, for example, acting as a lint filter cartridge. For example, the filter module can be designed to filter the air flow in several levels. The air stream may be a process air stream for drying laundry.

According to one embodiment, the insertion compartment may have at least one drum opening for the fluidic coupling of the insertion compartment to a drum unit of the laundry care device. The filter module may comprise at least one screen element for filtering the air flow, wherein the screen element divides the filter module into a fan section and a drum section. In this case, in the inserted state of the filter module, the fan section can be fluidically coupled to the fan opening and the drum section can be fluidically coupled to the drum opening. By this embodiment, the filtering of the air flow can be realized with the least possible effort.

According to a further embodiment, the drum opening in the inserted state of the filter module can be fluidically coupled to a sealing ring of the drum unit or, additionally or alternatively, to a drum shell of the drum unit. As a result, air from different areas of the drum unit can be filtered by means of the filter module.

It is advantageous if the cover has at least one bypass channel for bypassing the filter module. The bypass channel, also called bypass, can open into the blower opening. As a result, for example, even in the case of a heavily contaminated filter module air can be passed through the laundry care device.

Advantageously, the bypass channel may be at least partially formed by the insertion compartment. As a result, the bypass channel can be realized with very little effort.

According to a further embodiment, the laundry-care device may comprise a valve device for controlling a flow through the bypass channel. This allows the bypass channel to be automatically released or locked as needed.

It is also advantageous if an insertion opening of the insertion compartment is arranged on a front panel of the laundry care device. This makes it particularly easy to remove the filter module.

• Einlesen einer Ansteuerinformation, die einen Betriebszustand des Wäschepflegegeräts und/oder einen Verschmutzungsgrad des Filtermoduls repräsentiert; und
• Ausgeben eines Ansteuersignals zum Ansteuern der Ventileinrichtung unter Verwendung der Ansteuerinformation.

The approach described herein further provides a method of operating a laundry care device according to a preceding embodiment, the method comprising the steps of:

• Reading a control information that represents an operating state of the laundry care device and / or a degree of contamination of the filter module; and
• Outputting a drive signal for driving the valve device using the drive information.

This method can be implemented, for example, in software or hardware or in a mixed form of software and hardware, for example in a control unit.

The approach presented here also creates a device that is designed to perform the steps of a variant of a method presented here in appropriate facilities to drive or implement. Also by this embodiment of the invention in the form of a device, the object underlying the invention can be solved quickly and efficiently.

In the present case, a device can be understood as meaning an electrical device which processes sensor signals and outputs control and / or data signals in dependence thereon. The device may have an interface, which may be formed in hardware and / or software. In the case of a hardware-based embodiment, the interfaces can be part of a so-called system ASIC, for example, which contains a wide variety of functions of the device. However, it is also possible that the interfaces are their own integrated circuits or at least partially consist of discrete components. In a software training, the interfaces may be software modules that are present, for example, on a microcontroller in addition to other software modules.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines Wäschepflegegeräts gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel;
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung eines Wäschepflegegeräts aus 1 in der Draufsicht;
• 3 eine schematische Darstellung einer Vorrichtung gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel; und
• 4 ein Ablaufdiagramm eines Verfahrens gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. It shows

• 1 a schematic representation of a laundry care device according to an embodiment;
• 2 a schematic representation of a laundry care device 1 in the plan view;
• 3 a schematic representation of a device according to an embodiment; and
• 4 a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment.

1 shows a schematic representation of a laundry care device 100 according to an embodiment. The laundry care device 100 , here a washer-dryer, includes a lid 102 with a slot 104 into which a filter module 106 to filter one through the laundry care device 100 guided air flow is inserted. The slot 104 has a fan opening 108 on that with a blower unit 110 is fluidically connected. The fan opening 108 is through the filter module 106 covered, so that of the blower unit 110 generated air flow through the filter module 106 is filtered before entering the blower opening 108 arrives.

According to this embodiment, the filter module 106 a sieve element 112 for filtering the airflow. The sieve element 112 separates the filter module 106 in a blower section 114 and a drum section 116 , In the inserted state of the filter module 106 is the fan section 114 with the blower opening 108 fluidly coupled. The slot 104 has a drum opening 120 on, in the inserted state of the filter module 106 with the drum section 116 is fluidically coupled. The drum opening 120 is with a drum unit 122 of the laundry care device 100 fluidly connected, here by way of example each with a sealing ring 124 and a drum jacket 126 the drum unit 122 , One in the area of the sealing ring 124 arranged, optional additional screen 127 is designed to get out of the drum unit 122 Filtering air flowing before passing over the drum opening 120 into the filter module 106 arrives. Thus, the filter module 106 act as a lint cassette.

Depending on the embodiment, the filter module comprises 106 at least one further screening element 128 ,

An example is the slot 104 with a device front of the laundry care device 100 facing insertion opening 130 realized. This allows the filter module 106 similar to a drawer from the lid 102 be pulled out.

