EP2226421B1 - Household appliance, in particular laundry dryer - Google Patents

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a household appliance, in particular a dryer for drying textiles.

background

Dryers dry the wet or wet fabrics introduced into a drying room, such as a drum, by supplying warm air into the drying room. The warm air absorbs the moisture from the textiles. The thus saturated with moisture exhaust air is supplied depending on the structure of the dryer a heat exchanger or discharged to the environment. In the heat exchanger, the warm, humid air is cooled and releases the moisture in the form of water into a collection basin. Subsequently, the now dry, cool air is heated, thus ensuring a better moisture absorption in the drying room. This dry, warm air is in turn fed to the drying room.

In the closed air circuit of such a so-called condensation dryer, an air filter element, also known as a lint filter, is typically arranged between the drying space and the heat exchanger for separating particles from the air stream in general and from textile fluff in particular. During the drying process itself, the dry, warm air absorbs not only as desired the moisture of the textiles to be dried but also textile particles such as fluff or other deposits of dry matter due to the mechanical stress of the textiles by the air flow, the drum rotation, etc .. Without an aforementioned Filter element can structures of the following heat exchanger be soiled by such particles. In the case of exhaust air dryers, a filter element can also be used with the intention of reducing the pollution of the environment with particles.

To ensure that the function of such filter elements is not impaired, they must be cleaned regularly. Furthermore, such a filter element should be able to be replaced when worn or broken. In this respect, conventional filter elements are typically arranged easily accessible in the tumble dryer and manually cleaned or replaceable.

In the course of facilitated maintenance and a more convenient operation of such a tumble dryer semi-automatic or fully automated cleaning mechanisms for filter elements have become known. The device, which is usually used for cleaning the filter element, is a so-called scraper for stripping the filter element more or less firmly adhering particles, especially of textile fluff.

In this case, for example, a band-shaped filter element is clamped with its not necessarily containing filter material ends via pulleys on two rollers, of which at least one is operated by an electric motor. Between the filter surface and the second roller, a cleaning device is arranged. To clean the filter element, the filter material is rewound from the first roller to the second roller until the lint-covered part of the filter device has passed completely past the cleaning device and thereby cleaned. Such a filter device is known from the German Utility Model G 94 13 742.0 U1 and is described as being used in a tunnel finisher for smoothing garments.

The filter device described requires a large space in the drying device. Especially However, with compact household dryers in their dimensions, the installation space is limited

The DE 82 24 528 U1 shows a filter element for a clothes dryer and a roller-like wiper brush, which is set up when pulling out of the filter element in rotation and thereby strips lint on the filter element. The brush in turn is cleaned by a kind of comb.

The FR 2 931 489 A1 shows a filter element for a tumble dryer. The filter element protrudes vertically. A scraper is moved between two positions A and B on the filter element.

document US 2008/235978 A1 shows a tubular filter element for a clothes dryer, which is rotatably mounted in a housing. The rotation can be brought about by motor. The exhaust air is fed to an outside of the filter element. Accordingly, scraping elements are arranged on the outside of the filter element, which scrape off lint adhering to the outside when the filter element is rotating.

document WO 01/96647 A1 also shows a filter device for a tumble dryer. In this case, the exhaust air from the drum exits radially and flows through a filter element, which is arranged within a stationary sheet and has the shape of a quarter-cylinder jacket. On the drum scrapers are arranged, which clean the inside of the filter element.

document DE 90 00 624 U1 shows a tumble dryer with a circulating, circular filter element whose trajectory is located with a first portion in the flow path of the drying air flow from the outlet of the drying drum to the heater and in a second section has a Flusenabsaugeinrichtung.

Presentation of the invention

This results in the need for a household appliance with a compact filter device that allows automated cleaning of the filter element. This object is met by a household appliance with the features of claim 1. According to the filter element and cleaning device are arranged rotatably against each other.

As a result of cleaning by rotation of the elements to each other can be created at the same effective filter area in their dimensions considerably more compact filter device than, for example, when using a band-shaped extended filter element.

Further preferred embodiments show that even a drive for automatically inducing a rotational movement between filter element and cleaning device for cleaning the filter element in its design takes up little space. Due to this low structural dimensions, such a filter device is particularly suitable for installation in household appliances.

