EP2471997A1 - Dryer or laundry machine with steaming device - Google Patents

Abstract

The dryer or machine has a rotatable drum (2) for accommodating clothes. A vaporization device supplies vapor into a chamber (3) i.e. barrel, containing the drum. A controller (10) activates the vaporization device and rotates the drum in the vaporized chamber with more than 800 rotation per minute. A water supply unit supplies water into the chamber. A heater (12) heats the water present in the chamber for producing vapor in the chamber. A tank is connected with the chamber for accommodating process water. The controller supplies detergent from a detergent chamber into the chamber. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a laundry dryer or an automatic washing machine.

Description

Field of the invention

The invention relates to a tumble dryer or washing machine and a method for operating a tumble dryer or washing machine.

background

Such devices are used to wash or dry laundry. In continuous operation without the addition of hot water such as during a cooking cycle can contaminate the process water or the process air exposed components.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a tumble dryer or a washing machine and a method for operating a tumble dryer or a washing machine, in which even remote locations inside the device can be sterilized.

The object is achieved by a tumble dryer or a washing machine having the features of patent claim 1 and by a method for operating a tumble dryer or washing machine according to the features of patent claim 7.

According to the invention, the tumble dryer or washing machine is designed so that the space containing the drum, so for example, the tub in a washing machine or the space within which the drum rotates in a tumble dryer, steam is added. In this case, the steam can be generated outside this space and directed into the room, or else the steam is generated within the room, for example, by heating water supplied from the room. Preferably, in this variant, a heating of the water to a temperature of at least 70 ° C, and preferably at least 80 ° C obtained in order to achieve a temperature of the parts to be sterilized of at least 60 ° C. Typically, the drum contains openings on its outer wall so that when the space is steamed, both the interior of the drum and the space outside the interior of the drum are filled with steam.

In such a steamed room, the drum is rotated. This has the consequence that the drum unfolds a fan effect, in which typically a negative pressure in the interior of the drum is generated, whereby the steam is pressed radially outwards. Due to the radial fan action of the rotating drum, the steam is also transported to remote locations and angles of the room and also driven into only slightly accessible cavities and can there develop its cleaning effect with respect to impurities of these equipment components.

For this purpose, the drum is rotated at more than 800 revolutions per minute, preferably at more than 1000 revolutions per minute, to effect the desired distribution of the vapor in the space. These speeds typically correspond to the speeds of a spin cycle of a washing machine. In the above-mentioned operation for cleaning components of the apparatus, however, this rotation is typically performed with an empty drum. Steam generation also typically occurs when the drum is empty. Preferably, this operation, which may also be described as a sanitary steam-spinner operation, is initiated by the user. This operation can be included as an election program and be selected by the user through appropriate program selection. If you select this cleaning program, it is assumed that the drum has been emptied beforehand. In another development but also the findings of an automatic load detection for the drum be used. Such a load detection can provide information about the loading condition of the drum. Thus, it can be detected by such a load detection, for example, whether the drum is filled, or is in an empty or substantially empty state. This information can be supplied by suitable sensors or derived from a rotational operation of the drum. If such loading status information is available, it may be used to initiate high speed steam delivery and / or rotation only when an approximately empty drum is detected.

The rotation of the drum in a steamed space involves at least one situation in which the drum is rotated while the steam is still being generated or supplied. But it should also be included a situation in which the steam generation or supply is already completed, the room is filled with steam, and only then the drum is set in rotation. This rested so the drum during steam generation, or rotated at a low speed.

Advantageous developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

Further developments, which are expressly disclosed in connection with the washing machine or the tumble dryer, are also to be regarded as disclosed belonging to the method, and vice versa.

Brief description of the drawings

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims and from the following description with reference to the single figure, which shows a section through a washing machine shown greatly simplified according to an embodiment of the invention.

Way (s) for carrying out the invention

The in Fig. 1 shown washing machine has a housing 1, in which a drum 2 is arranged with approximately horizontal axis of rotation. The drum 2 is used to hold laundry to be washed. It is permeable to water and arranged in a watertight space 3, which is also called tub. For supplying and discharging water lines 5, 6 are provided, which are provided with an electrically controlled valve 7 and a drain pump 8. A motor 9 is used to rotate the drum 2. To control the washing machine, a controller 10 is provided. This is able to control the above-mentioned components based on user specifications and evaluation of sensor signals.

