EP1247888A1 - Tumble dryer - Google Patents
Tumble dryer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1247888A1 EP1247888A1 EP20010309486 EP01309486A EP1247888A1 EP 1247888 A1 EP1247888 A1 EP 1247888A1 EP 20010309486 EP20010309486 EP 20010309486 EP 01309486 A EP01309486 A EP 01309486A EP 1247888 A1 EP1247888 A1 EP 1247888A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- air
- dryer
- tumble dryer
- vent
- drying
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- D—TEXTILES; PAPER
- D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- D06F58/00—Domestic laundry dryers
- D06F58/20—General details of domestic laundry dryers
Definitions
- This invention relates to domestic tumble dryers.
- a tumble dryer gently tumbles wet clothes in a current of warm air after they have been spun in a washing machine. Moisture is evaporated until the clothes are dry.
- a mechanical dryer is not weather dependent, is much quicker and easier to load, can be used during the day or night, produces fully dry or ironing dry results at the push of a button, and generally fluffs up the load.
- the invention provides a domestic tumble dryer, comprising air circulating means for passing a stream of air through the load in the tumble dryer, in order to dry the load, the air circulating means being capable of communicating with a vent to the outside air so that the drying stream includes outside air for at least part of the drying cycle.
- the drying stream may include heated inside air over a first part of the drying cycle and unheated outside air over a second part of the drying cycle.
- an additional vent may be provided to allow outside air to be drawn in, but preferably there is a single vent to the outside, and a valve which enables moist air to be exhausted or outside air to be drawn in.
- a tumble dryer is housed in a cabinet 1.
- the load is loaded through a door 2 into a drum 3 which is rotated by means of a motor 4.
- the central part 5 of the rear of the drum is perforated to allow the intake of heated air in the direction of the arrow A, which is driven into the drum by means of an impeller 6 mounted on the motor 4 which forces air through a heater 7.
- the heated air which is passed through the load is filtered by filter 3a before being exhausted via a conduit 8 in the direction of arrow B.
- the conduit 8 communicates with a vent 9 which passes through an external wall of a room in which the dryer is housed and communicates with the air outside.
- the dryer could as an alternative exhaust via arrow B through a window by means of a hose.
- the air drawn into the tumble dryer which forms the drying stream A would normally be drawn from within the room in which the dryer was housed but, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the air is drawn in directly from outside via vent 10, which allows fresh air to be drawn in in the direction of arrow C.
- the clothes are dried solely using a stream of outside air which is drawn through vent 10 communicating with the outside air into the dryer where it is heated and passes through the clothes in the direction of arrow A, before being exhausted in the direction of arrow B.
- a load produced by the dryer has a fresher smell than a load produced by a dryer using indoor air solely.
- the second dryer has a single vent 11 extending through an exterior wall of the room in which the dryer is located.
- heated air passes in the direction of arrow A through the load which is contained in a drum 3 rotatable by a motor (not shown) in a cabinet 1, loaded through a door 2.
- the motor also rotates the impeller 6 as in the first embodiment and passes the air stream through heater 7 before entering the drum through a perforated region 5 on the rear wall.
- the dryer needs a single hole through an exterior wall, which is required at the present time for current dryers which vent to the outside.
- a valve member 12 of a valve 13 is in a first position.
- the dryer picks up inside air from the room in which the dryer is housed (arrow D) by means of the impeller 6 which drives it into the drum 3 via the heater 7 (arrow A).
- the moist air is exhausted through vent 11 first of all passing through filter 3a before leading back to the valve 13 (arrow E).
- valve member 12 in a second stage of the drying operation in which the heater 7 is switched off, the valve member 12 has been moved to a second position, and impeller 6 now draws outside air through the vent 11 (arrow F) to pass through the load (arrow A) whereupon the cool dry air stream passes through the filter 3a and is exhausted to the interior of the room (arrow G) at the other side of the valve member.
- the dryer may carry out a cooling operation following the drying one by using indoor air drawn in by impeller 6 but with the heater elements 7 switched off. Then, at the end of the normal drying operation, a special "fresh air" programme on the timer could then move the valve member 12 from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4 to allow an additional "fresh air” stage.
- the valve member 12 may be controlled automatically by the programme control of the dryer, or it may be controlled manually.
- vents 9 and 10 could be run parallel to each other so that the incoming fresh air (C) is preheated by the outgoing moist air (B).
- valve 15 may be used in the embodiment of Figure 2 in place of the valve 13. With this valve, a movable tube 14 slides from the solid line position to the dotted line position to register with different holes in the valve body, while still remaining connected to the vent 11, which connects directly to a flexible bellows section 16.