There are embodiments described, which can be used in household appliances of various designs and also allow automated drive, but without having to hold an unduly large space.

In other embodiments, advantageous arrangements of such filter devices are described in a household appliance.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are characterized by the features of the dependent claims, individually per se, or in combination with features of other dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

• Figur 1 einen Längsschnitt durch einen Wäschetrockner nach dem Stand der Technik,
• Figur 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Filtervorrichtung nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung,
• Figur 3 einen Querschnitt durch die Filtervorrichtung nach Figur 2,
• Figur 4 eine Filtervorrichtung zusammen mit einem Einlaufmodul in perspektivischer Ansicht,
• Figur 5, einen perspektivischen Aufschnitt eines Haushaltsgeräts nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung,
• Figur 6 eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Wäschetrockners,
• Figur 7 eine Explosionsdarstellung einer Türe eines Wäschetrockners mit einer Filtervorrichtung gemäss einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung,
• Figur 8 eine Explosionsdarstellung einer Filtervorrichtung nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung, und
• Figur 9 a) und b) einen Längsschnitt und einer perspektivische Darstellung eines Gehäusefussabschnitts mit einer Filtervorrichtung nach einem Ausführungsbeispiel der Erfindung.

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to FIGS. Showing:

• FIG. 1 a longitudinal section through a dryer according to the prior art,
• FIG. 2 a perspective view of a filter device according to an embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 3 a cross section through the filter device according to FIG. 2 .
• FIG. 4 a filter device together with an inlet module in perspective view,
• FIG. 5 , a perspective section of a household appliance according to an embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 6 a perspective view of a clothes dryer,
• FIG. 7 an exploded view of a door of a clothes dryer with a filter device according to an embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 8 an exploded view of a filter device according to an embodiment of the invention, and
• FIG. 9 a) and b) a longitudinal section and a perspective view of a Gehäusefussabschnitts with a filter device according to an embodiment of the invention.

Way to carry out the invention

Identical or equivalent elements are indicated across the figures in the figures by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional clothes dryer on the principle of condensation in section, the arrows indicate the air flow of the closed air circuit in the operation of the clothes dryer.

A drying space 1 in the form of a drum is typically equipped with dry material and is supplied with warm, dry air through rear feeds. The air absorbs the moisture from the dry material in the drying room 1. The moist, warm air is removed via the door 2 of the tumble dryer and freed in a filter device 3 of particles, in particular lint. The thus purified air is fed to a heat exchanger 4, in which it is first cooled in a cooling device 41 for moisture delivery, and then heated by means of a heater 42 again. The cycle is closed by the thus heated, dry air is fed via a blower 5 back to the drying room 1.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a filter device 3. A housing 36 contains two juxtaposed filter elements 31 and 37 with associated scrapers 32 and 38. Details of filter element and wiper are based of the filter element 31 and the wiper 32 explained. The further filter element 37 and the further scraper 38 are constructed in the same way.

The filter element 31 is circular and has a filter surface 311 and a ring gear 312 on its outer periphery.

The term "filter surface" or "effective filter surface" in the present application is that surface of the filter element which is equipped with filter material. As a filter material, for example, serve a wire or plastic mesh whose mesh size is adapted to the size of the particles to be deposited. Other air filters, such as air filters on porous filter material, may also be used.

The term "filter element" in the present application refers to the element which contains the filter material for filtering the supplied air. Preferably, the entire "filter element" is made of filter material. For example, a circular filter element may consist entirely of filter material. But it can also be provided holding structures for the filter material. Included is also an embodiment in which only a partial surface of such a filter element is designed as an effective filter surface.

In the present application, the filter element and in particular its filter surface is preferably "flat" in the sense of not curved. Thus, the filter element is arranged in a plane. During operation of the filter device, such a filter element is preferably braced, fastened, or otherwise arranged in such a way that it has a planar shape in the air duct. Due to the air flow caused curvatures of the filter element are irrelevant in the sense of the definition, as well as, for example, connected to the filter element webs for its stabilization, irregular filter material, or the like.