The blower unit 110 is realized according to this embodiment as part of a heat pump. The heat pump includes in addition to the blower unit 110 a compressor unit 132 and one between the compressor unit 132 and the blower unit 110 arranged condenser unit 134 , The heat pump is with the drum unit 122 fluidly connected, wherein the blower unit 110 is formed to that of the filter module 106 filtered air flow through the drum unit 122 to lead.

The individual heat pump components are depending on the embodiment below the filter module 106 adaptable in different variants. For example, the entire assembly of the heat pump with the lid 102 connected, so that a complete module is created. Here, the lid is used 102 with the filter module 106 for example, as a carrier unit for a non-resonant heat pump module. Different process air directions through the drum are possible with this concept.

2 shows a schematic representation of a laundry care device 100 out 1 in the plan view. Shown are the lid 102 with the slot 104 , the filter module contained therein 106 as well as the over the blower opening 108 with the slot 104 fluidically coupled fan unit 110 , According to this embodiment, the lid 102 with a bypass channel 200 to bypass the filter module 106 realized. The bypass channel 200 runs on both sides of the filter module 106 and flows into the blower opening 108 , According to one embodiment, the bypass channel 200 at least in sections through the slot 104 limited. Left and right of the filter module 106 are air intake openings 202 in the lid 102 arranged, each with the bypass channel 200 are connected. About the air intake openings 202 and the bypass channel 200 can room air on the filter module 106 over to the blower opening 108 be directed. A flow direction of the room air is marked with two small arrows. Possible displacements of the filter module 106 in the slot 104 are marked with a double arrow.

Optional is in the bypass channel 200 a valve device 204 for controlling a flow through the bypass channel 200 arranged. The valve device 204 is in 2 only indicated schematically and can, depending on the embodiment, at other locations in the bypass channel 200 be arranged.

For example, the bypass channel becomes 200 by means of the valve device 204 with dirty filter module 106 or automatically released at the end of a drying process. About the bypass channel 200 room air is then drawn in, either directly or via part of the condenser unit to the blower unit 110 and then passed to the air inlet of the drum unit.

3 shows a schematic representation of a device 300 according to an embodiment. The device 300 serves for example to control a preceding by means of 2 described valve device. For this purpose, the device comprises 300 a read-in unit 310 for reading in a control information 312 depending on the embodiment, an operating state of the laundry care device, such as a program end, or additionally or alternatively represents a degree of contamination of the filter module. An output unit 320 is designed to control the information 312 from the reading unit 310 to receive and this for generating a drive signal 322 to use for driving the valve device.

4 shows a flowchart of a method 400 according to an embodiment. The procedure 400 can, for example, in connection with a preceding with reference to 3 described device are performed. In this case, the control information is read in a step 410. In a further step 420 the output of the drive signal is performed using the drive information.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 2660383 A1 [0002]

Claims (9)

Laundry care device (100) with the following features: a lid (102) having an insertion compartment (104), the insertion compartment (104) having at least one fan opening (108) for fluidically coupling the insertion compartment (104) to a fan unit (110) of the laundry care device (100); and a filter module (106) insertable into the insertion compartment (104) for filtering an air flow drawn by the blower unit (110) via the blower opening (108). Laundry care appliance (100) according to Claim 1 in that the insertion compartment (104) has at least one drum opening (120) for fluidically coupling the insertion compartment (104) to a drum unit (122) of the laundry care appliance (100), wherein the filter module (106) comprises at least one sieve element (112, 128) for Filtering the air flow, wherein the sieve (112) divides the filter module (106) into a fan section (114) and a drum section (116), wherein in the inserted state of the filter module (106) the fan section (114) with the fan opening (108) is fluidically coupled and the drum portion (116) with the drum opening (120) is fluidly coupled. Laundry care appliance (100) according to Claim 2 in which the drum opening (120) in the inserted state of the filter module (106) is fluidically coupled to a sealing ring (124) of the drum unit (122) and / or a drum shell (126) of the drum unit (122). A laundry care appliance (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lid (102) has at least one bypass passage (200) for bypassing the filter module (106), the bypass passage (200) opening into the blower opening (108). Laundry care appliance (100) according to Claim 4 in which the bypass channel (200) is at least partially formed by the insertion compartment (104). Laundry care appliance (100) according to Claim 4 or 5 valve means (204) for controlling a flow through the bypass passage (200). Laundry care appliance (100) according to one of the preceding claims, in which an insertion opening (130) of the insertion compartment (104) is arranged on an appliance front of the laundry care appliance (100). Method (400) for operating a laundry care device (100) according to Claim 6 wherein the method (400) comprises the steps of: reading (410) driving information (312) representing an operating state of the laundry-care device (100) and / or a degree of soiling of the filter module (106); and outputting (420) a drive signal (322) for driving the valve means (204) using the drive information (312). Apparatus (300) comprising units (310, 320) adapted to perform the method (400) in accordance with Claim 8 execute and / or control.

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