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to domestic tumble dryers.
- Typically, a tumble dryer gently tumbles wet clothes in a current of warm air after they have been spun in a washing machine. Moisture is evaporated until the clothes are dry. In most instances, the advantages of drying clothes indoors in a mechanical dryer outweigh the benefits of drying clothes on a line outside. For example, a mechanical dryer is not weather dependent, is much quicker and easier to load, can be used during the day or night, produces fully dry or ironing dry results at the push of a button, and generally fluffs up the load.
- However, clothes which have been dried outdoors in a clean atmosphere do smell fresher and, for this reason, dryers have been proposed which add perfume to the clothes as they dry. However, such perfumes have not found universal acceptance.
- The invention provides a domestic tumble dryer, comprising air circulating means for passing a stream of air through the load in the tumble dryer, in order to dry the load, the air circulating means being capable of communicating with a vent to the outside air so that the drying stream includes outside air for at least part of the drying cycle.
- The advantages of a tumble dryer are maintained while providing a fresher smell to the finished load.
- The drying stream may include heated inside air over a first part of the drying cycle and unheated outside air over a second part of the drying cycle.
- In the case of those tumble dryers which require venting to the outside (condenser tumble dryers do not require such venting), an additional vent may be provided to allow outside air to be drawn in, but preferably there is a single vent to the outside, and a valve which enables moist air to be exhausted or outside air to be drawn in.
- A domestic tumble dryer constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a first tumble dryer;
- Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a second tumble dryer;
- Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of a valve of the second tumble dryer with the valve member in one position;
- Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of a valve of the second tumble dryer with the valve member in a second position; and
- Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of an alternative form of valve.
-
- Like reference numerals have been given to like parts throughout all the figures.
- Referring to Figure 1, a tumble dryer is housed in a cabinet 1. The load is loaded through a
door 2 into adrum 3 which is rotated by means of a motor 4. Thecentral part 5 of the rear of the drum is perforated to allow the intake of heated air in the direction of the arrow A, which is driven into the drum by means of an impeller 6 mounted on the motor 4 which forces air through aheater 7. The heated air which is passed through the load is filtered by filter 3a before being exhausted via a conduit 8 in the direction of arrow B. The conduit 8 communicates with a vent 9 which passes through an external wall of a room in which the dryer is housed and communicates with the air outside. The dryer could as an alternative exhaust via arrow B through a window by means of a hose. - The air drawn into the tumble dryer which forms the drying stream A would normally be drawn from within the room in which the dryer was housed but, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the air is drawn in directly from outside via
vent 10, which allows fresh air to be drawn in in the direction of arrow C. In this case, the clothes are dried solely using a stream of outside air which is drawn throughvent 10 communicating with the outside air into the dryer where it is heated and passes through the clothes in the direction of arrow A, before being exhausted in the direction of arrow B. A load produced by the dryer has a fresher smell than a load produced by a dryer using indoor air solely. - In a second embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 2 to 4, the second dryer has a
single vent 11 extending through an exterior wall of the room in which the dryer is located. Like the dryer of Figure 1, heated air passes in the direction of arrow A through the load which is contained in adrum 3 rotatable by a motor (not shown) in a cabinet 1, loaded through adoor 2. The motor also rotates the impeller 6 as in the first embodiment and passes the air stream throughheater 7 before entering the drum through aperforated region 5 on the rear wall. In this embodiment there is a single vent to the outside. As such, the dryer needs a single hole through an exterior wall, which is required at the present time for current dryers which vent to the outside. - Referring to Figure 3, during a first part of the drying operation, a
valve member 12 of avalve 13 is in a first position. In this first position, the dryer picks up inside air from the room in which the dryer is housed (arrow D) by means of the impeller 6 which drives it into thedrum 3 via the heater 7 (arrow A). The moist air is exhausted throughvent 11 first of all passing through filter 3a before leading back to the valve 13 (arrow E). - Referring to Figure 4, in a second stage of the drying operation in which the
heater 7 is switched off, thevalve member 12 has been moved to a second position, and impeller 6 now draws outside air through the vent 11 (arrow F) to pass through the load (arrow A) whereupon the cool dry air stream passes through the filter 3a and is exhausted to the interior of the room (arrow G) at the other side of the valve member. - As an alternative to carrying out the cooling stage using only outside air, the dryer may carry out a cooling operation following the drying one by using indoor air drawn in by impeller 6 but with the
heater elements 7 switched off. Then, at the end of the normal drying operation, a special "fresh air" programme on the timer could then move thevalve member 12 from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4 to allow an additional "fresh air" stage. Thevalve member 12 may be controlled automatically by the programme control of the dryer, or it may be controlled manually. - Variations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, in the first dryer described, the
vents 9 and 10 could be run parallel to each other so that the incoming fresh air (C) is preheated by the outgoing moist air (B). - Referring to Figure 5, an alternative form of
valve 15 may be used in the embodiment of Figure 2 in place of thevalve 13. With this valve, amovable tube 14 slides from the solid line position to the dotted line position to register with different holes in the valve body, while still remaining connected to thevent 11, which connects directly to aflexible bellows section 16. - In the solid line position, room air is drawn into (not shown) the dryer of Figure 2 as modified by the
valve 15, and warm moist air is exhausted to the outside (arrow H). At cool run, or when a separate fresh air cycle on the dryer is selected, thetube 14 is moved to the dotted position, and fresh air is drawn in (arrow I), and is blown through the load in the drum. This produces a fresh air fragrance when the load is removed from the drum.