In a typical washing process, laundry is introduced into the drum 2. This is washed with the addition of water and detergents and with rotation of the drum 2. In this case, as much water 11 is filled into the tub, that at least the lower part of the drum 2 is in the water and the laundry is wetted. Typically, the water supplied via the line 5 flows through a non-drawn detergent drawer, in which the water is mixed with detergent. For heating the water to a desired washing temperature, a heater 12 is provided at the bottom of the tub. After washing, as far as the user has requested, the laundry is thrown, ie the laundry is removed by rapidly rotating the drum 2 water. After spinning, the drum 2 can be slowly rotated alternately in both directions ("reversed"). Since the drum 2 has a substantially horizontal axis of rotation, while the laundry is loosened.

The hygiene or cleaning program described below is used to clean the tub and in particular its remote angle, as well as the cleaning of associated with the tub elements such as the detergent drawer, leads, etc. It is assumed that this program is started when there is no laundry to be washed in the drum 2. The cleaning program may be activated by the user, for example via a program selection switch or other input device. The display of the cleaning program may remind the user once again that this program is intended to be carried out without washing in the drum 2.

At the beginning of the hygiene program, steam is generated in room 3. For this purpose, the bottom of the tub is first filled with water 11 as in FIG. 1 shown. The water is preferably supplied via the line 5 by opening the valve 7. In an advantageous development of the invention, the water again flows through the detergent drawer, so that the water supplied to the tub is mixed with detergent and thus an improved cleaning effect in carrying out the tub cleaning can be achieved. The water can also be supplied by alternative supply lines to the tub, for example via an in FIG. 1 shown, but not necessarily always available further supply line 13, controlled by a control valve 14, which further feed line 13 opens into a lower region of the tub 3. In a further development, the water can be introduced via a filling ring. As the amount of water required for steaming is low, rinsing water, which was retained from the last rinse in a suitable evasive vessel, can alternatively also be returned to the vat.

In any case, preferably enough water is admitted that the heater 12 is covered, but the water level 14 is still below the drum 2. Would the water level above the lower edge of the drum, so the subsequent rotation of the drum 2 would be hindered and the required speed can not be achieved. A suitable filling level can be achieved by adding a predefined amount of water. Alternatively, the water supply can be suppressed if a level sensor detects a maximum permissible level, or a level deemed sufficient.

If a sufficient amount of water, optionally added to the tub with detergent added, so the heater 12 is preferably activated. Then, the water present in the sump is heated by the heater 12, preferably at least to 70 ° C, but preferably to at least 80 ° C, so that there is a vapor development in the tub 3. The steam penetrates into the drum 2 and otherwise fills easily accessible places in the room 3.

In the example shown, the heater 12, which is also used for washing to heat the water, used as a vapor deposition. However, it is also conceivable to provide a separate sputtering device, e.g. can be arranged outside the tub.

The evaporation, ie in the present example, the activation of the heater 12, preferably lasts between 5 and 20 minutes. Thereafter, the heater 12 is turned off. The duration of the heating can be a predefined fixed duration. In an alternative, a temperature sensor in contact with the water may be provided, wherein when a threshold value is exceeded by the temperature thus measured, for example of 85 ° C., the heater 12 is switched off. Alternatively, it is also possible to use a temperature sensor arranged in the room 3 or else a moisture sensor arranged in the room. In each case, assuming a threshold value is exceeded, it would be assumed that sufficient steam was generated for the purpose of purification, and steam generation at least temporarily can be set. If the drum 2 is not yet set in rotation during the steam generation, the drum rotation can be initiated simultaneously with the setting of the steam generation.

The drum 2 is thus set in rotation, either already during the period of steam generation or supply, and / or subsequently to the steam generation or - supply. In particular, deactivating the heater may cause activation of the drum rotation. In any case, either the steam just generated or the steam present in the space 3 after the steam generation is distributed in the radial direction in the space 3 by the rotating drum 2. The drum 2 acts insofar as a radial fan with respect to the generated steam. As a result, the steam can also reach remote locations in the tub or in elements connected to the tub such as the detergent drawer or the aforementioned escape vessel and thus kill germs in places where this would not be possible under steam generation alone due to the lack of transport of steam to these places ,

The required rotational speed of the drum essentially corresponds to a speed otherwise used for spinning laundry to drive water and should be more than 800 revolutions per minute, preferably more than 1000 revolutions per minute, and in a further development more than 1300 revolutions per minute.

Preferably, the drain pump 8 is not in operation, both during the heating phase and during drum rotation, i. no water is pumped out of the sump. Preferably, the drain pump 8 is activated only after completion of the drum rotation to drain water remaining in the sump.