The wiper 32 strips off the filter element 31, and in particular its effective filter surface and thus frees them from the pleasure current deposited particles. In this case, the wiper 32 is usually in contact with the filter element 31 and is moved over the effective filter surface. But also a stripping of filter element surfaces, which are not effective filter surfaces, makes sense, as there adhering particles can also be collected in a later to be described Flusendepot.

The air flow to be filtered impinges on the sides of the filter device 3 defined by the wipers 32, 38 from the front FIG. 2 , For stripping filter element 31 and wiper 32 rotate to each other. In the case of a circular filter element 31, the filter element 31 can be set in a rotational movement about a straight line through its center of the circle. According to FIG. 3 In this case, an (outer) sprocket 312 of the filter element 31 cooperates with a drive worm 341 as a worm gear, which is driven by a drive 34, for example an electric motor. In the filter device 3 after FIG. 2 is only a drive 34 and a drive screw 341 for simultaneously driving both filter elements 31 and 37 required because the drive screw 341 with the sprockets of both filter elements 31 and 37 cooperates.

It can be seen that by a rotary movement of the wiper and filter element relative to each other, small-volume drive mechanisms are favored, such as the drive via a worm gear.

In most of the described embodiments, a scraper is provided as a cleaning device for the filter element. In general, the cleaning device may alternatively or in addition to a scraper air cleaner, water purifier, or have other cleaning agents. For example, the Abstreifhalter one provided with nozzles Hold hose whose nozzles are directed to the inner surface of the filter element and which hose is pressurized with compressed air for cleaning. By means of a rotary movement of such a cleaning device relative to the filter element, the filter element can be freed of particles equally. Preferably, such a hose is then arranged at least slightly spaced from the inside of the filter element. In a similar mechanism of action, the hose instead of compressed air and a cleaning liquid, such as water, are supplied under pressure.

The housing 36 includes a sealing ring 361 for sealing, for example against an inlet module.

The filter device 3 contains a collecting basin for the particles scraped off by the filter element 31. This reservoir is also called Flusendepot 33. It has a drawer shape and is screwed to the underside of the housing 36. However, the lint depot 33 may also be easily detachably connected to the housing 36 in order to facilitate emptying of the lint depot 33. The housing 36 includes a lint 362 through which the stripped particles may fall into the lint depot 33.

The scraper 32 is arranged stationary in the present case, so that by rotating the filter element 31, a relative rotational movement between scraper 32 and filter element 31 is generated. Also, a rotary drive for scraper 32 and filter element 31 can cause a rotational movement of these elements against each other.

FIG. 3 shows a cross section through an arrangement according to FIG. 2 , plus a cut through a further filter device, which corresponds to the first filter device 3 and is arranged immediately in front of the first filter device 3. The elements are in turn described only on the basis of the filter element 31 and the scraper 32, but otherwise identical in the other filter element-scraper combinations.

From this figure it can be seen how the drive screw 341 and the sprockets of the filter elements 31 and 37 cooperate. The wiper 32 spans the filter element 31 radially with a wiper holder 323. The wiper holder 323 holds a wiper lip 322 that is in contact with the filter surface 311 of the filter element 31. Wiper lips 322 may be made of rubber, for example, or formed as bristle elements. The wiper lip has a longitudinal extent of approximately half the diameter of the filter element 31. By rotating the filter element 31, therefore, the entire effective filter surface is guided past the wiper lip 312 and cleaned by stripping off particles.

The sectional view after FIG. 3 shows a total of four filter element-scraper combinations, two of which are each juxtaposed, ie with lying in a common plane filter surfaces, two of which are arranged one behind the other, ie with a two-stage cleaning mechanism, wherein the exhaust air of the first filter element-scraper combination of the subsequent filter element Wiper combination is supplied.

The two or more arrangements "in a row" can generally be used if the air flow is to be cleaned at least twice and an increased air quality at the outlet of the filter device is to be achieved. The or each further filter element may have the same filter effect as the first filter element in such an arrangement, but may preferably also have a higher filtering effect and, for example, be more fine-meshed than the upstream one Filter element, so that the upstream filter element initially frees the air from large particles while the downstream filter element separates smaller particles from the thus filtered air.