Claims (4)
- A domestic tumble dryer comprising air circulating means for passing a stream of air through the load in the tumble dryer, in order to dry the load, the air circulating means being capable of communicating with a vent to the outside air so that the drying stream includes outside air for at least part of the drying cycle.
- A tumble dryer as claimed in Claim 1, in which the drying stream includes heated inside air for a first part of the drying cycle and unheated outside air over a second part of the drying cycle.
- A tumble dryer as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, including a valve which enables moist air to be exhausted through the vent or outside air to be drawn in through the vent.
- A domestic tumble dryer substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB0028790A GB2369422A (en) | 2000-11-24 | 2000-11-24 | Tumble dryer |
GB0028790 | 2000-11-24 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1247888A1 true EP1247888A1 (en) | 2002-10-09 |
EP1247888B1 EP1247888B1 (en) | 2007-06-27 |
Family
ID=9903880
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP01309486A Expired - Lifetime EP1247888B1 (en) | 2000-11-24 | 2001-11-09 | Tumble dryer |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1247888B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE60129106D1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2369422A (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2005012624A1 (en) * | 2003-07-30 | 2005-02-10 | John Edward Gough | Drying apparatus |
CN105324528A (en) * | 2013-07-19 | 2016-02-10 | Lg电子株式会社 | Drying machine |
WO2023071136A1 (en) * | 2021-10-28 | 2023-05-04 | 无锡小天鹅电器有限公司 | Movable assembly and clothes treatment device |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070251117A1 (en) * | 2006-05-01 | 2007-11-01 | Blount Daniel R | Clothes dryer utilizing an air intake source from the exterior of a structure |
US8137440B2 (en) | 2007-05-09 | 2012-03-20 | Protégé Enterprises | Dryer having structure for enhanced drying and method of use |
US8668765B2 (en) | 2007-05-09 | 2014-03-11 | Protege Enterprises | Dryer having structure for enhanced drying efficiency and method of use |
US7785398B2 (en) | 2007-05-09 | 2010-08-31 | Protégé Enterprises | Dryer and drying apparatus with enhanced moisture removal |
WO2009105064A1 (en) * | 2008-02-20 | 2009-08-27 | Protege Enterprises | Clothes dryer and adapter for same |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2539153A1 (en) * | 1983-01-07 | 1984-07-13 | Thomson Brandt | Method for drying laundry and laundry drier employing such a method |
JPH01124500A (en) * | 1987-11-06 | 1989-05-17 | Matsushita Seiko Co Ltd | Bath dryer |
US4949477A (en) * | 1988-06-08 | 1990-08-21 | Passat Maschinenbau Gmbh | Control system with valve flaps for a drier |
US5388348A (en) * | 1992-03-31 | 1995-02-14 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Drying machine and method with a predrying object-separating function |
JPH09117597A (en) * | 1995-10-26 | 1997-05-06 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Clothes drier |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB336357A (en) * | 1929-08-22 | 1930-10-16 | Eustace Alexander Alliott | Improvements in drying apparatus |
US4268247A (en) * | 1979-05-24 | 1981-05-19 | Challenge-Cook Bros., Incorporated | Method for drying fabrics |
US4279082A (en) * | 1979-10-19 | 1981-07-21 | Commander Buck C | Solar assist and filter construction for dryer inlet |
DD206504A3 (en) * | 1981-09-01 | 1984-01-25 | Gunter Sack | DISCONTINUOUS THROUGHPUT MELT DRYER FOR LARGE WAITING COSTS |
US4549362A (en) * | 1982-01-19 | 1985-10-29 | Haried John C | Programmable air recirculator/mixer for a fabric dryer |
IT9045755A1 (en) * | 1990-09-25 | 1992-03-26 | Zanussi Elettrodomestici | DRYER WITH INTEGRATED ACCESSORIES |
-
2000
- 2000-11-24 GB GB0028790A patent/GB2369422A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2001
- 2001-11-09 DE DE60129106T patent/DE60129106D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-11-09 EP EP01309486A patent/EP1247888B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR2539153A1 (en) * | 1983-01-07 | 1984-07-13 | Thomson Brandt | Method for drying laundry and laundry drier employing such a method |