The duration of the drum rotation can either be predetermined. Alternatively, it can be determined by means of suitable sensors whether a cleaning success probably occurred. For this purpose, for example, a temperature or humidity sensor arranged in the space 3 can be used. Upon reaching an associated threshold, it can be assumed that the steam has spread strongly enough. In particular, such sensors can be arranged in the hard to reach places of the room 3, so for example in / on the detergent drawer. In this way, it can be determined whether the steam has already reached these remote places, such as by a significant increase in humidity is detected.

Once the heating has been switched off, it can be reactivated during the drum rotation or after it has been determined, for example, by means of a suitable sensor that the water temperature in the sump falls below a second threshold value, for example 55 ° C., or the humidity in the room has an associated threshold value falls below, or the temperature in the room falls below an associated threshold. In this respect, the cleaning process with repeated switching on and off of the heating and switching on and off of the drum rotation in response to sensor signals can be controlled.

All the above processes are preferably controlled and monitored by the controller 10.

Although automatic washing machines are the preferred field of application of the invention, the invention can also be used in tumble dryers. These devices usually also have a drum which serves as a vessel for the laundry and into which dry air is introduced for drying the laundry. Again, for cleaning purposes, steam may be supplied to a room in which the drum is arranged. Simultaneously or subsequently, in this steamed room, the drum is rotated at high speed, as in the washing machine. Here, preferably, a separate steam generator for Use come. This generates steam, which is supplied to the room.

In a preferred development, the control device can be designed to generate an indication to the user, for example on a display or by another display device, that a performance of such a hygiene program is advisable. The recommendation may be based on the fact that a certain period of time has elapsed since the last hygiene program was carried out, or that a certain period of time has passed since the last higher-temperature washing program of 60 ° C or more. In the latter variant, it is assumed that such a wash also unfolds a certain cleaning effect with respect to the room 3 and thus can serve as a basis for calculating a future date for the implementation of the hygiene program.

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.

Claims (15)

Tumble dryer or washing machine,
with a rotatable drum (2) for receiving laundry,
with a steaming device for supplying steam into a space (3) containing the drum (2), and
with a control device (10) for activating the vapor deposition device and for rotating the drum (2) in the vapor-deposited chamber (3) at more than 800 revolutions per minute. Dryer or washing machine according to claim 1,
with a load detection for detecting a loading state of the drum (2),
in which the control device (10) is designed to activate the vaporization device and to rotate the drum (2) if an empty loading state of the drum (2) is detected by the load detection. Dryer or washing machine according to claim 1 or claim 2,
in which the control device (10) is designed to rotate the drum (2) in the vapor-deposited space (3) at more than 1000 revolutions per minute. Washing machine according to one of the preceding claims,
wherein the space (3) is a tub of the washing machine,
with a water supply for feeding water into the tub, and
with a heater (12) for heating water in the tub to generate steam in the tub. Washing machine according to claim 4,
with a tank connected to the space (3) for receiving process water. Washing machine according to claim 4 or claim 5,
with a detergent container,
wherein the control device (10) is designed to supply detergent from the detergent container into the tub before activating the evaporator or during operation of the evaporator. Method for operating a tumble dryer or washing machine with the steps: Supplying steam into a space (3) containing a rotatable drum (2) for receiving laundry, and Rotate the drum (2) in steamed space (3) at more than 800 revolutions per minute. Method according to claim 7,
in which the empty drum (2) in the steamed space (3) is rotated, and in which in particular the empty drum (2) is rotated at more than 1000 revolutions per minute. Method according to claim 6 or claim 7,
in which the drum (2) is rotated after supplying steam into the space (3). Method according to one of claims 7 to 9,
in which the drum (2) is rotated while supplying steam into the space (3). Method according to one of claims 7 to 8,
in which the drum (2) is rotated for a predetermined time. Method according to one of claims 6 to 10,
wherein the feeding of steam at least comprises the feeding of water into the room (3), the heating of the supplied water, in which the heating of the water is stopped when a temperature measured in the water or in the room (3) or a humidity measured in the room (3) exceeds a threshold value. Method according to claim 12,
in which the water is heated again when a temperature measured in the water or in the room (3) or a humidity measured in the room (3) falls below an associated threshold value. Method according to one of claims 7 to 13,
in which the drum rotation is terminated when a temperature measured in the water or in the room (3) or a humidity measured in the room (3) falls below an associated threshold value. Method according to one of claims 7 to 14,
wherein the steps are performed in response to a user selecting a hygiene program by the tumble dryer or washing machine.

Images