A two- or multiple arrangement "side by side" can generally be used if the installation conditions in the household appliance do not allow a single, large filter element. Thus, in particular a single circular filter element with sufficiently large filter surface can be difficult to arrange in the device, so that in its place two or more adjacent filter elements form a more compact filter device.

Depending on the requirements, "side by side" and "behind one another" filter elements can be combined as desired into one or more filter devices.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a combination of a filter device 3 and an inlet module 7. A pipe 6 is fastened via fastening means, in the present structure, for example via a pipe clamp 61, to the inlet module 7 and supplies the air to be filtered to the inlet module 7. The inlet module 7 is with connected to the housing of the filter device 3, for example via a screw connection as indicated, and supplies the air to be filtered further to the filter device 3. A shaft of the drive screw 341 protrudes from the filter device 3 out. A window 71 in the inlet module 7 allows access to the screwed filter device 3, in particular its scraper and the filter element.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary household appliance with a transparent housing 8 for illustrative purposes in the form of a tumble dryer with a drying room 1, a door 2 and a filter device 3. The filter device 3 is fed via a not-shown pipe with the exhaust air from the drying room 1.

The filter device 3 is modular with two adjacent filter elements in a common housing 36, and two such successively arranged filter modules. The filter modules are easy to remove and replace. A common, drawer-shaped flute depot 33 is disposed below the filter modules and collects the particles deposited by all the filter elements. The lint depot 33 can be made extendible, so that disposal of the particles is easily possible. It may be from the front of the device, e.g. below the user's door, be accessible.

The filter device 3 is preferably arranged in a device foot 9 of the household appliance. The household appliance is placed with the device foot 9 on the ground. Preferably, the filter device 3 is arranged in the device foot 9 near the door to keep the length of a pipe for the air supply low.

FIG. 6 shows a clothes dryer in a perspective view with a housing 8 and a door 2 to the drying room 1. A device foot 9 has at its front below the door 2 a flap 81, which allows access to a filter device 3 consisting of three filter modules. The filter modules are drawn in pulled out state. They are bolted together and have a common river depot 33. The Flusendepot 33 is attached from below against the filter modules and has an opening through which the lint can be disposed of. Each filter module also has guide grooves 363, which correspond with webs 91 in the housing foot 9 and facilitate the insertion of the filter device 3 into the housing foot 9.

FIG. 7 shows the arrangement of a filter device, for example in a door 2 of a household appliance. The wiper 32 with stripping holder 323 and wiper lip 322 is attached to the door 2 via a ring 321. In turn, the filter element 31 is rotatably mounted with its circular, effective filter surface 311 and a ring gear 312 about the filter surface 311. The clamping of the filter device 3 against a frame 21 of the door 2 via various rings, of which a Teflon ring 24, the rotation of the filter element 31 with a low frictional resistance to the Frame 21 of the door 2 allows. A spring ring 22 pushes the filter element 31 outwards against the scraper, whereby a cleaning for advantageous contact between scraper 32, and in particular its wiper lip 322, and the filter surface 311 is formed. A sealing ring 23 seals the filter device 3 from. An installation of the filter device 3 in the door 2 of the household appliance is particularly space-saving and gives space in the device free foot. The stripped fluff are collected via a not marked, suitably arranged Flusendepot. The filtered air flow is appropriately continued in the device.

FIG. 8 shows in a partially exploded view of another advantageous embodiment of a filter device 3, here with a single cooperating with a scraper 32, circular filter element 31 in a housing 36. The housing 36 further has a feed gap 362 for another filter element 37. This further filter element 37 is designed as a conventional lint filter and can be cleaned manually after removal from the housing 36. Furthermore, a river depot 33 is provided.

The housing 36 and the Flusendepot 33 are inserted through a flap 391 in another housing 39. The further housing 39 contains a drive 34 for driving the filter element 31. The filtered air leaves through a rear opening the further housing 39. The air to be filtered is fed through a non-illustrated opening in the flap 391 of the filter device 3.

It can be seen that the air to be filtered subjected to a two-stage cleaning process First, the air is cleaned with the filter element 31 and then flows through the further filter element 37th

The whole arrangement after FIG. 8 is also designed as a filter module that can be easily installed in, for example, the device foot of a household appliance. In this case, the Flusendepot 33 can be accessible, for example, via a flap in the housing of the household appliance and the flap 391 of the other housing 39, removed, and emptied.