JPH01124500A (en) * | 1987-11-06 | 1989-05-17 | Matsushita Seiko Co Ltd | Bath dryer |
US4949477A (en) * | 1988-06-08 | 1990-08-21 | Passat Maschinenbau Gmbh | Control system with valve flaps for a drier |
US5388348A (en) * | 1992-03-31 | 1995-02-14 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Drying machine and method with a predrying object-separating function |
JPH09117597A (en) * | 1995-10-26 | 1997-05-06 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Clothes drier |
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1997, no. 09 30 September 1997 (1997-09-30) * |
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 18 5 June 2001 (2001-06-05) * |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2005012624A1 (en) * | 2003-07-30 | 2005-02-10 | John Edward Gough | Drying apparatus |
CN105324528A (en) * | 2013-07-19 | 2016-02-10 | Lg电子株式会社 | Drying machine |
CN105324528B (en) * | 2013-07-19 | 2017-11-14 | Lg电子株式会社 | Dryer |
US10316461B2 (en) | 2013-07-19 | 2019-06-11 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Drying machine |
WO2023071136A1 (en) * | 2021-10-28 | 2023-05-04 | 无锡小天鹅电器有限公司 | Movable assembly and clothes treatment device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2369422A (en) | 2002-05-29 |
EP1247888B1 (en) | 2007-06-27 |
DE60129106D1 (en) | 2007-08-09 |
GB0028790D0 (en) | 2001-01-10 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP4388088B2 (en) | Clothes dryer | |
JP2009106566A (en) | Washing drying machine and laundry drier | |
CN107558128B (en) | Clothes drying apparatus and control method thereof | |
EP2990521B1 (en) | Laundry dryer | |
WO2005090670A2 (en) | A washer / dryer | |
EP1247888B1 (en) | Tumble dryer | |
JPS6432893A (en) | Washing dryer | |
US20150128439A1 (en) | Convertible drying from venting to condensing in combination washer-dryer | |
GB2311932A (en) | Dishwasher with water and heat recovery | |
JP2004358029A (en) | Wash drier | |
JPH09313786A (en) | Clothes drier | |
EP0816548A3 (en) | Washing machine of domestic type with open drying circuit and associated accessory equipment for converting the drying circuit into a closed circuit with condensation of the water vapour by air | |
JPH1033896A (en) | Clothes drier | |
WO2021228267A1 (en) | Integrated washing and drying device | |
JPH10277292A (en) | Dryer for clothes | |
GB2369424A (en) | Tumble dryer | |
US20170254014A1 (en) | Venting laundry dryer with two fans | |
JP3206028B2 (en) | Clothes dryer | |
JPH09108497A (en) | Clothing drying machine | |
EP1148168A2 (en) | Mechanized domestic drier | |
JP3257367B2 (en) | Clothes dryer | |
KR200466585Y1 (en) | Washing machine | |
JP2001046799A (en) | Clothes dryer with auxiliary drying chamber | |
CN219218494U (en) | Drying system of drying equipment and drying equipment | |
KR100781245B1 (en) | structure for installing drying device in the drum type washing machine |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20021120 |
|
AKX | Designation fees paid |
Designated state(s): DE FR GB IE |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20030902 |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: MERLONI ELETTRODOMESTICI UK LIMITED |
|
RAP1 | Party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred) |
Owner name: INDESIT COMPANY UK LIMITED |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): DE FR GB IE |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REF | Corresponds to: |
Ref document number: 60129106 Country of ref document: DE Date of ref document: 20070809 Kind code of ref document: P |
|
EN | Fr: translation not filed | ||
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070928 |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20080328 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20080222 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IE Payment date: 20081016 Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20091109 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Payment date: 20181107 Year of fee payment: 18 |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20191109 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20191109 |