FIG. 9a ) shows one of the filter device after FIG. 8 similar filter device 3 in longitudinal section in the installed in a device foot 9 state. FIG. 9b ) is the associated perspective view. The air to be filtered is first fed via components of the dryer housing 8 to the filter element 31 with associated wiper 32, before the filtered air is then supplied to the further filter element 37. An exemplary distance between the first and the further filter element 31 and 37 is given as 30 mm. Preferably, this distance is less than 100 mm. The stripped fluff are accessible via a flap 81 in the dryer housing 8.

The exhaust air from the further filter element 37 is supplied to a cooling device 41. An exemplary distance between the filter device 3 and the cooling device 41 is 40 mm, but is preferably smaller than 100 mm.

1

Trockenraum

2

Tür
21 Rahmen
22 Federring
23 Dichtring
24 Teflon-Ring

3

Filtervorrichtung
31 Filterelement
311 Filterfläche
312 Zahnkranz
313 Dichtring
32 Abstreifer
321 Ring
322 Abstreiflippe
323 Abstreifhalter
33 Flusendepot
331 Dichtung
34 Antrieb
341 Antriebsschnecke
36 Gehäuse
361 Dichtung
362 Flusenspalt
363 Führungsnut
37 Weiteres Filterelement
38 Weiterer Abstreifer
39 Weiteres Gehäuse
391 Klappe

4

Wärmetauscher
41 Kühleinrichtung
42 Heizeinrichtung

5

Gebläse

6

Rohr
61 Rohrschelle

7

Einlaufmodul
71 Fenster

8

Trocknergehäuse
81 Klappe

9

Gerätefuss
91 Steg

While preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the present application, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto and may be embodied otherwise within the scope of the following claims.

1

drying room

2

door
21 frames
22 spring washer
23 sealing ring
24 Teflon ring

3

filter means
31 filter element
311 filter surface
312 sprocket
313 sealing ring
32 scrapers
321 ring
322 wiper lip
323 stripping holder
33 river depot
331 seal
34 drive
341 Drive worm
36 housing
361 seal
362 lintel
363 guide groove
37 Another filter element
38 Additional scraper
39 Further housing
391 flap

4

heat exchangers
41 cooling device
42 heating device

5

fan

6

pipe
61 pipe clamp

7

feed module
71 windows

8th

dryer housing
81 flap

9

equipment Under
91 footbridge

Claims (12)

1. Household appliance, with a filter device (3) for separating particles from an air stream, the filter device (3) having filter element (31) and a cleaning device for cleaning the filter element (31), and wherein the filter element (31) and the cleaning device are arranged in a rotatable way against one another, wherein the filter element (31) is planar and circular,
   characterized in that a sprocket (311) arranged in a circumferential way on the filter element (31) and a worm wheel form a worm gear for actuating the filter element (31).
2. Household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning device is formed as a wiper (32).
3. Household appliance according to claim 2, characterized in that the wiper (32) is arranged in a stationary way, and in that the filter element (31) is supported in a rotatable way.
4. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 3, characterized in that the wiper (32) contains a wiper lip (322) which has a longitudinal extension of at least half of the diameter of the filter element (31).
5. Household appliance according to one of the claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the wiper (32) is arranged radially above the filter element (31).
6. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a further filter device for separating particles from an air stream with a further filter element and with a further cleaning device for cleaning the further filter element, the further filter element and the further cleaning device being arranged in a rotatable way against one another.
7. Household appliance according to claim 6, characterized in that the filter device and the further filter device are arranged side by side, such that the respective filter elements are arranged in the same plane.
8. Household appliance according to claim 7, characterized in that each filter element has a sprocket arranged in a circumferential way on the filter element, wherein the sprockets interact with a common worm as a worm gear.
9. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter device is arranged in a door of the household appliance.
10. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter device (3) is arranged below a dry space (1) in a device foot (9) for placing the household appliance on the floor.
11. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter device (3) is formed as a filter module which is removable from the household appliance.
12. Household appliance according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the household appliance is adapted to dry laundry, and in that the filter element is formed as a fluff filter.

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